How Understanding Perceptual Style Transformed Our Soccer Association
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Director of Operations
The Clash of Styles: Activity Meets Flow
Have you ever worked with someone who shared your commitment to an organization's success but approached change so differently that progress became frustrating? Sometimes the greatest leadership challenges aren't about conflicting goals. They're about fundamentally different ways of seeing what needs to happen and how quickly it should happen.
As you know, my Perceptual Style is Activity. I’ve always been drawn to quick action and the concept of continuous improvement. I’m naturally curious about how things work, and I really enjoy technology… that probably explains my 25-year career with IBM.
I also enjoy being active. For many years, soccer was an important part of my life. I played throughout school and later in adult leagues. Eventually, I was recruited to join the board of a co-ed soccer association, where I was excited to put my technology background to work modernizing outdated processes.
The association's president, John, had a different approach. His Perceptual Style was Flow, and while I admired his dedication to the community and sensitivity to members’ needs, our working styles often clashed. He was all about keeping things steady, honoring traditions, and ensuring that no one felt stressed or confused by sudden changes. Consequently, introducing any change was an uphill battle.
The Frustration of Slow Change
One particular issue that highlighted this difference was our player registration process. Everything was handled manually, requiring ten people to spend days processing registrations. Information was recorded over the phone, and vital data was frequently lost or mixed up. I saw an easy solution: online registration. It would streamline the process, save time and energy, and help retain board members who were leaving because of the tedious paperwork.
Now, most of the board members were on the same page—everyone agreed that automating the process was necessary. But no one wanted to push John into supporting something he wasn’t comfortable with. He had been part of the board for many years, and his loyalty and dedication were the stuff of legends. We all respected his contribution and didn’t want to force him into a decision he was reluctant to embrace.
For John, a switch to online processing was radical, something that needed to be phased in over months, if not a couple of years, to ensure the community didn’t feel overwhelmed.
You can imagine how frustrating that was for me. From my Activity perspective, the slow pace felt like an unnecessary roadblock to progress. I wanted immediate action; he wanted to ensure that everyone felt secure and comfortable.
The Solution: Using Perceptual Style to Find Common Ground
Here’s where understanding our Perceptual Styles came into play. It was tempting to get annoyed with John’s cautious approach, but when I recognized that his Flow Style was about creating stability for the entire community, things started to shift. I realized that his resistance wasn’t about being difficult—it was about protecting the organization from stress and confusion.
Rather than pushing him into a change he didn’t fully embrace, we brainstormed other options. It became clear that John was a natural ambassador for the organization. His ability to build relationships and represent the association’s values was unmatched. So, the board promoted John to President-Emeritus, where he could focus on what he did best—building relationships with US Soccer and other league presidents. We also gave him an expense account to ensure he had the resources to do this job well.
Once we framed the new role around the people aspect, John embraced it enthusiastically. It was a perfect fit for his Perceptual Style and his passion for the soccer association, allowing him to focus on relationships while freeing the rest of the board to implement the changes we needed.
The Outcome: Success for Everyone
We implemented the online registration process and gradually updated the way we handled data. The board members felt relieved to finally move forward with modernizing our operations, and John was thriving in his new role as the organization’s ambassador. His dedication to the organization, combined with his new role, allowed us to grow without sacrificing the community aspect he valued so much.
In just a few years, the number of players and teams in the association almost doubled. By respecting each other’s Perceptual Styles, we found a solution that benefited everyone.
Why Perceptual Style Matters
The biggest takeaway from this experience was learning that our differences in Perceptual Style weren’t barriers—they were strengths. Instead of allowing my frustration with John's reluctance to change to build, I learned to see his perspective through the lens of Flow. He wasn’t being resistant to progress; he was protecting the community and ensuring that no one was left behind.
And for John, once he saw that I wasn’t just trying to bulldoze through changes but was genuinely invested in the community’s well-being, he was more open to the idea of gradual updates.
Looking back, the turning point wasn't convincing John to adopt my approach or abandoning the improvements I believed were necessary. It was recognizing that we were both contributing something valuable. My Activity Style helped drive innovation and efficiency, while John's Flow Style helped preserve relationships and community trust. Once we understood those differences, we could create roles that allowed both strengths to contribute to the organization's success.
Perceptual Style has the power to transform how we work together. Whether in business or personal life, understanding the motivations and priorities of others can make all the difference in resolving conflicts and creating lasting success.
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About Ricardo
Ricardo Vega is Director of Operations at Vega Behavioral Consulting, Ltd., and a certified Perceptual Style Guide. He brings more than 40 years of experience in technology, product and project delivery, disaster recovery, and team coaching. He specializes in helping entrepreneurs and teams with product planning and delivery, team building, and change management.
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