Boss personality types – depending on what you are and what your team members or boss is, you can have some interesting dynamics in the workplace. If your boss is a ruler and you’re a unifier, you probably think he or she is a great big bully. Alternatively, if you’re a persuader with an examiner boss, you’re probably wondering how they got that position with seemingly not a creative bone in their body.
If you’re a unifier boss you probably find disciplining your team excrutiating or avoid it altogether. While ruler boss personality types have no problem with this, they find emotional crises discomforting, to say the least. Persuader bosses love any excuse for a team-building exercise and hate stock-taking while examiner bosses hate running meetings, but love preparing for staff evaluations – all that lovely paperwork and boxes to fill in.
IF YOUR BOSS IS A PERSUADER
Laugh at their jokes, compliment them on their personal style (they’re such peacocks, usually) and don’t take it personally if they don’t seem to be paying attention. It’s never about you, it’s always about them. Give them the limelight as much as possible.
IF YOUR BOSS IS A UNIFIER
Treat your unifier boss personality type like a human being – ask after their kids, health and life in general. They like to be thought of as approachable, so approach them! Remember their birthday, make them a coffee and sympathise with the difficulties of leadership. Unifier bosses are really a cheap date if you know how to handle them.
IF YOUR BOSS IS A RULER
Get out of their way if they’re in a bad mood and don’t take it personally if they bark at you. Get the job done on time and to budget and they will love you for it – you might not get much praise, but you’ll certainly be hugely valued and appreciated.
IF YOUR BOSS IS AN EXAMINER
Be prepared for long staff appraisal sessions and meetings and appreciate the time they’ve taken to give you careful feedback. Back up any arguments you may have with facts and figures and you can win over these meticulous creatures.
