People with high Moving Away profiles avoid making true connections with others due to their high Excitable, Sceptical, Cautious, Reserved and Leisurely tendencies. During times of stress, these individuals are likely to move away or distance themselves from others, or others may move away from them. People with low Moving Away profiles, however, may lack the strengths associated with high scores across these scales. Those who score low across all or most of these scales are tolerant to the extent that they may not stand up for themselves, and they may avoid conflict. Low scorers may appear naïve, as they may fail to conduct due diligence or think through consequences. Positive implications of low scores include characteristics such as calm and easygoing, as well as optimistic, outgoing, and open to coaching.
When coaching these individuals, it is important to help them realise that they may lack a sense of urgency. Others may wonder what their passion is or what excites them, as they may hide their emotions from others or fail to act with conviction. Discuss this with the individuals; ask them where their passions lie and what gets them excited. Look to their MVPI results for clues. Ask them how they react when someone else asserts a view point that they disagree with. Do they speak up and voice their opinion, or politely cooperate with the course of action? They will likely admit to the latter due to their low Leisurely; in this case, you will want to coach the individual around how they can make their opinions heard. It will require stepping out of their comfort zone and sharing their point of view with those around them. Encourage them that others want to hear their thoughts, as they may have insightful ideas to bring to the table. They should vocalise and stand up for their viewpoints when necessary instead of quietly cooperating.
A second focus for the coaching engagement should concentrate on the low scoring individuals’ perceived naivety, which may lead others, particularly peers or direct reports, to take advantage of them. The coaching challenge will require developing self-awareness around instances or relationships where the individuals may need to conduct due diligence and bring adequate supporting information to the table. Have the individuals reflect on times when they were easily influenced by others due to their limited understanding of a situation or issue. Have them identify a trusted colleague so that next time they are in a situation in which the opportunity to be taken advantage of is apparent, they can discuss the situation with this colleague. In this way, outside individuals can be the devil’s advocate and point out when the low scorers are being naive or offer suggestions on what to look out for.
Finally, you will want to ensure that the individuals are aware of their tendency to avoid interpersonal conflicts. Their low Reserved score will cause them to move away from situations where they may need to make a tough call or challenge poor performance. They may think so much about the concerns or opinions of others that they withdraw from others during these times. In such cases, you will want to work with the individuals to help them understand that they may need to put their concerns aside and provide others with constructive feedback. Brainstorm with the individuals to identify a time when they could have provided constructive criticism or spoken up to challenge poor performance. Challenge the individuals to reach out to poor performers and frame their feedback in a constructive manner that will encourage performance improvements. You may suggest using language such as, “here is what you did well in this situation, and here is what you can improve on in the future.”
