The next combination profile we’ll discuss is the Managing combination. When thinking about the Managing combination, keep in mind that the tendencies we describe don’t necessarily make up a “manager” profile. Rather, we use this label to describe a combination of someone who tends to manage most situations in a very structured, systematic way; this could be someone at any level in the organisation, from individual contributor to C-Suite. As such, the Managing combination has elevations on the following scales: Ambition and Prudence (HPI), Diligent (HDS), and Commerce (MVPI). From a values perspective, these individuals are very interested in the organisation’s bottom line (COM) and how they can impact that on a daily basis. They’re very mindful of the details and strive to create structure (PRU) in their daily activities. While very driven to gain status (AMB), they spend a lot of time thinking about how to best execute their personal and organisation’s plans (Prudence). In addition, while very focused on implementation and execution, they sometimes have a tendency to overly focus on what’s in front of them and have a hard time seeing the overall big picture (DIL). Also, they have a strong sense of wanting to do things in a methodical manner that sometimes causes them to micromanage others or, in some cases, they feel they need to do it all and don’t recognise opportunities to delegate (DIL).
The first area that you’ll want to explore with the Managing combination is getting them to Start delegating. Those who have this combination find it very hard to let go of projects and tasks. One of their strengths is creating well-defined plans. By using this strength, one coaching technique could be to have them write down their expectations for a certain project or task that they would be willing to delegate to someone. What’s the timeframe, outcome and what resources do they need to get the job done? Encourage the individual to share these expectations with the person they’re delegating the project/task to. When they receive the completed project/task back, have them review their expectations to see if they were followed. If they were, then the work is done. If not, have them determine what about the project/task wasn’t done to their standards. This will help tease out whether or not the individual is just being “picky” (a tendency of this combination) or if it’s something that was not fulfilled by the person who the task was delegated.
Another tendency of Managing combination is they put a lot of effort into everything they do. While this is a strength to some degree, sometimes it can also get in their way, especially when it comes to time management. One thing this individual could Stop doing is trying to do everything at a perfectionist level. This will certainly help with time management and prioritisation. The first step will be to have them write down what projects/tasks they have and how much time it will take to achieve them. Determine which ones are more time sensitive, then from that list, help them determine which projects/tasks are less critical and which they could delegate. Then as per the Start tip above, have them write down their expectations for these projects/tasks and delegate accordingly. This will help with clarity for those who will be receiving the project/task and help the Managing individual focus on what’s most critical and time-sensitive.
Lastly, this combination can be described as an agenda-driven individual who sets high expectations and goals around implementation and execution. They do this mainly to achieve bottom line results, for themselves, others and the organisation. They should Continue to use this strong sense of accomplishment as well as their drive to achieve to push projects along and achieve some of the goals outlined above. Then make sure they recognise and share their and others accomplishments. Especially for those tasks they have delegated.
