An individual who scores high on Cautious will likely be a very slow decision maker when feeling stressed. These individuals will stall decisions for fear of being criticised or called a failure. High Cautious folks may even be motivated by a fear of failure. They worry about making mistakes, and tend to keep their thoughts and ideas to themselves to avoid embarrassment or disapproval. They likely will be hesitant to take risks, which may make them slower to adapt new changes or technology. High Cautious individuals will likely frustrate those who feel that their stalled decision-making is holding them back.
High Dutiful individuals, on the other hand, may be so eager to please that their actions seem guided by their sense of duty to their superiors and/or peers. These folks will bite off more than they can chew in order to please their manager and make everyone happy. They likely conform or defer judgment to others in order to avoid “rocking the boat”. High Dutiful individuals also struggle with decision-making, as they would prefer someone else make the choice for them versus having to voice their opinion which may be unpopular with those around them.
This combination of high scores will result in a largely internal struggle for the individual. The high Cautious piece will be apparent in the individual’s decision-making style. We will likely see this individual stall when needing to make a decision or adapt a new procedure. Meanwhile, this individual will carry a strong sense of duty to please others and seek direction from those above them. In situations that trigger both of these derailment tendencies, we are likely to see an individual with an extreme reluctance to take a stance on a given issue. Furthermore, leaders who exhibit both of these derailment tendencies will face a great deal of internal conflict when placed in situations where they are required to take on a role or project that they are not entirely comfortable with.
When coaching high Cautious/Dutiful individuals, keep in mind that the bottom line is building the courage to think and act for oneself. Both the high Cautious and high Dutiful scores will likely interfere with the individual’s ability to act independently and take risks. It is important to encourage the individual to take risks in their social behavior and recognise the value associated with taking risk and asserting themselves. Have the high Cautious/Dutiful individual consider a time when they delayed decision making; was it about how others would perceive them or more about making the wrong decision and failing? Then have them walk you through their thought process and explain why taking action was challenging for them. Help them reframe their thought process by encouraging them to consider the result of delaying action. While taking risks may sometimes result in mistakes or make them feel foolish, explain to the individual the value of learning from one’s mistakes; help them understand that disagreement or criticism from others serves as an opportunity for learning and improvement, rather than a label for failure. Others will likely not perceive their decision as foolish, but rather see them as willing to take a stance to move the organisation forward.
Also keep in mind when coaching these individuals that they will likely struggle asserting their own opinions to avoid embarrassment and rocking the boat. Encourage these individuals to identify their strongest convictions and voice those concerns when necessary. Acknowledge that everyone may not agree with their point of view, but that it is important that others understand what they are thinking. Have the individual consider who in their organisation can serve as a role model for decision-making. Encourage them to approach these individuals and probe about their decision-making process; they might also ask for feedback on their own decision-making style in order to improve their approach to decisions. Encouraging these individuals to show greater autonomy and initiative will empower them to take risks and make autonomous decisions.
