Lisa K. Marzoli, BS, MBAWellness Coordinator, Anthem

Causes of Job StressWorker/individual characteristics

- Personalities/Interpersonal relationships

- Coping Styles- Communication

“There’s an enormous amount of important and revealing

information about people available, but most of us ignore it and treat it

as background noise.”

Personalities in a Nutshell• There are four personalities, none of

which is better or worse than any of the other styles• The population is evenly divided among

the personality styles• We are all four-style people with some

degree of each personality• Each of us has a dominant style – a set

of behaviors that we are more adept at, most comfortable with, and use frequently

Personalities at WorkThree of four people important to one’s success

and happiness:

• Think differently• Decide differently• Use time differently• Handle emotions differently• Manage stress differently• Communicate differently• Deal with conflict differently

Personalities at Work

Not necessarily worse.Not necessarily better.But different.Behaviorally speaking, you are in a

minority.Everyone is!

Guidelines for Completing the Self-Assessment Inventory

Your personality style is based on other people’s perceptions of you – NOT on how you see yourself.

Read each item from the standpoint of the way you think other people see you. (Think of three people you work with and try to view yourself through their eyes as you take the inventory)

Be as objective as possible. Select those items that, to the best of your knowledge, reflect the way other people experience you

Guidelines for Completing the Self-Assessment Inventory

There are no good or bad styles, there are only differences among people. Success or failure is unrelated to any style. There are no good or bad choices on the inventory – no right or wrong answers.

Choose the statement you think more closely describes how others view your behavior.

Don’t dwell on responses; answer quickly and move on to the next set of statements.

AssertivenessAssertivenessA person’s level of assertiveness is the degree to which his/her behavior is typically seen by others as being forceful or directive

ResponsivenessResponsivenessA person’s level of responsiveness is the degree to which s/he is seen by others as showing her/his emotions and demonstrating awareness of the feelings

Characteristic BehaviorsMore Assertive

• Gesture more vigorously• More intense eye contact• Move more rapidly• Exude more energy• More erect or forward leaning,

especially when making a point• Speak more rapidly, louder and

more often• Address problems more quickly• Decide more quickly• Exhibit more risk-oriented

behavior• More confrontational• More direct and forceful when

expressing opinions, making requests, and giving directions

• Demonstrate anger more quickly

Less Assertive

• Gesture less vigorously• Less intense eye contact• Move more slowly• Demonstrate less energy• Lean back a bit when making a

point• Speak less rapidly, more softly

and less often• Slower to address problems• Take more time to arrive at

decisions• Exhibit less risk-oriented

behavior• Less confrontational• Less direct and less forceful when

expressing opinions, making requests, and giving directions

• Demonstrate anger less quickly

Characteristic BehaviorsMore Responsive

• Express feelings more openly• Appear more friendly• More facially expressive• Gesture more freely• Move vocal inflection• More comfortable with small

talk• Use more anecdotes and

stories• Express more concern about

the impact that decisions and policies may have on people

• Prefer working with others to working alone

• Dress more casually• Less structured in their use of

time

Less Responsive

• Less disclosing of feelings• Appear more reserved• Less facial expressiveness• Gesture less often• Less vocal inflection• Less interested in and less

adept at “small talk”• Use facts and logic more than

anecdotes• More task-oriented• More comfortable working

alone• Dress more formally• More structured in their use of

time

The Assertiveness and Responsiveness The Assertiveness and Responsiveness ContinuumsContinuums

AssertivenessAssertiveness

The Personality Style GridThe Personality Style Grid

Potential StrengthsEfficientDecisivePragmaticIndependentCandid

Spades blend a higher-than-average degree of assertiveness with less-than-average

responsiveness

Potential StrengthsPersuasiveEnthusiasticOutgoingSpontaneousFun-loving

Clubs integrate a high-level of assertiveness with a high level of emotional expressiveness.

Potential StrengthsCooperativeSupportiveDiplomaticPatientLoyal

Hearts get things done in a manner that is less assertive than average, combined with more-than-average

responsiveness

Potential StrengthsLogicalSystematicThoroughPrudentSerious

Diamonds combine considerable emotional restraint with less than average assertiveness

Stress Management at Work…..