Even though every person is a unique individual, we can still divide the world into two kinds of people: outgoing and reserved. To be more precise, some people think fast, talk fast, and move fast and those are the outgoing kind. On the other hand, reserved people are a bit more on the shy side and typically think well before speaking. That’s just how people are, and even though reserved people will have problems while trying to understand outgoing individuals (and vice versa), that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to conflicts.
Where the conflict lies is in another way people are divided into two groups. Conflict comes from a fact that people are either people-oriented, or they are more task-oriented.
A people-oriented person gets their energy from being surrounded by others. That means that when they need to recharge their batteries, they will choose an activity that will put them in a position where they are surrounded by people, whether that’s going for a barbecue or walking with a friend around the mall or going to a party.
Task-oriented people get their energy from checking out boxes. That means they will choose to recharge by doing chores, like mowing the grass, cleaning the pool etc.
The conflict happens when these two kinds of people come into close contact, whether by working on the same project or living together. They will always want different things and if they are not careful and understanding, they can easily end up in a “war zone”.
To understand each other it is important to know that every individual is a mix of four different personality styles: D, I, S and C, and that’s where their people or task orientation comes from.
D and C personality styles will always tend to get things done and they won’t enjoy spending time on chit-chat. I personality style will be all about fun and they will move fast, easily getting distracted. An S personality will move slower and focus on people and relationships rather than trying to climb the corporate ladder.
As we said: two groups of people and a sure way for interpersonal conflict. However, there is a way to eliminate it before it even starts.
Firstly, we need to understand ourselves and how we are wired to then be able to understand others. Once you understand yourself (by taking the DISC Assessment) you will begin to realize how others are different from you and you will get tools and guidance on how to adapt your behavior to meet others where they are.
If you get on the path of understanding yourself and start the road of behavior adaptation, it will lead to a whole new world of ideas and perspectives that you didn’t even know existed. It will impact everything from how you raise your children, how you are as a spouse, to how you deal with and close projects at the workplace. Head over to the Store and take the first step of stepping out of conflict today.
