5 things Supporters would ask from you – if they weren’t so nice©
by: Lynda McNutt Foster
(Read below to find out who winner was for the High 5 Monti prize.)
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Lynda Foster/Sheila Umberger
We all know the type of people that are just plain nice. They are the one’s that are always asking how they can help. As leaders, Supporters are the type that consider how procedures and policy changes will effect everyone on the team. Supporters tend to be pretty hard on themselves if they don’t get a task done properly that you were counting on them for. They are kind. Thoughtful. On a team, they tend to be the most loyal members. They have a good tone when speaking to others. There’s no sense in telling them you have an open door policy because they would never want to bother you. Supporters, as described in the DISC behavioral model, are the true Superman and Superwomen of the workplace. They tend to be behind the scenes of a lot of success stories. They are more than capable of leading. They may just be waiting to be asked.
They tend to move a little slower than the Drivers or Influencers that we discussed in the last couple of articles. When being assigned tasks they tend to like to gather as much information, first, and then be allowed to asked questions, later, to be sure they have everything they will need to complete it properly. There question is “how?” meaning, “How can I help?” “How would you like to have that done?”
If you aren’t familiar with DISC, it’s a behavioral assessment that measures HOW you behave and your ability to interact effectively with others in work and life, as well as how you respond to challenges like problems, influencing others, the pace of the environment you are in, rules and procedures. You can find out more here.
Here are 5 ways to help support your Supporter this week:
- HAVE A PERSONAL CONVERSATION: A Supporter will really appreciate it when co-workers take an interest in them on a personal level and get to know them. Supporters aren’t as gregarious as the Influencers. They tend to form fewer bonds with people, but have really strong bonds with the few people that they do interact with. They like to go a little deeper in interpersonal relationships. This also can make a Supporter more at ease at work and it feeds their sense of loyalty.
- TAKE TIME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS: Supporters REALLY want to do a good job for you and if they feel like they are not sure how to best do that, it can cause a lot of anxiety. Supporters tend to ask a lot of questions about how you want things done. This can frustrate a Driver or Influencer because it’s “slowing down the process”, but realize it is normally coming from a place that really wants to do the project well.
- ASK FOR THEIR OPINION: Supporters are notorious for being the “quiet one” in the room. They tend to be very polite and do not want to “bother” you with their opinion. This does NOT mean that they do not have opinions! Often, since Supporters tend to be the best listeners and observers, their feedback is incredibly insightful, as they may see things others do not. If you make a Supporter feel safe and comfortable (see “have a personal conversation above), they may offer insights that others have not seen.
- LET THEM TALK: We just established that Supporters can be quiet and polite. For this reason, in a meeting it can be very easy to “bulldoze” over them. When you are talking to a Supporter this week, make an effort not to interrupt them. They often allow interruptions because they tend to be more passive, but slow down and listen for great results.
- CLARIFY ROLES: Supporters LOVE to have a sense of stability. Having clarity on what their role is and what successes they are having at their job feels very good to an S. Remember, they like to know how they can help, so if their role is clear and they have a good understanding of HOW to do their job well, they will feel a great sense of security and safety.
APPRECIATE A SUPPORTER ON YOUR TEAM THIS WEEK: Supporters will not ask for appreciation and in fact, they may shy away when you express it to them. IGNORE how they react and be sure to amply appreciate them! It’s food for their soul.
TEAM EXERCISE:
Be sure to use “rounding” in an upcoming meeting this week to be sure that all are heard. The Supporters on your team may not speak up unless you use this method. Rounding is a technique wherein each person, in a meeting, is given at least 30 seconds to express their thoughts or opinions on a topic or agenda item. Many times, only the Drivers or Influencers are heard because they are more likely to speak up… this does not mean that everyone else doesn’t have an opinion. It simply means that they may need to be asked to share in order to feel safe and comfortable to state what’s on their mind. Their insights might just surprise you.
WINNER of MONTI for February:
Ryan Brooks of Excel Truck Group is the winner of a $25 Amazon gift card. Ryan, you should have it waiting in your inbox!
(Each month we will be awarding one winner from the top tier most engaged participants of goMonti.)
A HUGE HIGH 5 goes out to the amazing team at the City of Roanoke Library system! They just opened their newly renovated Raleigh Court location. It’s a must see. Their training room, that you can rent, is gorgeous and even has a small kitchen area along with small, 2-seater glass rooms for quick sessions or breakouts. Congratulations to Diane McGuire, the Branch Manager, and her team along with the fantastic Sheila Umberger, Director of Libraries, who is truly a Wonder Woman for her talents and abilities that are transforming the library system in Roanoke. (The picture is Sheila and me at the grand opening last Monday (that’s Ken Cronin in the back!)…yeah, that spray tan I got is always way to intense on the first day or two!)
You can reach me at (540) 815-1300, directly, the Cortex Leadership Consulting office at (540) 776-9219, at www.cortexleadership.com or find previous articles at www.lyndamcnuttfoster.com.