Human management is one of the most difficult and tasking aspect of management, courtesy of our many diversities. Managing different categories of persons with their basic traits and behavioral patterns is no doubt a heculian task, that only those who understands all these diversities will be able to record some successes. Our peculiarities are due to the fact that we’re of different temperament categories, which often influences everyone’s personality traits. Thus, for anyone to be a better manager of all humans, they must have a knowledge of the four temperament categories, with their inherent traits, weaknesses and strengths. An understanding of different categories of temperaments plus their personal idiosyncrasies will put you ahead of the pack in effective human management.
Good human managers do not boss everyone around, struggle to stamp their authority or perhaps impose their views and opinions on others. Yet they work very harmoniously and seamlessly with everyone despite all the differences across all divides. The secret is that, they understand the character and behaviours of those they’re managing, and they always relate with them according to who they are. Since everyone’s character is an offshoot of the temperament they are born with, wouldn’t it be better to have an understanding of personality traits of different temperaments so we can effectively manage their behavior and attitudes?
It’s for this reason that in today’s post, we want to look at effective ways of managing all temperament categories, and shut out any form of rancorous and acrimonious situations.
6 Ways of Managing Different Temperament Categories:
1. Understanding The Personality Traits Of All Temperaments:
Different temperament categories has got peculiar individual traits which makes them behave or act the way they do. Thus, it’s no gainsaying that understanding these various traits will no doubt equip you for effective human management and guarantee you success in effectively managing all categories of persons, irrespective of the temperament category they belong. In a group of persons that you’ll perhaps be expected to manage, you’ll no doubt have a mix of persons whose basic temperament could be sanguine, cholerics, melancholies and also phlegmatics. Each of this persons has got their individual traits courtesy of the temperament they’re born with. And they’ll always behave according to the influence of their temperament. So how do you effectively manage all these different behavioural patterns and attitudes, with very minimal altercations? First off, let’s consider some of the personality traits of all temperaments.
Sanguines: Sanguines are the first extrovert of the temperaments. They are very lively, happy and expressive people, who gets easily excited and often finds pleasure in whatever that gives them the opportunity to be with people and loudly express themselves. Sanguines are extremely impulsive personalities who often takes decision and does anything as their feelings and emotions rather than reasoning presupposes.
They’re often the first to speak, but the last to act. Talking excessively is also not uncommon for them, because of their unserious attitude to almost everything, and lack of self discipline. They’re never thorough or meticulous about what they do. There’s almost nothing a typical sanguine does that you’ll not find something to complain about or correct them for. They’re nevertheless one of the best people to have in a team since they’re lively and highly spirited persons who often lifts up the spirit of everyone around them with their liveliness, cheeriness and charisma.
Cholerics: Cholerics are the second extroverts of the temperaments after the sanguines. But unlike sanguines, cholerics are more disciplined, quick to act, determined, assertive and very goal-oriented personalities. Cholerics loves work and activities. They rarely talk excessively, for they believe in getting in there, and getting the job done asap. No one can convince a choleric when he’s sure of his fact, and you must be sure of your facts before engaging him in a debate, else, he’ll make a mincemeat of you.
They are the most self-sufficient of all the temperaments, rarely needing anyone to achieve their personal goals. Being a highly opinionated and self-willed personality thus, running roughshod of others is not uncommon for him. He’s a pragmatic, confident, and courageous person. The kind that could usurp your, position, power and authority if you’re docile and naive. He’s easily a motivator and mobilizer of people. He could lead a protest and mobilize people against you if may be, he perceives incompetence, naivity and docility. However, cholerics are definitely one of the best to have in a team or group especially when you need someone who can accomplish very difficult and heculian task. But you certainly need to watch your back.
Melancholies: Melancholies belongs to the introvert category, but not as introverted as a typical phlegmatic. Melancholies are sure one of the best persons to have in a team. For their intelligence, strategic and analytical thinking ability, detail-orientedness and self-sacrificing nature often helps to make the team achieve more and be able to perhaps, navigate through some difficult challenges. They’re very detailed individuals, who often asks too much honest questions.
Typical melancholy loves long range planning, strategically and gradually achieving their goals. Melancholies rarely does anything without first a very detailed plan. A melancholy will need all the facts and details before he can make up his mind on any issue. Never try to hasten them, rather give them all the time they need to plan and prepare, for they rarely makes mistakes or loose out completely in the end. However, a melancholy’s moodiness and pessimism whenever things do not go his way, plus their characteristic perfectionist tendencies often tends to negatively affect their relationship and success in life.
Phlegmatics: Phlegmatics are easily the first introverts because they love serene and sedentary lifestyle, plus keeping to themselves more than any other temperament. They’re the most quiet, gentle, and efficiently-organized of all the four basic temperaments. Both phlegmatics and melancholies loves being led than being leaders, eventhough they’ve got all the basic qualities to be good leaders. But while melancholies loves playing behind the scene roles, phlegmatics are very good and comfortable with their routines. Do not stress them so much or make them venture into territories they’re not very familiar with. Else the first reaction you’ll sure get from them will be negative. Phlegmatics often lives very securely, rarely sticking out their neck to tread on unknown paths.
Although, somewhat detailed and analytical like their melancholy counterparts, but not as strategic and down-to-earth as them though. But phlegmatics hardly makes their gifts, talents and potentials come to bare, because of fear of criticism or failure. He’s the most loyal and obedient team member, who rarely objects to your opinions or have a contrary opinion, and ready to stick with it. Docility and lack of motivation, plus fear are many phlegmatics greatest undoing in life. Though, a very honest, gentle, calm and an organized personality to have in a team, especially when looking for someone so diligent and committed to their routines. But phlegmatics needs to be more active rather than passive, and motivate themselves more, so as to achieve personal successes.
2. Relate With Everyone According To Their Level of Understanding:
Having had an understanding of the personality traits of the four different temperaments. The next thing will be to strategize on how to relate with each temperament according to how they perceive or view things. For a typical sanguine, and also depending on your goal and objective as a team leader or human manager, you will probably be a little bit more tolerant but resolute. For the sanguines loves to bluster and talks excessively, and will perhaps display some unserious traits and attitude.
You don’t need to be irritated or pissed by these lifestyle, which a melancholy or choleric will easily do, when they’re serious about getting something done. You need to learn to be more tolerant of them and give them little attention, while also being resolute and disciplined when it’s required that you must be. Applying wisdom in listening to them, and also taking some of the things they say with a pinch of salt, is sure one of the best approach you can adopt in order to relate peacefully with a sanguine.
For cholerics, one needs to be more disciplined, decisive, pragmatic and also exude so much confidence and Intelligence. Cholerics respects and loves intelligent people who do not bluster about themselves. Never try to trifle their opinions or make them feel their contribution is invalid. Learn to be respectful of their opinions, even if you’re not going to work with it. Don’t neglect or ostracize them, rather carry them along in all that you do, and also make them to realize that they are partners in progress. For they will do everything to ensure that your goals and objectives are accomplished. However, cholerics loves to get all the accolades, but when you make them know they’re partners and that you’re not trying to outsmart or compete with them, then you’ll sure be happy working with them.
Melancholies and phlegmatics are the easiest temperaments to manage and relate with, if you understand their personality traits. For melancholies, answer their honest questions, satisfy their curiosity, clear all their doubts, keep up with their high intelligence, they’re highly intelligent persons. Make them feel very relevant and important to your project, then give them all the time they need to plan and prepare. With less guidance and supervision, they’ll no doubt be the best. A melancholy’s self-sacrificing nature makes them go the extra mile to help a team accomplish a task and finish very strong. When they become moody and sad because of inability to achieve their goals, don’t criticize or condemn them, rather encourage and reignite their passion. For phlegmatic, the most loyal, diligent and organized of all. Recognizing their contributions and also appreciating them for their loyalty and hardwork is sure the best way to get them to do more.
3. Allow Back And Forth Influence:
In one of my previous post, I did say that, influence is one, if not the best way everyone can overcome or may be manage their basic temperament weaknesses. In human management, influence is one factor that cannot be discountenanced as long as human interpersonal relationships holdsway. Therefore, influence is an effective and efficient tool in the management of human beings. You must allow a back and forth influence among the different temperaments, in order to ensure proper augmentation of each person’s temperament strengths and weaknesses.
4. Being Able To Preempt Everyone’s Actions or Reactions:
One of the qualities of a good leader or someone involved in management of different persons, is the ability to be able to preempt or envisage the actions and reactions of your team members or followers to certain situations. It’s for this reason that a knowledge and understanding of the different temperaments and their personality traits is very important. When you can predict exactly what the attitude of your followers and team members will be towards a new policy, project or your opinions at any particular time, then you’re sure to be head and shoulder above them in every aspect the of team’s objective or leadership.
5. Always Be Ahead of The Pack:
One of the qualities of successful leaders and those who manages different categories of persons, is that they’re always ahead of the rest. They’re vast, and they tend to know more than those they’re leading or managing. It’ll be totally absurd to find leaders who’s naive, incompetent and bereft of ideas in different areas of life. No, not in this age. As a leader or perhaps, someone who manages different kinds of people, you must be ahead of the rest by having basic knowledge of various contemporary fields of life, while being adept at a particular field. Having those you’re leading or your followers to be more vast and knowledgeable than you are, is sure an easy route to failure. This is why you need to keep updating and improving yourself, in order be ahead of the pack.
6. Being More Proactive Than Reactive:
One of the things that causes loss of communication and breakdown of human interpersonal relationships, is not being proactive enough in order to forestall certain actions that might lead to it. Most human relationships has become very antagonistic and boisterous because a lot of persons are always too careless about what might cause crisis between the next person and themselves. Some could also see the signs coming, but they’re more reactive to conflicts than being proactive in preventing it. But one good qualities of those who succeeds in managing all categories of persons, is their ability to be sensitive to crisis and conflicts, and also be proactive enough to nip it in the bud before it escalates.
Conclusively, human management is a hard task, and it’s the most difficult aspect of management because of our temperament and personality traits diversities. But it’s not impossible to manage different categories of people. Following these six ways, will sure give you the edge over others.
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Personality Traits and Temperaments. 