3 Things (It Might Surprise You to Know) Your Guardian Boss Does Well
Have you ever had a boss that you just didn't click with? No matter how hard you tried,
it seemed like you were working at cross purposes? Did you sometimes wonder how that person
got to be a manager or supervisor?
Dr. David Keirsey points out in the best-selling book, Please Understand Me II, "People
are different... and it is precisely these variations in behavior and attitude that trigger
in each of us a common response: Seeing others around us differing from us, we conclude that
these differences in individual behavior are but temporary manifestations of madness,
badness, stupidity, or sickness." With the differences between us, we often misunderstand
each others' motivations, assumptions, and objectives - even though each of us is usually acting
in what we believe to be the best interests of the organization. In fact, the strengths of one
type of person, the characteristics that make them effective in doing their jobs, are
often misinterpreted by people of other personality types as character flaws - simply because
those strengths are different than their own. These differences can lead to friction,
poor relationships, lack of respect, and make constructive communication difficult, to say the
least
The key to effectively communicating, especially with your boss, is to understand the
motivations of their personality type. If you better understand what makes them tick - what
they're good at - their behavior may make better sense to you, and rather than bothering you,
you may find you are able to benefit from their strengths and even appreciate them. Hopefully,
this understanding on your part forms the basis of a reciprocal improvement in communication
between you and your boss with friction between the two of you becoming a distant memory.
This article points out 3 key strengths for each of the four Guardian types that you may not
be aware of, and may appreciate once you notice. Is your boss a Rational, Artisan, or Idealist?
To learn more about these bosses, click on the links at the end of this article. If you don't
know the personality type of your boss, click here for a few
things to look for that may point you in the right direction.
Surprise: 3 Things Your Guardian Boss is Good At
You've determined your boss is a Guardian. You're fortunate to have a Guardian boss.
Guardians pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard working. Their grounded
approach to life can make them loyal mates, responsible parents, and stabilizing leaders.
Indeed, Guardians can serve as the very cornerstone of society. They tend to be concerned
citizens who are willing to join together with others around them, valuing the camaraderie
and security inherent in belonging to groups.
There are 4 types of Guardians. Each brings their own unique talents to the work place.
Here are 3 things (you might not be aware of) about each of the 4 Guardian bosses that are
worth appreciating.
Supervisor Guardians (ESTJ) tend to be results-oriented, authoritarian, and decisive.
They are often seen going to meetings or being in communication with others. They tend to have
a very extensive network of contacts. They are among the most likely to bark out orders and
believe that their employees have the ability to fill in the details. Here are 3 strengths
to appreciate about this type of boss:
- They bring stability to the workplace; they are comfortable giving and taking
orders. Supervisors run a steady ship - with a Supervisor as boss, you are not likely
to experience shifting priorities or constantly changing objectives.
- They rarely let personality conflicts or personal problems distract them from their
work duties. Your Supervisor boss won't add their personal drama to your work place.
(Don't most of us have enough of our own?)
- They take commitments seriously. If your Supervisor boss tells you he or she will do
something, you should be able to bank on it.
Inspector Guardians (ISTJ) are most likely to be found in their office. They often
start and end the day with a completely clean desk. Detail-oriented, they carefully
analyze decisions, carefully weighing costs versus benefits. Here are 3 strengths to
appreciate about this type of boss:
- Inspectors are the most dependable of all the types. They can be extraordinarily
persevering and dutiful, particularly when it comes to keeping an eye on the people and
projects for which they're responsible. You can count on the quality of this boss's work.
- They don't hog the lime light. Unlike some other types of boss, an Inspector is
highly unlikely to take credit for your work.
- They will usually carefully check your work over before it goes outside the department,
and their keen attention to detail means you have some good protection from making
potentially costly big mistakes.
Provider Guardians (ESFJ) are likely to be seen as very friendly people who have
many business contacts who are also friends. They tend to be very warm and prefer to ensure
that everyone on their team has a place and feels comfortable. Here are 3 strengths to
appreciate about this type of boss:
- They are very loyal to both people and organizations; they are very trustworthy.
You can usually feel secure that this boss "has your back".
- Your Provider boss is a people person. They generally know lots of people and are
comfortable facilitating introductions. This boss can help you develop your own network
within the company.
- They believe in giving great customer service and will go out of their way to make sure
their "customer" is satisfied. This can include you in some situations, it is good to notice
when your Provider boss has gone out of their way on your behalf, and thank them.
Protector Guardians (ISFJ) are likely to be quiet and work a great deal behind the
scenes picking up other people's messes. They value service above self and will do whatever it
takes to get the job done. Although they are very caring, they're not typically ones to be
outgoing and talkative. Don't misinterpret their shyness as being cold. Here are 3 strengths
to appreciate about this type of boss:
- The most diligent of all the types, Protectors are often willing to work long, hard hours
doing all the thankless jobs that others manage to avoid.
- They are the thriftiest of all the types, and will conserve resources. Your group will
rarely run into the problem of running out of resources before a project is complete because
of unwise overuse.
- A Protector is the most likely of the types to notice that you may need help completing
a project and will pitch in to help. They are the least likely to "palm" their work off
on you just because they're the boss.
Relationships with bosses can be challenging, but as we noted in the introduction to this
series of articles, often times the difficulties arise from the miscommunication caused by
the differences in each of our personality styles. In spite of these differences, as you've
seen above, each of them brings some very admirable qualities to the table. If you can
recognize these traits in your boss, you have taken the first step toward appreciating
the differences about them that can make your relationship stronger and more productive.
You can further explore and understand the strengths and challenges of your entire team
through the Keirsey
Temperament Sorter-II and Team Temperament Report, available through Keirsey.com.
Contact us today for
more information.
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