Engagement Skills: 8 Characteristics of a Driver Personality (I can actually relate to!)

To be an efficient networker (you know, making those contacts to build meaningful connections – the general philosophy behind Let’s do Lunch Network), it helps to be aware of the various personality types, which could help avoid those awkward personality clashes. A bit of research is all it takes to understand how different personality types work and communicate in very different ways… I wasn’t aware of my own, until I attended a workshop at Barclay’s Global Headquarters yesterday.

Engagement Skills workshop

The workshop courtesy of The Princes Trust Enterprise Programme explored 4 Personality Types; Analytical, Driver, Amiable, and Expressive to be aware of when preparing for a meeting (or any form of communication, for that matter). After 15-20 long minutes trying not to over-think (and trying not to lose patience!), over a simple multiple choice exercise to reveal my communication-style, the end results showed I am a Driver Personality… But what exactly does that say about how I communicate and project myself?

Leading from the front seat: Driver Personality

Drivers are the dynamic and active personality type. They exude confidence and naturally gravitate toward leadership positions. They move very quickly to action, but they are not detail oriented. Drivers are great with the big picture—they’re visionaries and they see how we’re going to get to where we need to go, but they’re not always great at taking the interim steps needed to get there.

It can be said that “if you want to get to the moon you hire a driver, but if you want to get back you hire an analytical.”

8 characteristics of a Driver (I can actually relate to!)

Time focused and often impatient
Objective driven
Action orientated
Prefer minimal small talk
Direct tone and manner
Don’t mind conflict
Proud of personal and company achievements
Tend to make quick, decisive and calculated decisions

Engagement Tips (get on our good side!)

Be punctual and keep meetings short (to the point)
Be fully prepared
demonstrate knowledge and be incisive
Keep answers targeted, decisive and brief
Avoid small talk
avoid graphs, charts, and lists of data.

Word! This is so me!

I can get things done – The Driver

Drivers’ strengths are that they are very determined individuals. They are independent and they are productive. Drivers get a lot of things done. They are visionaries and they’re decisive. A driver would rather make a bad decision than no decision. They just want that decision to be made.

On the weak side, the driver can be insensitive, unsympathetic, harsh, proud, and sarcastic (ouch, really? But, the latter – I thought people like a bit of wit?) Drivers do not like to admit when they are wrong (I’m getting better at addressing this!). They can also rush to a decision without thoroughly thinking through or understanding the results or consequences of their decision (hands up – I confess!)

These are of course generalised, and many of us will exhibit some aspects of any number of these personality types. In food terms, I’d imagine myself to be a course of; a main plate of Driver, with an equal side dish of amiable and expressive, finished with a sprinkling of Analytical!

I’ll be sharing more from what I learnt on Engagement Skills on the blog next week – stay posted! Don’t forget, I’m now available for “Let’s do Lunch” talks and workshops addressing social agendas, self-expression and networking skills for young people exploring their path. CLICK HERE or CONTACT me for more info.

Thanks for reading – now time to share your thoughts in the comment box below!

(p.s I’m “delightfully dyslexic“, so pls read past any typos, unless they’re embarrassing then in that case flag it up to me!)

Kai 🙂

So, when are we doing lunch?