Temperament in the Work Place: 10 Ways to Choose Your Team

Introduction

In every organisation, one of the great challenges facing the average manager is the ability and intuition required to harness the various potentials of the individual employees of the company to achieve the ultimate organizational goals and objectives. This has become one of the hardest nuts to crack for many corporate managers.  Managing individual skills in an organization is akin to the work of a football coach, who only succeeds with the individual talents of the players at his disposal, when he can tactically and technically fix his team in such a way that those individual skills would complement one another in a proper game selection to achieve team success. Individual skills never win a championship; it is team work that does it.

And one of the things that would help the organizational manager to understand his team members very well, so as to rightly fix them to achieve desired result, is to identify their basic temperaments, especially as it relates to the vital areas of the organization. We have the four basic temperaments in Sanguine, Choleric,Melancholic and Phlegmatic.  

Let me show you what to expect from each of these temperaments, and then the choice would be yours to make in fixing them.

1.     Learning under a tutor: You can decide to organise a seminar or workshop for your newly-employed and watch how each learn under a tutor. The Sanguine is the talkative type, who would want to laugh, talk and discuss with the next fellow what the speaker has just said, that he would not catch the next sentence. Be sure his note would not be complete. The Choleric is the troublesome type, not taking note, but busy quarreling with the Sanguine of disturbing everybody with his crackling laugh. He may also accuse the Melancholy of claiming to know more than every other. The Melancholic is the thoughtful type; he is the one that pays more attention, writes in details, and would be ready to repeat all that the speaker has said after all; he has got a retentive memory and attentive spirit. The Phlegmatic is so timid he never asks questions, as he is not also interested.

2.     Obeying instructions: Be sure that each of these temperaments can flout your instruction as a boss; but understanding why each of them fails to keep to the exact instruction would help you identify your men. When the sanguine fails to keep to instruction, it’s because of indiscipline- he simply forgot it while he was busy talking and jesting. The choleric fails to keep to instruction out of incorrigibility- he is naturally stubborn and insubordinate, and would always want to do things his way. The melancholic fails in this area out of ingenuity. When he feels there’s a better way to do it, he might shelve the exact instruction given by the boss; to do what he feels is the right and best thing to do at the moment. The phlegmatic fails here out of indolence. He is such a lazy bunch, that he cannot stress himself to keep what he perceives as a hard line.

3.     Sales Rep/Customer Care Service: In this area, the sanguine is the sociable type-the best hand in this area, of course the reason why many of your customers and clients keep calling. The choleric is the strict type-so strict that no customer wants to meet him the second time. The melancholic is the serious type- he loves the people and would be ready to show interest, but too preoccupied with the business at hand, that he would never go the sanguine extent. The phlegmatic is the sluggish type. Employing him in this area is to do the work yourself.

4.     Training others:  What would you expect if you’re to appoint one of them as a team captain to train others? The sanguine is inconsistent- he would never follow through because of his personal life of indiscipline; he would be the first to break the rule. The choleric is intolerant-he might crush others while doing this as he has no room for tolerating others’ inadequacies. The melancholic, being ‘Mr Perfect’, is impatient with slow learners. His assessment level of others, as well as himself is so high. The phlegmatic is indifferent-it is none of his business whether the people learn or not.

5.     Keeping to organizational standards and principles: The sanguine is compromising-he hardly keeps to standards and principles; better count him out here. The choleric, the moment he believes in it, courageously move on with it, irrespective of whatever opposition that might come from colleagues or external forces. The melancholic is careful in this regard- he doesn’t want to fail at any end-he would not want to destroy the age-long standard of the organization; at the same time, he would not want to sacrifice the innovative potentials on the altar of tradition. This makes him indecisive at times. The phlegmatic here is conventional-to him, let the status quo remain; he keeps to it.

6.     Team membership drive: You need a team and not individual experts! However, there are factors that drive each of these basic temperaments to flow as a committed team member. For the sanguine, it ego- he only enjoy to be in a team where he finds it easy to show his ego; he loves the ‘fun way’. The choleric can only be a committed team member if only he is in the executive class; he loves things being done ‘my way’. The melancholy loves ethics, and where ethics is thrown into the bin, he ceases to be a committed team member, and then resort to criticism and withdrawal; he loves the ‘right way’. The phlegmatic is the easy going member of a team, and would remain committed to the team, as long as there is no pressure on him to step it up. He loves the ‘easy way’.

7.     Self-life interest: Every man has got a self-life interest that drives him. For the sanguine, it is self-exaltation-he loves to talk about his achievements and greatness. The choleric has got a self-sufficient interest-this makes him to be proud and self-independent; he doesn’t feel he needs others to make it in life. The melancholic is self-sacrificing-sometimes to the detriment of his own life and family. The greatest humanitarian services the world over are undertaken by melancholics. The phlegmatic is self-starving-in spite of his financial position, he might still make do with an old Peugeot 404 and a two-room apartment; and it doesn’t move him.

8.     Power of control: If you give each of them power, how do you expect them to get others to subordinate to them? The sanguine employs his natural power of influence to carry others along; and they gladly follow him. The choleric employs the power of intimidation-to him, if you handle them with a kid’s glove, you’ve lost your authority as a leader; and the people fearfully follow him. The melancholic employs the power of involvement to carry his people along-he never asks them to go the way, without first going it; and with that, they respectfully follow him. The phlegmatic employ the power of indifference-he allows every one to do as he pleases, at least to allow him enjoy his peace- with this attitude; he has more sycophant followers than others, as they sarcastically follow him.

9.     Leadership trait: The sanguine as leader cooperates freely with his people- to him; he doesn’t lose anything for coming so low. The choleric controls from top- no rival, no objection; his instructions are law. The melancholic consecrates to the core. He pays higher price in leadership than others combined. He labours more than the people he is leading; and he finds joy doing just that. The phlegmatic condescends authority to those under him; that is why it is very easy for cabals to take over the government of a phlegmatic in a very subtle way; after all, he is not too interested in power and position.

10.   Ultimate goal: Each of your man in the team has an ultimate goal; get it. For the sanguine, it is popularity; give it to him, and he is satisfied. For the choleric, it is power; until he gets it, he is not satisfied. For the melancholic, it is perfection; without this, he is happy, he is not satisfied. For the phlegmatic, it is peace; anything that guarantees peace appeals to him, even in compromise. 

      Be sure you can never get the job rightly executed, until your team is rightly fixed. 

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How the 4 Basic Temperaments Work

Introduction

Four temperaments is a proto-psychological theory that suggests that there are four fundamental personality types, sanguine (optimistic leader-like), choleric (bad-tempered or irritable), melancholic (analytical and quiet), and phlegmatic (relaxed and peaceful). Most formulations include the possibility of mixtures of the types.

The Greek physician Hippocrates (c. 460 – c. 370 BC) incorporated the four temperaments into his medical theories as part of the ancient medical concept of humorism, that four bodily fluids affect human personality traits and behaviors. Later discoveries in biochemistry have led modern medicine science to reject the theory of the four temperaments, although some personality type systems of varying scientific acceptance continue to use four or more categories of a similar nature.

A brief description is given under each of these basic temperaments. Perhaps, you could discover whom you are and 'why you act the way you do' in the words of Dr. Tim LaHaye: 

Sanguine

The sanguine temperament is traditionally associated with air. People with this temperament tend to be lively, sociable, carefree, talkative, and pleasure-seeking. They may be warm-hearted and optimistic. They can make new friends easily, be imaginative and artistic, and often have many ideas. They can be flighty and changeable; thus sanguine personalities may struggle with following tasks all the way through and be chronically late or forgetful.


Pedagogically, they can be best reached through awakening their love for a subject and admiration of people.

Choleric

The choleric temperament is traditionally associated with fire. People with this temperament tend to be egocentric and extroverted. They may be excitable, impulsive, and restless, with reserves of aggression, energy, and/or passion, and try to instill that in others.  

They tend to be task-oriented people and are focused on getting a job done efficiently; their motto is usually "do it now." They can be ambitious, strong-willed and like to be in charge. They can show leadership, are good at planning, and are often practical and solution-oriented. They appreciate receiving respect and esteem for their work. 

Pedagogically, they can be best reached through mutual respect and appropriate challenges that recognize their capacities.

Melancholic

The melancholic temperament is traditionally associated with the element of earth. People with this temperament may appear serious, introverted, cautious or even suspicious. They can become preoccupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world and are susceptible to depression and moodiness. They may be focused and conscientious. They often prefer to do things themselves, both to meet their own standards and because they are not inherently sociable. 

Pedagogically, they can be best met by awakening their sympathy for others and the suffering of the world.

Phlegmatic

The phlegmatic temperament is traditionally associated with water. People with this temperament may be inward and private, thoughtful, reasonable, calm, patient, caring, and tolerant. They tend to have a rich inner life, seek a quiet, peaceful atmosphere, and be content with themselves. They tend to be steadfast, consistent in their habits, and thus steady and faithful friends. 

Pedagogically, their interest is often awakened by experiencing others' interest in a subject. 

People of this temperament may appear somewhat ponderous or clumsy. Their speech tends to be slow or appear hesitant.


Bottom Line...

Everyone needs to understand his/her basic temperamental drive and why you act the way you do. This helps one to maximize one's strength and work on one's weaknesses for better inter-personal relationship with others.

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