Understand Your Work Style | Career Advice | Minova

Understanding Your Approach to Work

In this guide, we'll explore the importance of understanding your work style and how you can use this knowledge to leverage your professional strengths.

Building Self-Awareness

When developing self-awareness, it's essential to consider both your conscious and unconscious understanding of yourself. What are you clearly aware of, and what remains hidden in your blind spots? Objective self-awareness is the goal.

A valuable concept for this is the Johari Window model. This model looks at what you know about yourself, what you don't know, what others know about you, and what others don't know. This simple framework provides a structure for understanding yourself more deeply.

In the Johari Window, the "public self" represents what both you and others know about you. This alignment leads to a comfortable and energetic state of mind.

Conversely, "blind spots" are areas where others perceive things about you that you're unaware of. Identifying and understanding these blind spots is crucial, especially in the workplace, as it allows you to better understand how others perceive you and what responsibilities they might entrust you with.

Ultimately, the goal is to expand your public self by minimizing the discrepancies between how you see yourself and how others see you. Managing multiple identities can be draining, so striving for authenticity and self-awareness is key to bringing your whole self to work. Understanding what energizes you, what drains you, and what matters most allows you to thrive professionally. Becoming self-aware is the first step in career growth. This involves recognizing whether you excel at brainstorming or implementation, and aligning yourself with environments that naturally energize you.

Defining a Work Style

This section will explore the concept of work styles, including their history and origins.

You've likely encountered various behavioral or psychological assessments. The Minova Work Style Assessment falls into the behavioral assessment category. It's not a clinical tool, but rather a framework for understanding how you typically behave in a work context. It focuses on your behavior at work, rather than delving into broader aspects of psychology and personality.

Many frameworks exist for understanding work styles, each with its own merits. They provide structured semantics for self-understanding and interpersonal awareness. Thinking of it as systematically building empathy can be helpful. When you and others share a common language for understanding work styles, collaboration becomes more efficient.

The roots of work styles can be traced back to Hippocrates and his theory of the four humors, which described four fundamental ways of being. While science has evolved since then, many modern frameworks still draw upon these core principles.

From the four humors to the four temperaments and Carl Jung's personality types, these models share a common foundation. The Minova Work Style Assessment builds upon this 2,400-year-old framework, incorporating elements from DISC theory and adding layers to enhance its practicality.

It's important to remember that everyone possesses all four work styles to varying degrees. The key is to understand which style is most prominent in a given situation. Each person has a "psychological home," a default style that can shift depending on the circumstances. Recognizing what energizes you and what drains you, what comes easily and what requires more effort, is crucial for self-awareness and effective adaptation.

Understanding the Minova Work Style Framework

The Minova framework identifies four primary styles, each representing a series of opposing polarities. It's presented as a numerical sequence, but understanding the underlying framework is essential. These styles are arranged in a specific order: 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Drawing a line between styles 1 and 2 reveals that they tend to be fast-paced, big-picture thinkers who prefer to "talk to think." Styles 3 and 4, on the other hand, are more detail-oriented, steady-paced, and prefer to "think to talk."

Having self-awareness and understanding these differences is crucial for effective communication. Consider whether you prefer to pause and reflect before speaking, or whether you use speaking as a way to process your thoughts.

The framework also highlights another key polarity: results-oriented (styles 1 and 4) versus people-oriented (styles 2 and 3). Everyone embodies both qualities, but the order in which they prioritize them differs.

During interviews, for example, a people-oriented interviewer might focus on getting to know you personally, while a results-oriented interviewer will likely focus on your credentials and accomplishments.

Thinking about how you connect with others can provide valuable insights. Do you prioritize getting to know them as people, or do you focus on their knowledge and credentials? This can reveal your preferred approach to building connections in the workplace.

Combining these two factors creates a map of work styles. Styles 1 and 2 are starters, while styles 3 and 4 are finishers. The difference lies in what energizes them.

When these are combined, style 1 individuals are starters focused on results, style 2 individuals are starters focused on people, style 3 individuals are finishers focused on people, and style 4 individuals are finishers focused on results. These are the core attributes of each style.

The sequence is important because it allows us to talk about how we're all of them, but we just naturally progress through them in a certain way.

Key Traits of Each Style:

Style 1: These individuals are direct, action-oriented, and driven by results.
Style 2: These individuals are influential, persuasive, and excel at building alliances.
Style 3: These individuals are cooperative, supportive, and create stability through teamwork.
Style 4: These individuals are conscientious, detail-oriented, and prioritize quality and accuracy.

The Minova Work Style Assessment incorporates a sequence to understand how you navigate through different situations. This sequence, such as 2, 1, 4, 3, indicates the order in which you utilize each style.

For example, a 2, 1, 4, 3 pattern indicates a "start, start, finish" pattern in the first polarity, meaning the individual is always "on offense" and may struggle with finishing tasks. In the second polarity, the pattern is "people, results, people," indicating a strong people orientation that is also comfortable with results.

Recognizing these patterns is crucial for understanding yourself and adapting your approach to different situations.

Tools for Understanding Your Work Style

Minova offers a suite of tools to help you understand your work style assessment results. These tools include:

The Work Style Report: This report provides insights into your work style, including your strengths, areas for development, and career recommendations. Remember that this report reflects how you felt when you took the assessment, and your results may change over time. The goal is to use the report as a starting point for self-reflection and to develop a deeper understanding of the framework.
The 360 Review: This tool allows you to gather feedback from others about how they perceive your work style. By sending the survey to coworkers, friends, and family, you can gain valuable insights into your blind spots and how your behavior is interpreted by others.
Work Style Analysis Worksheet: This worksheet helps you synthesize your learnings from the assessment and create an action plan for applying your insights.

Conclusion

Understanding your work style is a journey of self-awareness and discovery. By leveraging the tools and frameworks discussed, you can gain valuable insights into your strengths, weaknesses, and preferred ways of working. This knowledge will empower you to communicate more effectively, build stronger relationships, and ultimately, achieve greater success in your career.

Instead of simply treating others the way you want to be treated, strive to treat them the way they want to be treated. This requires understanding their work styles and adapting your approach accordingly.

Focus on your journey of self-awareness and understanding who you are and how you show up in the world—that comes first and foremost for everything around career growth. We're excited for you and rooting for you as you go on that journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common work styles and how can I identify which one fits me best?

Common work styles include analytical, collaborative, creative, and results-driven. To identify your dominant work style, consider past experiences, seek feedback from colleagues, and observe your approach to tasks and interactions. Self-assessment tools can also provide valuable insights.

How can understanding my work style improve my collaboration with others?

Understanding your work style enhances collaboration by highlighting your strengths and preferred communication methods. This allows you to articulate your needs effectively and appreciate the diverse work styles of your colleagues, fostering more productive and harmonious teamwork.

Can my work style change over time, and should I reassess it periodically?

Yes, work styles can evolve due to new experiences, roles, or changing environments. Periodic reassessment is beneficial, particularly during career transitions or shifts in your preferences. Regular reflection ensures ongoing self-awareness and adaptability for maximizing professional growth.