PERSONALITY STYLES AND ADR
courtesy of Mediate.Ca
12/05/06

Everyone has a different approach to negotiation. Your personality and that of the other party in the negotiation affect your style of negotiating. Examples of four types of generally accepted personality styles are, PRAGMATIC, EXTROVERT, AMIABLE and ANALYTIC. Most people have elements of each type in their personality so these are just generalizations about behavior, but they do have some validity and can be of use in deciding upon a strategic approach to negotiation:

PRAGMATICS ARE:

EXTROVERTS:

• Want to influence.
• Are personable and enthusiastic in orientation, focused on the feeling.
• Not stimulated by details.
• Like informality, warmth, friendless, openness.
• Willing to be assertive and takes charge but likes to persuade.
• Short attention-span, not organized.
• Moves easily from one thing to another, likes spectator sports.

DECISIONS made QUICKLY, based on EMOTIONS. AMIABLES:

• Want to reach peace and agreement.
• Orientated towards the feeling and ambiance.
• Avoid conflict.
• Like being around similar minded people.
• Develop relationships with both people and things.
• Do not like change, pressure or feeling forced into decisions.
• Do not like to force opinions on others.
• Need time to think matters through, long attention span.

DECISIONS made SLOWLY based on EMOTIONS. ANALYTIC:

• Executive approach, wants to bring about order.
• Orientated towards facts, the more the merrier.
• Curious, soaks up information, fascinated by analysis, very precise.
• Focus on details not the relationship.
• Loves gadgets, intricate details, needs all the facts to give opinion.
• Thinks options through.

WHAT THEY WANT AND HOW THEY GET IT: PRAGMATIC:

• Wants to win, even if it means that someone has to lose.
• Dominates and threatens people.
• Digs in, bound and determined not to lose.

• Wants to get excited about the issues.
• Loses perspective, ignores others.
• Less sensitive to what is happening around them.

• Wants everyone to be happy.
• Develops relationships.
• Accepts losses and gives in too easily.

• Wants all the facts to make a decision.
• Rigid organization and detached from other aspects of the process.
• Wants to win but based on principles and facts.

• "This isn't a religion, it's a business." "The bottom line."
• "How will this effect our claim and the results?

• "I need all the information you can get." "I need to think about this."
• "I don't want to jump into this, let's prepare an in-depth report."

• Don't waste time with small talk.
• Don't overload with information as Pragmatics will make decisions with the least amount of necessary information.
• Be genuine and don't be overly enthusiastic as they will think you are being phony.
• Use "Tit for Tat" approach.
• Be prepared for fast decisions based on the facts.

• Get them excited with an enthusiastic picture of the benefits to them.
• Talk about their hobbies and interests outside of the work environment.
• Tell stories.
• Personalize the process.
• Except fast decisions based on emotions and level of excitement about the issue or project.

• Go slowly, develop trust.
• Show that you really care about them and the "fairness" of the process.
• Be careful not to offend.
• Don't use high pressure tactics or positional bargaining.
• Expect slow decisions based on working things through and comfort level with you.

• Be accurate.
• Give information and go into as much detail as you can.
• Build rapport by talking about their interests.
• Expect slow decisions based on accumulating and analyzing of all data. Remember that while enthusiasm works with the Extrovert and Amiable, the Pragmatic and the Analytic will not respond well if there is too much of it!
• Ask probing questions of the Analytic and the Amiable but remember that the Pragmatic and the Extrovert will want answers not just questions. Extroverts and Amiable are moved by and respond to emotions, but Pragmatics and Analytics do not decide based on emotions.