Drivers are results-oriented and focused primarily on the bottom line.
If you are a Driver, you:
- Have a strong concern for outcomes and consider any relationship with the counterpart as secondary to the outcome or final result.
- Are focused more on facts, less on feelings.
- Process information quickly; have little need for explanation or detail.
- Are impatient.
- May view your counterpart as an adversary.
- Have a strong need to win.
- Are confident and assertive.
- May at times appear domineering and aggressive.
What Does My Score Mean?
In many cases, your scores may indicate a clear preference for one style. Another way to interpret your scores is to say that the higher your score is in a particular style, the greater your “comfort zone” is when you are operating in that style.
People often ask which style is best for negotiating. We emphasize that no one style stands out as superior. Competent, confident negotiators are typically aware of two important factors before going into a negotiation: (1) the style they are personally most confident using; and (2) the style their counterpart most prefers. Experienced negotiators know that people will predictably use the style that is most comfortable for them. They realize that their counterpart’s “comfort zone” has developed through a lifetime of interactions with others and learning what works and what doesn’t.
Being able to identify a counterpart’s preferred style and adapt your own style accordingly can be incredibly helpful in building productive relationships. With that concept in mind, let’s take a look at the characteristics that will help you identify your counterpart’s preferred style, and consider some tips to building relationships that lead to win-win outcomes.
All Four Styles
