Target Few Behaviors but Design for All


The workplace, just like the world in general, is made up of all personality types. Some of us are more extroverted and thus derive our energy from others; some of us are more introverted and we are replenished in solitude. Neither one is wrong. In fact, both styles have significant contributions to make to a team and to an organization.

If you are tasked with building development programs for your company, your challenge as an instructional design consulting professional, is to design programs that will appeal to and engage all personality types without trying to do or change too much. You should not favor extroverts by too many exercises that require brainstorming or public role playing. Neither should you favor introverts by too many written analyses or individual homework. What you should strike for is a balance of formats so that your programs elicit collaboration across the spectrum of personalities and an understanding and appreciation for diversity in approach.

Here is a simple approach to make it happen. Before starting a brainstorming session, ask each participant to write down their top 3-5 answers to the question being posed. Then begin the brainstorming session by asking people to share what they wrote.

Remember to give everyone a chance to get involved and contribute their ideas in a way that works for them, no matter how they best communicate or express themselves.

Learn more at: http://www.lsaglobal.com/instructional-design-consulting-train-the-trainer/

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