KGWorks

Publication 13, Issue 5

I love the work I do using the Playground Personalities©. Over the years training participants and clients have told me how impactful those characters have been in helping them appreciate the individuals who meet in the workplace or gather on their patio on the weekend! When I hear that the Playground Personalities have made a huge difference in people’s communication interactions, it makes all the difference to me!In recognition of five wonderful years, I’m launching a refreshed, illustrative, and interactive website where you can continue to explore the Playground Personalities and learn more about your communication style and the style of others. You can visit the website from either www.kgworks.com or www.thecorporatenanny.net.So, what kind of kid were you on the playground? Did you: Make sure everyone got a turn at bat? Have everyone line up and count off by twos? Steal the ball so the game would be delayed? Want to play it your way? Most of us are the same today-just in adult bodies. We sit in offices or around boardroom tables and are expected to communicate with others flawlessly so the work gets done. Why is this sometimes hard? Because we forget that the words that motivate us might not motivate others. Each of us responds to interactions or language in different ways. Lots of things affect that response, but our personality is probably most important in determining our reactions. You might like to fly by the seat of your pants, but your staffer needs structure and a timeline. Words matter!  Peacemakers focus on people and smooth the rough edges. They acknowledge and validate and may go out of their way to help at the risk of sacrificing their own needs. The Peacemaker demonstrates integrity and loyalty, doesn’t like conflict so may need to develop a thicker skin!

Organizers are motivated by getting things done efficiently and early! Schedules, timelines, processes, and traditions are their bread and butter! The Organizer is reliable and dependable, expects others to be the same, and becomes impatient when they aren’t.

Revolutionaries see policies and procedures as impediments to getting things done and would rather be flexible and in the moment. Action-oriented and gregarious, the Revolutionary is fun to be with, but it can be hard to corral that energy into a timely and measurable outcome!

Steamrollers can bowl you over with a thousand ideas and overwhelming creativity. Reining in the Steamroller may be a management challenge, but the Steamroller will be the go-to person when you need a fresh perspective on any problem.

A few rules (wouldn’t be me without rules) to live by:

1. We all have one “go to” Playground Personality. The acid test is the one that we most identify with when we are under stress!
2. Many of us draw from more than one Playground Personality. By doing so, people have a more robust communication experience.
3. One Playground Personality is not better than another; each has upsides and downsides.
4. It’s as important to know (and own) your Playground Personality as it is to know others’.

Don’t forget to check out the new website! Can you imagine how each Playground Personality might react to something new?!

• Peacemakers – accepting, but with reservations
• Organizers – skeptical, like things the way they are
• Revolutionaries – doubtful, probably not going to like it at first
• Steamrollers – curious, as long as it’s their “new”

Have fun! Pass this message along to your colleagues and friends. Observe behaviors and listen for language clues to the different Playground Personalities. Practice makes perfect!