ACCOMPLISHMENT

IMAGE ORIENTATION

Accomplishment Image Orientation, (ACIO) personalities have a deep sense of personal achievement, attained by determination and persistence. Their motivation comes from an internal drive to attain results using a highly analytic approach. To accomplish tasks, they exhibit composure and steadiness, with a high degree of personal responsibility and accountability. They prefer to work in their own area of operation and set their own pace, as they ably initiate and carry through their activities. They are proud of their competence and are happiest when that competence is evident to others. They are more interested in getting the job done and influencing others to look at facts rather than feelings.

ACIOs are better equipped to do professional or technical work than to deal with people. Because of that, they may need help in understanding the behavior of others. They are more apt to do than to delegate, and they may set standards for others that are too unrealistic. Their tendency to over-reliance on themselves may need to be tempered so that they do not become too absorbed in their own tasks.

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

INTERPERSONAL STYLE

ACCOMPLISHMENT IMAGE ORIENTATION

Potential Strengths and Weaknesses 

Potential Strengths 

Determined

Accountable

Persistent

Composed

Steady

Highly motivated

Self-reliant

Industrious

Diligent

Potential Weaknesses

Decision Making

May need to improve the ability to compromise

Maybe too rigid in dealing with others

Communication

May need to improve the ability to express own feelings

May have difficulty generating enthusiasm from others

May need to trust others skills instead of trusting only oneself

Control of People

May need to become more patient with others

May make others feel their work standards are inferior

May need to learn to work for group goal, not just personal goal

May need to temper frustration with others work habits

Control of Time

May need to learn to delegate work and save time

Even when delegated, may need to learn not to take back task and analyze it

May need to learn to lessen prolonged self-absorption in work

PRECISE IMAGE ORIENTATION

Precise Image Base (OIB) people are, first and foremost, even-tempered individuals, whose systematic and well-organized sense of commitment to team play makes them valuable group members. They have well-developed listening skills. Patience and ease in helping others make PIBs desirable team members, co-workers, and friends. They are viewed as dependable, stable persons to whom others can bring problems. They like to feel that situations are always under control, and they have a genuine concern for doing things right.

PIBs feel a great sense of attachment to people and places where they work. They are loyal and predictable, and enjoy the security that comes from a well-structured environment, where they know what is expected of them, and can receive praise and recognition from supervisors when they have achieved organizational objectives. However, they cannot easily adapt to change, especially when new techniques are suggested or initiated by superiors. They prefer the status quo but they will persevere, and discipline themselves to develop new and dependable work habits.

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

AND

INTERPERSONAL STYLE

PRECISE IMAGE ORIENTATION

Potential Strengths and Weaknesses 

Potential Strengths

Calm

Good listener

Steady

Friendly

Approachable

Loyal

Competent teacher

Competent student

Predictable

Helpful

Persevering

Willing

Potential Weaknesses

Decision Making

Could lack a sense of urgency

Could put things off too much

Could prolong decisions

Communication

Could respond too slowly

Could withhold information

Could inhibit open communication

Control of People

Slow to delegate work

Could become stubborn if pushed too far

Could become possessive of subordinates

Could delay developing people

Could insist on training by doing

Control of Time

Could take too long in a training program

Could neglect efficient planning

Could spend too long on personal production

SOCIABLE IMAGE ORIENTATION

Sociable Image Base, (SIB) people are tactful, diplomatic, and detail-oriented in their work. They seek to avoid antagonizing others and dislike negative reactions, which makes them sensitive to how others treat them. They are conservative and cautious, often checking and rechecking their work, thereby slowing down the decision-making process. That persistence, however, often makes them valuable as troubleshooters, since they may uncover areas in the work environment that need improvement or change. SIBs are easily adaptable, but their reluctance to make waves may sometimes be a drawback, since they may fail to point out a problem due to fear of antagonizing someone. SIBs prefer to have a clear idea of exactly what is expected of them, and they will work very hard to realize those expectations.

Tact and systematic work habits, as well as an excellent sense of timing, are qualities that co-workers find particularly engaging in SIBs to escape into too much precision in their work, but with enough positive reaction, they can turn their fears around and perform in a more relaxed fashion.

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

AND

INTERPERSONAL STYLE

SOCIABLE IMAGE ORIENTATION

Potential Strengths and Weaknesses

Potential Strengths

Tactful

Detail-oriented

Systematic

Makes decisions carefully

Accurate

Plans carefully

Checks results

Questioning

Well prepared

Precise

Cooperative

Values knowledge of the subject

Values experience

Good listener

Logical

Potential Weaknesses

Decision Making

Could be too hesitant

Could be more assertive

Could be overly cautious on decisions

May be afraid to take risks

Communication

May concentrate too much on detail

Maybe too protective of own position

May rely too much on memo writing

Maybe too guarded in dealing with others

Control of People

Maybe too demanding

Could inhibit initiative in others

Could demand too much detailed work

May not trust others sufficiently

Control of Time

Could spend too much time organizing

Could spend too much time supervising

Could spend too much time on unnecessary details

ENTHUSIASTIC IMAGE ORIENTATION

Enthusiastic Image Base, (EIB) people enjoy meeting others and sharing their optimistic and outgoing nature. So powerful is their impact on others, that their gregarious spirit often elicits unexpected confidences. They take great pleasure in interacting positively with others, and their own enthusiastic nature can easily engender similar reactions in those they meet. They are sometimes too trusting of others, and their own enthusiastic nature can easily engender similar reactions in those they meet They are sometimes too trusting of others and enjoy the limelight so much that they can lose sight of the business sense of relationships. Their need to be liked often overshadows consistency, and the striving for approval sometimes leads people to view them as superficial.

EIBs may have difficulty in separating facts from impressions in a work situation. They do not like to work alone, preferring the free interaction and recognition of public performance. They have a tendency to try to get by on charm rather than on directed goals.

Even though the fields of sales, promotion, and public relations are desirable areas for EIBs, they may need close supervision in carrying through initial contacts.

Because of their desire for popularity, they may have difficulty in dealing with problem people, and in applying pressure to close a sale or draw up a contract.

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

AND

INTERPERSONAL STYLE

ENTHUSIASTIC IMAGE ORIENTATION 

Potential Strengths and Weaknesses

Potential Strengths

Outgoing

Well-liked

Trusting

Wide acquaintanceship

At ease with others

Persuasive

Able to motivate

Likes the spotlight

Affable

Optimistic

Makes good contacts

Well-poised

Elicits enthusiastic responses

Successfully interacts with others

Potential Weaknesses

Decision Making

Perhaps too optimistic

Could avoid the unpopular and the negative

Could be influenced by most persuasive talker

Could overestimate own ability

Communication

Could have a tendency to talk first, think later

Could try too hard to sell an idea

Could reveal more than necessary

Control of People

Could be too trusting, miss details

Could be too easy and lose controls

Could be too occupied with being popular and looking good

Could talk about developing others, but not follow through

Could become overly involved with peoples problems

Control of Time

Could spend too much time on meetings, not enough on production

Could neglect careful planning, make superficial analyses

COMPETITIVE IMAGE ORIENTATION

Persons having a competitive image base (CIB) thrive on a challenge. Always searching for competition, they prefer to test the limits of their abilities and often perform best when confronted with very difficult tasks. Eager to accept responsibility, they focus on getting the job done, usually with high-quality results. Decision-making is never a problem, and they are not easily distracted from their objectives. They can be counted on to accept authoritative roles and attain their high goals.

Despite their high achievements, however, CIBs often cause resentment in others, especially those who prefer the ordinary to the superlative.

In their pursuit of quick and efficient results, their high-spirited drive often leads them unintentionally into the territory of others, thereby causing problems with peers. They can become overly critical of those whose goals are not as high as their own, but they are also quick to forgive and forget.

CIBs welcome new ideas, new approaches to old ideas, and a widening pattern of interests. The novel, the unusual, the curious, all stimulate CIBs and ensure for them the changing worlds they seek to discover and examine. They prefer that their work habits and accomplishments be based on their own efficient skills and timetable, thereby assuring them that they will be judged solely on their own individual merits.

The search for new worlds can, however, cause some problems for CIBs in a number of ways. First, they may take on more tasks, than they can successfully complete. Second, reluctance to refuse new challenges, together with a restless nature can result in frustration, since too many goals at one time are impossible to attain. When that situation occurs, CIBs often look for new jobs. To prevent frequent job changes by CIBs, therefore, it is important that they believe in the worth of their own objectiveness, and that they know that others are aware of their abilities.

PERSONALITY CHARACTERISTICS

AND

INTERPERSONAL STYLE

COMPETITIVE IMAGE ORIENTATION

Potential Strengths and Weaknesses

Potential Strengths

Competitive

Unafraid of decision making

Task-oriented

Open to challenge

Straightforward

Self-starting

Can withstand pressure

Can assume authority

Can manage a large workload

Likes variety

Seeks results

Likes to be busy

Defends own point of view

Has boundless energy

Forceful and frank with others

Potential Weaknesses

Decision Making

 Perhaps too quickly

 May not consider others feelings

 May act without consulting others

Communication

Could fail to listen to others

 Could be too authoritative

 Could be too curt

Control of People

 Could drive too hard, thereby losing people

 Could do too much, instead of delegating

 Could fail to let others develop

 Could expect too much of others, too soon

 Could be too brusque, too busy to help others

Control of Time

 May focus on short-range, rather than long-range planning.

 May rely on crisis, rather than planned, management.