Devoted to how insight is developed, shared and acted on
Visionary Victor
This is the second in our series of ‘pen portraits’ of different types of internal clients.
The personVictor is a Marketing Director – and a good one! He is very bright, with an MBA and a string of other qualifications. He is good at giving direction because he has a vision of where he wants to go. However, he isn’t good when it comes to detail. He will often paint a motivating picture of his aims, but will then leave it to others to work out how to get there. They will struggle to understand how he has built his picture, and therefore what they need to do. Even worse, if the facts get in the way, the bearer may be branded as negative.
The problem
The problem lies in different working styles. Try and read a book called ‘People Styles at Work’ by Robert and Dorothy Bolton (£6.79 from Amazon). It classifies people’s preferred styles according to two criteria – their ‘expressiveness’ (do they prefer to talk or listen?) and their preference for emotional or rational argument.
Victor is at one extreme – both expressive and passionate. This can clash with people in Insight teams, who naturally tend towards the other extreme – very rational and wanting to listen much more than talk. These opposing views can lead to antagonism. The visionary may be labelled as a ‘bull-shitter’ by the others. He may view the analysts as being drowned in detail and guilty of ‘paralysis by analysis’.
The solution
The answer is not to try to change Victor – you can’t! And his skills and style are just as valuable as those of the analysts. The key is to recognise the situation and to learn to talk in a language that removes any antagonism. Here are some key pointers:
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Empathise – Victor needs to feel that you’re on his side. So always try to see his vision, no matter how vague it may seem. Use phrases like: “That sounds great” and “Yes – I can see that”. If you know facts that undermine his vision, keep them to yourself for the moment.
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Stall – If you’re not clear about what is needed, play for time. Say: “Let me go away and think about what we need / how to do that”. Ideally, get an agreement to meet him in the next day or so with some answers or a plan.
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Clarify – Go away, think, and if necessary talk to others to get a clearer picture of the practicalities. Don’t just list the evidence that might undermine Victor’s vision, but also the evidence that supports it. Be clear about what is not clear and make a list of key questions that need clarification.
When you meet him again, be very constructive. Start by supporting his aims or vision, and provide any supporting facts. Then carefully introduce any negative aspects – wherever possible suggesting solutions. In the end, if the vision won’t fly, you will be seen as having tried your best. Your balanced views may even help Victor to revise his vision to one that is achievable – and he will see you as his supporter.
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