4 Ways to Delegate Effectively to a Pinball (High i) Style Colleague

The pinball colleague. I know her well. I am she, to some degree.

Full of energy, constantly moving, bouncing all over the place…that’s me. That’s my zone. It’s my strength—and my Achilles heel. Amazing at juggling a million things at one time, full of vivacity and creativity, constantly moving from one thing to the next with liveliness and color…this is me, the pinball kind of colleague. AND—the apparent lack of focus, fast pace, and inattention to detail can sometimes make my teammates a little crazy and fear trusting me, especially when they need to delegate to me.  Never fear, however…eventually I get the job done/land myself in the hole and WE ALL WIN!

Within the Everything DiSC behavioral typology, this type of behavior is what we call “high, high i.” It can really be a challenge for a manager or colleague who does not share this behavioral style to effectively work with a high, high i. I get it.

If you work with someone like me, and you need to direct or delegate to them effectively (but aren’t sure how or what to do), here are four ways you can do that. Hopefully, this list will help you minimize your frustration and maximize results when working with a pinball kind of style like mine.

When you need to direct me on a project or delegate a task to me, please:

Allow me to lead the group/project or take the lead on getting the task completed.

I love being the one to bring people along, rally the troops, and be at the head of the line! I am skilled at moving all over the terrain to collect the needed people and resources to get the job done. I rise to this kind of challenge and won’t disappoint you.

Give me space to try new and novel solutions.

I thrive on variety! I am a master brainstormer and highly creative. When given the opportunity, I can often times come up with outside-the-box and/or new ways of doing things that can be the difference-maker in an organization or on a team. Give me free reign to go where I need to to get the job done, and I will show you how exciting and gratifying it can be to work with me.

Keep me on schedule.

I can easily get distracted, but give me a timeline and I’ll follow it. I actually don’t like missing deadlines, and I never intentionally disregard schedules. I just get excited when working on a new project and tend to lose track of where I’m at. I get caught up in the energy of the hustle and bustle and can sometimes be lured off-track by shiny, new objects along the way to the goal. But keep reminding me of the closing bell and I’ll be a finisher for you.

Don’t mistake my enthusiasm for understanding.

It never hurts to check in with me to make sure I’m “getting it.” I sometimes will get so jazzed by a new project that I’ll want to run with it before fully grasping or understanding all of the nuances, angles, and/or important details that I need to be aware of in order to realize the goal. Reassure me that it’s okay to slow down and really take my time to “hit it.” And, if I seem like I’m having trouble, tell me that it’s okay for me to say I don’t understand or that I need help, that it doesn’t mean I’ve failed/am not a good team member/you respect me any less.

 

Stay tuned for my next blog entry, which will focus on how to delegate and/or direct those who prefer the C behavior style, or what I lovingly and humorously refer to as “Spock Style.” And, as always, reach out to me if I can be of help to you and your team in any way. You can learn more by visiting my website.