This is a long post but if you know about High-Cs I'm sure you understand!
My pattern (4-1-5-7) is ‘Perfectionist’ with ‘Objective Thinker’ being the next closest match, which I also relate to having read the description.
I am not currently a manager. I’ve been very fortunate to have had some great opportunities and have progressed well as an individual contributor. By many measures my career is going well. I’ve recently joined a Fortune 20 company based in the UK where I live.
I’ve always taken a keen interest motivation, leadership, etc. and would be really excited to be a manager. I get real satisfaction from sharing my knowledge, giving others the tools they need (empowerment), and helping people develop where they can. I only get to do this occasionally but I love it.
Since I got here I’ve been doing what any reputable High-C would do. I’ve been building dashboards, creating reports, reviewing/refining processes (none of which are in my job description!) on top of my day job. My boss (who I suspect is a High I as he can talk for days on end, asks lots of open ended questions, and has a great internal network) doesn’t seem to mind me doing this.
My concern is that I don’t want to be ‘type-cast’ with processes and data. I’m producing this MI to benefit the whole department, as it is producing high-quality MI for management, and also a useful analytical tool for team members. Although I have the skills to do this kind of thing my motivation is not because I love numbers or data but because I want to help make the department more effective, and because no-one else was doing it.
I’m worried that if people perceive me to be purely detail-focussed I won’t be perceived in such a way that would suggest I would make good management material.
A further problem is that here team members are quite removed from management so we don’t get many opportunities to input ideas or influence decisions. Therefore I don’t feel I get the opportunity to flex and display my potential managerial muscle (if it’s there!).
I am very career minded however my boss is quite un-MT (he’s happy with a monthly ‘catch-up’ with zero continuity, (clearly not a one-on-one) and a quick 10 minute work update each week. Through some peer one-on-ones I know the department’s management don’t really talk about employee performance/succession planning, and are not particularly forward-thinking. Therefore it is my assumption that they are far more likely to notice a bright light rather than a humble glow.
I’d like to know, from any Managers out there, what are the differentiators between those High-Cs who do get into management, and those who don’t.
I’d also like to hear from other High-Cs about how they have made the most of their High-C traits to get above the individual contributor level, or any other feedback or comments you may have.
The crux of the matter is, do we have to adapt your behaviours (e.g. ramping up my 'I' behaviours), or do you feel that the ‘qualities’ of High-Cs are enough and do get recognised and appreciated?
I appreciate your time and your thoughts.
Jonno.
Trick Yourself a little
Jonno,
Keep listening to the Podcasts, generally the recommendations are to not completely change yourself - but move in their direction.
I'm sure as you learn more about management that you will see the difference between knowing what to do and how you would best do it.
I am a high "C" myself and find it helpful to "trick" myself a little and make it a personal "rule" to do certain things.
I don't particularly like to engage in small talk at work...But I have decided that engaging in small talk is a proper rule and procedure that a person in my position must do.
As a high C I'm all about the rules and following the proper procedures. If it is part of the system and the system works, I have to keep it up.
My feelings about small talk are irrelevant - Engaging in small talk is part of our system -- ergo..... I participate in small talk.
Likewise, goal setting is very helpful. C is very task and goal oriented. This works great if we have prioritized the goal.
So I trick myself into stating goals in a way an I would. The priority isn't to finish the task and have fun .... NO ... the task is to have fun and finish the task.
My feelings about the goal are irrelevant, the primary goal is to have fun and finish the task - If both conditions are not met then the Goal has not been met..
Do you see what I mean ? It's not easy .... but it is simple.
The difference between anybody that is any High "Anything" in management to become effective - is only the willingness and ability to be aware of what they need to do and doing it.
There is a cost in time and effort and emotional stress to any change - but hopefully the change results in growth.
T. Puccio
Relationships are key...
Hi Jonno,
I too am a high C and with a very similar overall profile to yours. In my professional career I was an individual contributor for about 8 years before I became a manager and have been in management positions for the last 12 years. I never really sought out a management position but was offered the opportunity mainly due to the results I had delivered as an individual contributor.
One thing I did not learn well enough early on in my career was the importance of developing relationships. I thought that I could get promoted purely through hard work and the quality of the output I produced. Working at the HQ of a national bank in my 20's I found at one stage that some people at my level had been promoted and I was overlooked. Back then I saw some of these people as being of limited ability, not very hard working and who spent too much time schmoozing. Many years later I realised they were developing relationships (so really they were just working smartly when they came back late from lunch half cut!). So, my advice to you would be to keep delivering outstanding results and to work on develop relationships. The very first manager tools podcast "Solution to a stalled technical career" delivers this message about developing relationships very well. And it is a recurring them throughout many of the subsequent MT/CT casts.
In relation to your high C'ness, I do believe that you can make it as a successful manager with high C traits. Very likely it will be your strengths that emanate from your High C'ness that will get you noticed. As T Puccio posted you may need to move towards the other traits at times to be more effective. So, not become a high I or D, but emphasise these aspects more at times to suit the situation. The DISC casts really emphasise moving a step towards the traits of the other person, rather than trying to become like them. So, in talking to your High I boss, you might back off on the minute detail a bit and perhaps mention people a bit more when discussing say a project you are working on. If you have not already, I highly recommend that you check out all of the many DISC related casts - they are excellent. And, if you get the opportunity one day, go to an Effective Communication Conference. It is very relevant to individual contributors. And the Effective Manager Conference would be an awesome training course to go to when you do get that promotion to Manager!
Good luck!
Make your "high-C" your advantage
I agree with both T Puccio and JHowse on their points above. It's a matter of re-framing the task at hand and looking at relationships and some of the "qualitative" nature of the results as a part of the success criteria. I'm very similar to you in DISC profile and I have found that I am much better at implementing some of the guidance given in the podcasts (listen to all of them, again and again) because we're "high C" people.
When I see that others may have an easier time because it "come naturally" I also see others not being as effective because they don't consider their behaviors as closely as you will in your personality profile. My only caution would be that you can be too hard on yourself - the human relationship thing is messy and you're going to not be perfect.
As Mike and Mark often say, the hardest thing is to go from zero to one. Just start building relationships systematically and it will yield tons of results across your career!
-Dan
Thank you high C's
Thank you all for your comments, experiences and recommendations. I also discovered the 'stalled technical career' podcast which runs along the lines of 'what got you here won't get you there' and how the guys think that a high percentage of the time people are promoted due to their relationships over their technical skills when it gets to senior management. A big part of me knows the answer, I just need to get to it.
It's always good knowing you're not alone so I appreciate the time and thought you guys put into this. Keep sharing!
Jonno.