Strategies for Working with Different Personalities

When you're a part of a community association, it is inevitable that you will at some point or another be working with different personalities. You need to work with other board members, vendors, tenants and residents etc. The list goes on and one, but one thing stays the same: everyone is different and approaches situations differently. It can be difficult to come to a resolution or conciliation with someone that seems to be on a completely different planet, but it is possible.

Here are 6 tips for working with different personalities:

1. Listen: This is one of the biggest parts of working with someone else. Most of us have so much we want to contribute that we don't listen to what other people have to say, even when they may have a good point. Try to remember to take a step back and listen every once in a while and working with others will immediately become easier.
2. Learn about your colleagues: Everyone works differently. Some people are more energetic and other people may work better behind the scenes, and one is not better than the other. By learning more about your colleagues and how they work, it's easier to see how to best approach working with them.
3. Try to see it from their point of view: Try to take a walk in their shoes and see where they are coming from. Chances are they aren't just rambling nonsense and that there is a reasoning behind what they have to say.
4. Respect that they are there for a reason: Everyone has their strengths and everyone has their weakness and you need to remember that there is a reason each person is on your team. You may be great when it comes to management, but that doesn't mean you know more about budgeting than your finance guy or that you know more about what the grass needs than your landscaper. You need to respect each person you work with and remember that they too have a role they must fill.
5. Choose your battles: Not everything has to be a battle. It takes practice but you need to learn what is worth fighting over and what isn't. Sometimes, its better to let some things go.
6. Remember that you're on the same team: You're all on the same team and working towards the same thing: making sure the community association is a success. It can be difficult when some people have different priorities, but you're a team and you need to act like one.

Working with different personalities is never easy, but these tips can help you. It really is all about being conscious of the fact that you're on a team and that in life you need to work with people that you won't necessarily agree with or get along with. With some patience, you can reach a decision that everyone is happy with. Click here to learn more about tips for working with different personalities.