When it comes to getting work done, people’s unique work styles will lead them to different routes from Point A to Point B. This doesn’t mean one route is better than another, it just means everyone’s “map” reflects how they “travel” best. By recognizing each employee’s work style as their personal road map, business owners and managers can assemble stronger, more effective teams.

We’ll focus on the four distinct work styles identified by Dr. Shelley Prevost, co-founder and CEO of Torch. They are Doing, Leading, Loving, and Learning, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses.

DOING

Strengths: It goes without saying like doers like to get things done. They are most satisfied when lists are checked and projects are completed, and they will stay focused on the details until the job is finished.

Weaknesses: Doers can get so wrapped up in their process, they forget to communicate with others or even to plan their projects. This can lead to recklessly forging ahead, keeping themselves and everyone else blind, which may not yield the most efficient path to results.

LEADING

Strengths: Leaders are the visionaries and motivators of the work world. Their work style garners admiration, respect, and loyalty, and inspires others to follow their lead to achieve great things.

Weaknesses: Leadership is a tough job that requires independence and decision-making. Leaders can rely on their independence so much that they forget to touch base with the employees around them. This means they may become detached from the workplace’s big picture.

LOVING

Strengths: Lovers are happiest when they’re networking, cheerleading, or otherwise building supportive relationships. They work hard to ensure harmony, compromise, and consensus, and are always aware of how everyone else on the team is feeling.

Weaknesses: These empathetic folks can get entwined in the workplace’s social support system to the detriment of getting detailed work done.

LEARNING

Strengths: As strategic thinkers and problem solvers, learners love knowledge and answers. They are researchers and troubleshooters, deliberate and disciplined.

Weaknesses: Learners work best when a team stands ready to enact their ideas, so learners won’t shine as brightly when working alone. Although they will have many ideas, not all those ideas will lead to solutions.

Of course, the best teams will employ all four work styles, and will foster tolerance and understanding of each member’s process. If you’re a business owner or manager, how can you identify your employees’ work styles to best organize your team?

• Watch how employees go about their tasks. Check in on multiple days—don’t just watch one task on one day. Pay careful attention to work performed in an emergency or on a tight deadline, as employees tend to use the work style they’re most comfortable with. You can also ask what processes work best for them. Put all the data together to make an educated assessment.
• Avoid assumptions based on job titles. There’s a fancy title for every job these days, so “technician,” “administrator,” or “specialist” won’t tell you what an employee actually does, never mind how they prefer to work. Focus on what your employees do and how they do it, not what their job descriptions say they should be doing.
• Don’t judge! Remember, every employee will map a different route from A to B—it doesn’t mean one route is better than another. This can be hard to swallow when an employee goes about a task differently than you would, or if you find an employee’s process confusing or jarring. What matters is whether the work is getting done effectively.

Understanding employees’ work styles can help build well-rounded teams. Everyone’s process offers a valuable contribution, with individual strengths complementing one another on the journey. And while each person may follow a different road map, the team will work together to finish at the same goal!