Last week I talked about the education one can get watching people in an airport. We are all “hardwired” differently, and it’s an ongoing process to figure out what people need and the smartest way to communicate with them. At the end of the week, after working in rain soaked California, I ended up spending many more hours than I wanted in another airport waiting for a delayed flight, due to inclement weather. Again, watching the dynamics of people was fascinating. My client and I were together and we observed people who adjusted to the delays, seemed more resilient and acclimated to the situation. And at the same time there were many others who handled the stress in quite a different fashion.
I want to talk about the one group who would not easily adjust to any change, the Judge. And before you think I’m going to be too hard on this group, let me tell you, I’m 90% Judge. In fact after moving from New York City to Reno, my daughter nonchalantly commented, “people aren’t going to like you in Reno mom, you talk too fast.” Her perception of Judges is relatively negative based on the type A behavior she sees.
The Judge is possibly the most misunderstood group of all behavioral styles, since they get lots and lots of bad press. Here’s what you’ll see in a Judge: They get things accomplished in a cut-to-the-chase manner. They prefer action and quick decisions over discussion, details and planning. The Judge can be brusque and abrupt. His or her favorite slogan is often “just handle it,” as they are professional delegators. They are apt to be judgmental, demand perfection, and know they are right. They are poor listeners and have short attention spans. The Judge’s candid, pragmatic approach works well in some leadership positions, but his or her autocratic manner may put off team members.
Downside of Judges: They tend to alienate those who don’t think and act like them; they are very direct and to the point and can annoy or anger or hurt feelings rather easy. They take control so there isn’t a feeling of team effort or camaraderie as there is with other types, and they are impatient and will interrupt, change directions, and be highly critical or judgmental at times.
Upside of Judges: Perception is reality, and perception can be deceiving. Once you get past the bravado and short attention span and pushiness of the Judge, you have the opportunity to create a fantastic relationship with this type of individual. You can figure the person out where many others will be intimidated. And once you earn the respect and trust a Judge will listen to you, possibly above all others.
Don’t forget, your Judge colleague may seem to forget all sorts of important things like your birthday, your surgery, your raise. It’s not that Judges don’t care, it’s that they have tremendous tunnel vision, they just don’t see things, so you need to remind them.
And if the Judge is truly focused on a problem or issue, you won’t be noticed, not at all! The Judge can also inspire trust in others from the leadership perspective since Judges usually have a track record of following through and getting results when most others can’t. Finally, in order to work most effectively with a Judge, here are some tried and true observations.
You should not:
• Attempt to be too friendly. Certainly don’t be rude, but don’t come in looking for ways to bond and build rapport with the Judge by asking about his family or her vacation. It won’t work, and will surely backfire
• Take his or her behavior personally. It’s NOT you, it’s how the Judge is wired (to be abrupt, to the point and not very friendly) and you don’t have much of a chance to change that behavior, so why bother.
• Use emotion as an argument at anytime, anywhere.
• Expect them to eventually come around and be friendly; it won’t happen during office hours. You can have great conversations with them, but keep it all business.
You should:
• Address the issue without emotion
• Use stats or simply state what needs to be addressed; facts and figures are useful.
• Tell them the most important thing first; they’re apt to ignore the rest.
• Use body language and tone that are confident, but not arrogant.
• State needs and questions directly. Don’t ask a Judge if he can get around to something, say what you need.
• Be sure you think and talk in bullets, and keep anything that isn’t business for after hours.
When we remember to get to the point, state what is needed or what the Judge needs to know and then get out of the way, we will create rapport, respect and a long term relation by speaking the Judge’s language. After all, in the Judge’s eyes there is no other language around anyway! Have fun with this, and see just how effective you can be working with this very interesting personality style!
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