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Section 3
Track #3: Bringing Passion Into Your Team

Table of Contents | NCCAP/NCTRC CE Booklet

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Note-Taking Exercise

What are five strengths of an Expressive?
1. 
2. 
3. 
4.
5. 

What are five weaknesses of an Expressive?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Transcript of Track 3

On the last track, we discussed the teamwork style of the quick-decision making, assertive driver

On this track, we will examine the team building style of the Expressive.  And just to review, no one communication style is inherently better than the others.  A good team needs all levels of the four styles of communication or thinking.  A good team needs  drivers, expressives, amiables, and analyticals to function effectively.

With that said, who in your facility would you label as being “a talker”?  Expressives do exactly that.  They express themselves, or like to talk a lot.  They are Expressive as well as being emotional.  However, this staff member often times can read others like a book, picking up on the most minute change in mood and thought.  This is the mark of the Expressive.   

#1 Strengths of the Expressive
The expressive teamwork style is more in tune with the right side of your brain.  The right side of your brain deals with emotions and expressions and connects with the appearance of something and the effect of it on other people.  However, unlike the driver, which we discussed on the last track, the Expressive merges a high assertiveness level with a high emotional responsive level.  If you recall, the driver was assertive but less emotional, and less aware of others' input.  Let’s take a look at five of the strengths of the Expressive.  When I am finished, I will ask you to turn your CD player off, and think about a specific situation in which one of these strengths applied to you or another staff member.
First, one of the greatest strengths of the Expressive is the ability to read or understand nonverbal behavior in other team members.  This means that when a co-worker is feeling especially moody or uncooperative, the Expressive is the first to notice this.  Often what they are feeling is reflected by not only what they say, but by their body language or the way they look.
Second, the Expressive's need to connect to others is paramount or most important to them.  Thus the Expressive often is well-deserving of the title a “people person”, which makes them excellent team members.  They hate to work in isolation.
In addition to reading other's moods and being a people person, the third strength of the expressive is “Winging it.” By "winging it", I mean the Expressive, unlike the analytical, is ok with making plans along the way, and changing things on a spur of the moment basis. 
A fourth strength of the Expressive team building style is that they tend to be fueled by a great passion.
If you can get their "buy-in," you might find that a project in your department tends to take on a new life when an Expressive is passionately involved.
Finally, Expressives don’t hold back when an opinion is requested.  Generally, when there is conflict, the Expressive jumps right in with what they think, unlike the more timid amiable and analytical.  Since they are like an open book, the team knows where they stand on issues.

Before I ask you to turn the CD player off to  decide who in your facility is an Expressive, here are some concluding thoughts about Expressive strengths.  In general, teamwork in your facility can be greatly enhanced by an Expressive.  When a group effort must be organized for a specific event, the Expressive is usually the best one to employ in order to get everyone on board.  Their charismatic ways combined with a mission can work wonders for unification within your department.  They also flourish in reconciling differences between arguing group.  Working spontaneously, the Expressives do what they do best, which is to express their emotions and the emotions of others.  Who in your facility is an Expressive?  MUSIC

Now that we have explored five strengths of the Expressive as being aware of other's feelings, being a "people person", able to incorporate change quickly, passionate, and openly stating their opinions; we will now discuss five weaknesses of the Expressive.
Because of their somewhat flighty nature, Expressives’ personalities also change quickly and without warning. 
First, focusing and setting priorities are traits that the Expressive chooses to ignore.
Secondly, you might also find that getting things structured in a sequence and keeping them organized, or planning, may seem like a waste of time to the Expressive department member.
Before I go further, just a reminder, no style is inherently good or bad, just consider the staff member as being different from you, and decide how you can shift your style of relating in order to build a team atmosphere in the facility.  Every style has both strengths and weaknesses.
The third weakness of the Expressive is, because of their inability to organize their day, Expressives generally have difficulty keeping track of time.
Fourth, in addition to problems focusing, difficulty getting organized, and keeping track of time, because Expressives do feel passionate about almost every project in which they get involved; and I repeat that phrase "in which they get involved."  sometimes, their passion can be turned to greater disappointment in the event of a something they would define as a "failure."  Thus, when Expressives feel uninvolved, or as if they have failed, they appear neutral, dispassionate, or impersonal,
Finally being accurate or attentive to details in new areas might also seem like a mindless task.  The biggest goal for an Expressive is to accomplish a task, but do it as spontaneously and creatively as. Thus accuracy and attention to details, unlike the analytical, is a major challenge to the Expressive.

What does this say to you regarding the Expressive as a team member?  The truth about Expressives is to use them on your team to build connections with people, come up with new ideas, and be aware of others feelings; however, see if there is a way to limit your team members who are Expressives from having to do routine, detailed, focused tasks not involving people.

So far we have discussed two teamwork style.  As I recap these styles, think if you have a staff member in your department who might need recognition in areas in which they shine.  On the last track, if you recall, the Driver was assertive and quick to make decisions, but needs assistance considering the ideas if.  On this track, we described the Expressive as a passionate person who loves expressing his or her ideas, but needs help with the details, getting organized, and staying on schedule.

On the next track, we will examine the strengths and weaknesses of an Amiable.