Balancing Altruism and Diverging Priorities in the Workplace
During a recent coaching session with Diana, we discussed a question that we imagine impact-driven, emerging leaders like myself think about often:
How can altruistic people navigate relationships with those who prioritize process and performance over relationships?
Diana’s thoughts: Where Altruism Meets Results and Process
Altruistic people care deeply about the welfare of others and relationships. While they understand the importance of deadlines and budget restrictions, they may place a higher value on how people are treated.
As a result, when they rise within the ranks, they may be surprised to learn that prioritizing peaceful relationships over process and performance can hinder progress.
To ensure success and a cohesive work environment, it is essential for altruistic individuals learn how to align with colleagues and superiors who have different priorities.
For example, performance-oriented people prioritize project results and a well-deserved reward for their efforts over friendly, peaceful relationships. Meanwhile, process-driven people may give deadlines and manuals higher importance than the actual needs of the team or even the beneficiaries.
Once you understand your motivational values and those of others, you can view the situation from different angles.
Marie’s Thoughts: It’s Not About You
A strong desire to move projects forward can manifest itself in undiplomatic ways. When you're initially confronted with a direct disagreement or strong negative opinions, you may feel like you did something wrong. In reality, it's not entirely about you.
Working at a leadership level requires an understanding that it's better to treat the tough conversations with an “it's not about me” attitude.
Maybe that uncomfortable conversation was instigated by something you said or did. Ultimately though it's really about something bigger - limited time or financial resources, fear of not delivering what was promised, unmatched expectations, etc.
Instead of dwelling on that negative interact, shift our attention to the issue that was raised in that interaction.
Diana and Marie’s Final Takeaways for altruistic people working with performance and process-oriented colleagues or managers are the following:
Think about your and their positive intentions during the meetings. Are they same or are they different?
When you see reactions that differ from yours, try to view them through from everyone's perspective. You'll often find that others' reactions are not about you.
When you're unsure about others' reasons for conflict during meetings, try mapping their arguments to their potential values. Are they advocating for helping others, getting things done, inclusivity, or process? Acknowledge that all these values are important.
At Redesign4growth, we offer an SDI Inventory that will help you work in diverse teams. Our coaching programs help you discover your strengths and motivational values, and those of others.
🏆 Book a discovery call with Diana today to learn how to keep your team and yourself at a winning level
