A team is made up of different personalities and having diverse personalities benefits the organization. Some are introverts who like to be restrained in discussions and team meetings. And some personalities in the group love to dominate discussions, meetings, and decisions. Having a dominating personality in the team is good as well as challenging.
Good in the sense, they can handle stressful situations confidently. They love to take on new challenges. And most importantly their energy encourages other colleagues to focus on tasks with zeal.
Having said that, their traits also have a flipside. Their aggressiveness, assertiveness, and being direct can cause problems for other colleagues. In such situations, as a manager or as a colleague, how do you address this? Here are a few ways that can help you manage them without hurting their feelings.
Besides these tips which you will learn about them shortly, you can also have a look at some extra tips on how to manage different personalities in the workplace. This article highlights important tips on how to collaborate with dominating personalities.
Five ways to manage dominating personalities in a workplace
Be firm when a dominating personality dismisses your idea
If your dominant colleague tries to sideline your idea at team meetings and wants to aggressively push forward his/her idea, you can handle such situations calmly and firmly. Repeating your ideas firmly in a neutral tone can temper the aggressiveness of the dominating colleague, as a result, you will have a say in the meeting.
Take the input of team members when a dominating personality is hijacking a discussion
As a manager, sometimes you need to take the input of your team to address some issues. At a team discussion, if a dominating personality is intimidating other teammates, consider taking the help of the teammates after the discussion. Ask them if they feel comfortable sharing their ideas in such discussions. And if they are not comfortable, take their suggestions and apply your leadership skills to ensure that in the next meetings, everybody has a level playing field.
Discuss with dominating personalities about their behavior privately
A dominating personality usually isn’t aware of his/her behavior which is causing trouble to other teammates. In such situations, as a manager, call him/her and talk privately about the concerns you have. A private one-to-one talk can be more effective in explaining the concerns rather than addressing them among the team members. If you raise those concerns among team members, you may cause embarrassment for the dominating person. On the other hand, talking privately personalizes the conversation which can have a huge impact on the person.
As a colleague, try to analyze their behavior
Try to understand what is driving them to behave this way. Is it because of the desire to be in charge, or is there something else? Understanding what drives them will help you in coming up with solutions that can be win-win for both you and the dominating person.
Give them autonomy
Dominating personalities love to control and have autonomy. They thrive when they are working independently. As a manager, you should identify those projects in which they can work independently. By giving such projects, you can also avoid confrontations that may come up if they were working in a team.
Final thoughts
Dominating personalities are risk-takers and ambitious, and they perform well under stress. They are a good addition to a team. Having said that, their traits can have a negative impact on other teammates. As a manager or as a colleague, you need to learn how to collaborate with them. There are many ways of doing that and this article lists a few tips which will help you in managing them effectively.