We continue this month in our on-going look at interesting personality profiles and what they mean in terms of matching the right person with the right job. As always, we’ll look first at what “red flags” to look for in the Performance Profile Report and in the interview, and then we’ll look at how to deal with this person as an applicant and as an employee.

 

Let’s look at some aspects of an applicant’s personality that affect how he will process and act on information.  None of these preferences are inherently correct or incorrect, but they can have significant effects on behavior on the job and that’s our concern. We’ll start this month with Mr. Big Picture. By the way, Mr. Big Picture will very likely seem exceptionally thoughtful and insightful during interviews, and in a moment we will see why.

 

 

Mr. Big Picture looks at any problem and the challenge it presents by first gaining an understanding of the problem’s overall context. He “knows” that facts and specifics are important, but he makes sense out of them only after he has a grasp of the big picture. His strong preference to focus on the big picture gives him the context he needs to understand how (and where) the specific facts of the situation fit in to the overall scheme of things. He finds the big picture surrounding any issue much more appealing than the nuts and bolts that make the issue work. Because of his big picture way of looking at problems, he can generate a lot of ideas about how to deal with a problem in a short period of time. If he is at the very top of the organization chart, he will be they guy who says, “Make it so,” and he won’t be very interested in the nuts and bolts of how that happens.

 

 

Mr. Big Picture sounds great, doesn’t he? (Full disclosure: there is more than a little of Mr. Big Picture in my profile!) Seriously, the Mr. Big Pictures of the world expand our view of problems and possibilities; they can be creative, exceptionally productive, and visionary leaders. There is a downside, however; Mr. Big Picture will have difficulty with deadlines, with keeping accurate and complete records, and with following up on subordinates’ activities to monitor their performance consistently. I’m not saying that Mr. Big Picture cannot do these things, but he will have to learn to overcome his strong personal preferences over and over in order to do them.

 

 

 

When they are combined in this particular way (low ratings on OSP and high ratings on Big Picture Orientation), however, they create a strong preference for unstructured, blue-sky thinking and immediate action based on that thinking. What gets lost is the “brake” of checking the facts, creating a plan, and then working the plan.

 

 

Mr. Big Picture usually makes a good impression in the interview. His ability to take the large view of a subject or problem that is presented to him can bring to light previously unapparent connections and relationships. He is good at spotting new opportunities and is excited by the process of unearthing them. His enthusiasm for new ways of doing things is contagious. He talks a great game. However, playing that game is more of a challenge for him. Your job, as the interviewer, is to find out how aware he is of this potential problem in his work style, and what he has learned to do about it.

 

 

Mr. Big Picture doesn’t like to deal with details. They just aren’t as interesting as the big picture. Ask open-ended questions to find out how he monitors his performance and controls his preference, such as, “When a problem occurs, it is important to solve it in a timely manner and to understand its implications. Which do you like to focus on first, solving the problem or thinking about its implications?” Follow up with, “Describe a situation in which you made a decision too quickly. What did you do about it?”

 

Listen for answers that indicate a willingness to be flexible about which approach to use, depending on the specific circumstances. What you want to hear is that Mr. Big Picture knows himself, and has learned to manage his strong personal preference to understand the problem, see the solution, and then move on.

 

In addition, Mr. Big Picture’s preference for gaining an understanding of the big picture will often lead him to think that he is organized because he understands the full nature of the problem or issue. As a result, he will spend little time putting pencil to paper (or fingers to keyboard) to create a written plan for how to approach the issue or problem. To find out if this is likely to be a problem, ask something like: “Tell me how you organize for a typical work day.”

 

Listen for answers that indicate that he has learned to spend an appropriate amount of time organizing his day, in spite of a natural preference not to do so. Answers that suggest that the person just “leaps in and begins” without spending time in planning and preparation may indicate a person whose effectiveness is diminished by his impulsiveness.

 

 

 

 

Mr. Big Picture + High Intelligence = Mr. Problem Solver. If Mr. Big Picture is also exceptionally bright, his intellect can make his ability to see all aspects of a problem a strong asset. He will be better able than most to think outside both conceptual and real-world boundaries of most problems. 

 

Mr. Big Picture + High Sociability = Salesperson. This combination of characteristics will give Mr. Big Picture an edge when it comes to finding solutions to customers’ problems and in turning their objections into reasons to buy. He will be “fast on his feet” in a sales situation and insightful about others’ needs.