Describe Your Personal Style
Choose a few words, or write a very short phrase, to describe yourself in each of the following areas. Do
not limit your choices to the examples given; use the inventory of adjectives on the next page for ideas.
Thinking Style
This is the way that you approach a problem or opportunity. Descriptors
might include realistic, visionary, strategic, analytical, logical, perceptive
concrete, etc. There are many others.
Communication Style
This might elicit words such as enthusiastic, cautious, comprehensive,
persuasive, inspiring, reserved, straightforward, etc.
Management Style
Here you might describe yourself as fair-minded, authoritative, caring,
democratic or non-directive. You might write, "I delegate tasks and give
minimal specific direction."
Subordinate Style
How do you like to be managed? Are you self-reliant, consultative, a
conscientious task implementer, a questioner or a loyal follower?
Team Style
What role or task usually falls to you? Are you the innovator, the detail
monitor, the implementer, the communicator, the relationship caretaker, the
organizer or the leader?
Work Style
Are you highly organized, spontaneous, meticulous, process-oriented, a
team player, a loner, results-focused, decisive or perfectionist?
Resilience
How are you hard-wired? Are you a worrier or are you relaxed? Do you take
things too personally? Are you critical or accepting, optimistic or pessimistic,
driven to achieve or non-competitive?
KWA Partners
It’s Your Move, 3rd Edition, 2007
Think of a story from your past to exemplify each of the words that you used to describe yourself. Is the
picture accurate and complete? What else should be added?
Inventory of Adjectives
accepting
accommodating
accurate
achieving
adaptable
affirming
aggressive
agreeable
altruistic
ambitious
analytical
articulate
artistic
aspiring
assertive
assured
astute
authoritative
aware
believable
calm
candid
capable
careful
caring
cautious
charismatic
cheerful
clever
collaborative
committed
communicative
competent
competitive
compliant
comprehensive
composed
conceptual
concerned
concrete
confident
conscientious
consistent
consultative
cooperative
creative
credible
customer focused
deadline-driven
decisive
dedicated
deliberate
demanding
democratic
dependable
detail-oriented
determined
diligent
diplomatic
direct
discerning
disciplined
discreet
dynamic
easygoing
effective
efficient
eloquent
empathetic
empowering
energetic
engaging
enterprising
enthusiastic
entrepreneurial
ethical
experienced
expressive
facilitating
fair-minded
far-sighted
firm
flexible
focused
formal
forthright
forward-thinking
friendly
future-oriented
generous
hands-off
hands-on
hard-working
helpful
high-impact
high-potential
honest
humorous
imaginative
impressive
incisive
independent
individualistic
industrious
ingenious
initiating
innovative
insightful
inspiring
integrative
intelligent
intense
intuitive
investigative
judicious
kind
knowledgeable
logical
market-driven
methodical
meticulous
motivated
multi-talented
non-competitive
non-conforming
non-directive
objective
observant
open
open-minded
opportunistic
optimistic
organized
outgoing
participative
patient
people-oriented
perceptive
perfectionist
persevering
persistent
personable
persuasive
philosophical
poised
positive
powerful
practical
pragmatic
process-oriented
productive
professional
proficient
project-oriented
punctual
quality-driven
quick
quiet
realistic
reasonable
refined
reflective
reliable
reserved
resilient
resourceful
respected
responsible
results-focused
results-oriented
risk taker
savvy
self-reliant
sensible
sensitive
serious
shrewd
sincere
skillful
sophisticated
spontaneous
straightforward
strategic
strong
subtle
successful
succinct
supportive
sympathetic
tactful
tasteful
team builder
team leader
team player
technical
tenacious
thorough
thoughtful
tolerant
top performer
top producer
to the point
tough-minded
troubleshooter
trustworthy
truthful
unconventional
understanding
unrelenting
upbeat
versatile
visionary
well-balanced
well-spoken
willing