What’s your superpower? (Building your best business) Part 2
Last week I introduced you to the PAVF. Hopefully you did the exercise and know which of the four work styles is your dominant style, and which is your secondary style.
Take me to the PAVF assessment
If you haven’t taken the assessment yet, take a few minutes to do it now (click on the button above), before you read the rest of today’s article.
The four workstyles
Now that you’ve done the assessment, let’s take a look at how your results can help you discover your superpower.
First, let’s recap with a quick summary of the four workstyles.
P - Producer
A producer likes to get things done. They are usually busy, always negotiating or convincing or pushing to get things accomplished.
A - Analyzer
An analyzer is detail-oriented. They are orderly, like to make sure they have all the facts, and make decisions based on logic.
V - Visionary
A visionary is an ideas person. They see possibilities and like to connect dots to help make sense of the bigger picture. They generally are bored by details.
F - Friend
A friend seeks harmony and cooperation. They like to work as part of a team and want to make sure everyone feels included and has a chance to contribute.
So, once I know what a client’s work style is, how do I then go about helping them figure out what their superpower is?
I start by helping them gain a deeper understanding of their PAVF results. That’s because the best career match for anyone is one that aligns with the characteristics of their work style.
I discuss what types of roles would be ideally suited to them, based on their PAVF results. Here are some examples of different job types/roles, with explanations of what workstyles are best suited to those types of jobs.
The Manager
Managers need to deliver—they need to get results. A Producer workstyle makes this a more natural feat. So if your dominant or secondary workstyle is Producer, you might fit well in roles which require you to direct people, foresee problems, get things done, and problem solve quickly.
The Specialist
The specialist achieves success by attention to detail and passion for a subject. They take advantage of a high, innate Analyzer workstyle. Accountants and lawyers are often Analyzers. But potentially good role fits would be any that require attention to detail: researchers, editors, website creators, etc.
The Innovator
Innovators bring forward new ideas and think of ways to improve processes. These abilities fit well with a Visionary workstyle. Visionaries are often found in roles in public and private sector research foundations, such as universities, policy think tanks, and research & development labs at large private sector companies. But they also have an entrepreneurial spirit, wanting to bring their ideas to reality, and many start their own businesses. (But you don’t have to be a Visionary to start your own business! More on this later in the article).
The Caregiver
If you have a strong Friend workstyle, you want to take care of all people, both known to you and strangers. A role as a counselor, coach, or trainer would fit well. Because of their concern for people and social causes, dominant Friends are often attracted to the social sector (not-for-profits and social enterprises). But they also might start businesses that help people in some way.
The Salesperson
Producers are natural salespeople. They like to deliver results (and quickly!) However, to have a successful long-term sales career requires more than just being a Producer. Sales also involves looking for creative solutions to customer issues, characteristics of the Visionary work style. Successful sales also requires looking after many details, which is an Analyzer characteristic. Often, salespeople are Producer/Visionaries, but they are supported by staff who have a strong Analyzer work style.
The Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs often have a strong Producer workstyle—they have an urge to get things done. Their secondary workstyle is often Visionary—they have many ideas that they want to pursue. The unrelenting drive of a Producer, combined with the self-confidence and numerous ideas of a Visionary, fit well here. (However, not being a Producer/Visionary doesn’t mean you can’t run a successful business, as I will discuss shortly!)
The Researcher
Creating new ideas, thoughts, and theories fit well with the natural talents of a Visionary. However, researchers also need attention to detail (Analyzer). Therefore, researchers often have an Analyzer/Visionary workstyle.
Putting it all together
Knowing your workstyle helps you to zone in on what your superpower is. Your superpower is that thing that you do very, very well. What exactly that is, is intricately tied to your work style.
For example:
Someone with an Analyzer work style will probably be a more effective accountant than someone who is a Visionary. Someone with a Friend work style would likely be a better teacher than someone who is a Producer.
It reminds me of a saying I once heard. It goes something like this.
If you judge a fish by how well he climbs a tree, you will say he is a failure. But if you rate him by how well he does what he was born to do—swim—you will say he is success.
Your superpower is like that—it is based on what you were born to do well. And that is rooted in your workstyle.
So, by helping people understand how they really tick, on a deep level, I can begin to help them hone in on what they would really excel at. And knowing that is the basis for building a strong business.
Playing many roles
I want to make three final points before I end this article.
1. Some people don’t have a dominant style.
Some people are competent in all 4 domains, but not dominant in any single one. These people are viewed by others as being quite versatile and able to operate competently in all domains.
2. Not being dominant in a style doesn’t mean you can’t do things that style requires.
I mentioned already that not having a certain workstyle doesn’t mean you can’t do the typical tasks of that workstyle. For example, I said that “not being a Producer/Visionary doesn’t mean you can’t run a successful business.”
This is an important point. We each have all of the workstyles in us, just at different levels. And, when necessary, we act more like a Producer, or a Visionary, or an Analyzer, etc. Here’s an example.
Jason is an accountant (workstyle Producer/Analyzer) and he has a client who needs to get the taxes done for her recently deceased husband. Because the woman is still grieving, Jason would likely bring out more of his Friend skills when talking to the woman, even though that’s not his dominant work style.
Another example:
Brenda is self-employed as a fitness trainer. She is a Visionary/Friend. However, when she is trying to convince a lead to purchase her services, she has to put on her salesperson hat and rely on more on her Producer characteristics.
3. When you are self-employed, you need to do everything
That means that, when necessary, you need to put on your Producer, or Friend, or Visionary hat, etc. And that doesn’t always come naturally, so you need to develop strategies for making that possible.
A common example is people who are strong Visionary/Friends. They often hate to do paperwork (an Analyzer task).
For them, I recommend creating systems and tools (checklists, tables, etc.) that make the Analyzer tasks easier.
Another strategy might be to shadow or enlist the help of a colleague who is a strong Analyzer, and who might help you develop some processes to make your own Analzyer hat easier to wear.
Still another strategy might be to find someone to do your Analyzer tasks for you (perhaps an accountant, or bookkeeping agency, or a part-time employee).
You get the idea: find ways to make it easier for you to play those roles you are not naturally strong in.
* * *
In closing, I want to stress that there is no “ideal” workstyle necessary to be successfully self-employed. What’s important is:
Choosing a business/role in which the main functions align well with your dominant workstyle;
Developing strategies that will allow you to bring out your non-dominant styles, when they are required.