In today's workplace, effective communication and alignment between leaders and their teams are more critical than ever. While much attention has been given to the importance of purpose, day-to-day experience of working at a company may hinge more on the alignment of individual thinking styles with the demands of the role and the team.

In our previous pieces, "Introduction to Thinking Styles" and "Thought Partnership," we explored the concept of thinking styles and how they can be leveraged to broaden and deepen the quality of thinking in our organizations. Building on this foundation, this piece delves into specifics of how understanding and utilizing thinking styles can significantly enhance leader-to-leader and leader-to-employee conversations, alignment, rapport, and feedback.

Thinking styles—such as Explorer, Planner, Energizer, Connector, Expert, Optimizer, Producer, and Coach—offer a framework for understanding how different individuals approach problem-solving and collaboration.

Explorer thinking is about generating creative ideas
Planner thinking is about designing effective systems
Energizer thinking is about mobilizing people into action
Connector thinking is about building and strengthening relationships
Expert thinking is about achieving objectivity and insight
Optimizer thinking is about improving productivity and efficiency
Producer thinking is about achieving completion and momentum
Coach thinking is about cultivating people and potential

By recognizing and valuing these diverse styles, leaders can create more inclusive and effective work environments. This article will provide practical insights and examples to illustrate how leaders can harness the power of thinking styles to improve communication, foster alignment, build rapport, and provide meaningful feedback.

Whether you are a leader looking to enhance your interactions with your team or an employee seeking to better understand your role within the organization, this article will offer valuable strategies for leveraging thinking styles to create a more harmonious and productive workplace. Let's explore how thinking styles and thought partnership can transform your leadership approach.

Understanding Thinking Styles in Leadership

Understanding and leveraging thinking styles can significantly enhance communication within teams and between leaders and employees. By recognizing the unique strengths and preferences of each thinking style, leaders can tailor their communication approaches to better resonate with their team members.

One thing is important to remember: thinking styles are not personalities ('explorers') nor are they the same as roles ('our coaching staff.') Instead, they are mindsets we all can leverage when the occasion arises ('maybe we should approach this with coach thinking rather than optimizer thinking, and see if helps us find new solutions.) Thinking of them as personalities runs the risk of 'putting people in a box' or conflating the individual with a role they're currently holding.

Here’s how you can leverage each thinking style for more effective communication:

Explorer Thinking

Communication Strategy: Encourage brainstorming sessions and open-ended discussions. Explorer thinking is about creating new big-picture ideas and possibilities, so provide opportunities to think outside the box. Example: "Let's brainstorm some innovative solutions for this project. What are some creative approaches we could take?"

Planner Thinking

Communication Strategy: Provide clear goals, timelines, and detailed plans. Planner thinking is about structure and organization, so ensure your communication is methodical and well-thought-out. Example: "Here is the step-by-step plan for the project. We'll start with phase one, which includes these specific tasks and deadlines."

Energizer Thinking

Communication Strategy: Use enthusiastic and motivating language. People focused on energizer thinking respond well to excitement and positivity, so emphasize the potential impact and benefits of the work. Example: "This project has the potential to make a huge impact. Let's bring our best energy and make it a success!"

Connector Thinking

Communication Strategy: stress the importance of relationships and collaboration. Connector thinking excels at building networks, so highlight team dynamics and the value of working together. Example: "This project will require strong collaboration. Let's make sure we're all connected and working together effectively."

Expert Thinking

Communication Strategy: Seek facts and truths. Expert thinking is focused on knowledge and data, so involve those that appreciate expert thinking in decision-making processes and ask them to stress-test your assumptions or come up with additional lines of inquiry. Example: "I took a big-picture view, but you know the facts on the ground. What does the data say?"

Optimizer Thinking

Communication Strategy: Focus on efficiency and continuous improvement. Optimizer thinking is focused on making things better, so discuss ways to streamline processes and enhance outcomes. Example: "Let's review the current workflow and see where we can increase efficiency and reduce friction."

Producer Thinking

Communication Strategy: Emphasize action and results. Producer thinking is focused on getting things done, so provide clear tasks and expectations, and highlight the importance of achieving tangible, measurable outcomes. Example: "Our goal is to complete this project by the end of the month. Here are the specific tasks we need to accomplish."

Coach Thinking

Communication Strategy: Empathy and support are key. Coach thinking is about nurturing potential and helping people grow. Emphasize opportunities for development and offer constructive feedback. Example: "I appreciate that you're keeping the needs of our employees in mind. Let's discuss how we can further develop their skills and help them reach your full potential."

By tailoring your communication to align with each thinking style, you can foster a more inclusive and productive work environment. This approach not only enhances understanding and collaboration but also builds stronger relationships and a more cohesive team.

The Relationship Between Roles and Thinking Styles

Thinking styles can indeed inform which roles might be a good fit for an individual, as they align cognitive preferences with role demands. For example, many different kinds of thinking can be emphasized in a project management role. Think of how a project manager who is focused on optimization might operate differently than one who is focused on coaching. The project manager using ‘optimization’ thinking might emphasize the use of tools like project management software to get as much alignment and efficiency out of a team or project as possible. A coach-focused project manager might instead work with individuals to improve their own confidence, communication and skills.

Spotting expectations in role descriptions and other job-related communications:

There are terms which might signal where ‘big picture’ vs. ‘detailed’ thinking is most desired by a company. A “strategic project manager” who is expected to “liase with cross-functional stakeholders” and “motivate teams across multiple departments” might be expected to leverage thinking styles like ‘connector’ and ‘energizer,’ whereas a project manager expected to “utilize lean and agile techniques” to “accelerate the release frequency and quality of a software team” is likely to be expected to emphasize optimizer thinking.

It's important to remember that role descriptions are not always perfect reflections of the actual work environment. Role descriptions should be seen as starting points for discussion during hiring and coaching processes. Role descriptions might not have been written by just one person, and they might not even include the views of the people that role will work with. Role descriptions may sometimes serve as implicit or explicit contracts, so actively reviewing the role description with team members—both leaders and peers—can provide a clearer picture of the expected thinking styles for the role. If the company has specific objectives or key results an individual will be expected to contribute to—or which they'll be entirely accountable for—these goals may also indicate the kinds of thinking that they should leverage or emphasize. While there doesn't need to be a perfect match of an employee and the ‘genius zone’ skills expected for a role, if there is a complete mismatch in the expected thinking styles, discussion (or even a different role) may be appropriate.

Referencing Thinking Styles to Build Alignment and Improve Feedback

An unseen difference in thinking styles can sometimes be a hidden cause of conflict or missed expectations. For example, if one person on a team is focused on big-picture explorer thinking, they'll often go create new ideas as the way to solve problems. But someone focused on coach thinking might focus on individual development instead of coming up with more things to change about the business. For example, if faced with declining profitability, explorer thinking might lead us to say "well, others in the industry are using AI to come up with new product lines, so we should change the business to become more AI-focused" while coach thinking might ask, "is our profitability down because our employees aren't clear about what's expected of them right now?" Both approaches might be valid ways to solve a problem, but come from very different ideas of 'which lever to pull first' when it comes to problem-solving. The two people referencing those different kinds of thinking might end up in a personality conflict. However, by explicitly referencing thinking styles, problem-solving can become more comprehensive. "Okay, let's start with the 'coach' mindset—what do our employees need to be effective in increasing profitability? Then let's put on our 'explorer' hat to see what others are doing in the industry, our 'planner' hat to design more effective systems, our 'optimizer' hat to improve efficiency and reduce friction," and so on.

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Thinking Styles in Leadership Conversations

Understanding Thinking Styles in Leadership

Explorer Thinking

Planner Thinking

Energizer Thinking

Connector Thinking

Expert Thinking

Optimizer Thinking

Producer Thinking

Coach Thinking

The Relationship Between Roles and Thinking Styles

Spotting expectations in role descriptions and other job-related communications:

Referencing Thinking Styles to Build Alignment and Improve Feedback

Key Concepts

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