1. 15HR SUMMIT & EXPO ASIA 2017 - FREE EXPO GUIDE
ANDREW CHOW
FEATURE
How can an understanding of different
personality types and working styles help HR
professionals influence their organisations?
Personality is defined as a set of behaviours,
thoughts and even language patterns used by
different individuals that reflects
their values, motivation, fears,
and views of the world.
Identifying different
personalities at work will help HR
professionals to:
• Place the right people in
the same work group. There
will also be more cohesive
working relationships with some
personality types than the others.
• Customise the style of
presentation according to the
resistance focus of different
personalities. Getting buy-in or
consensus sooner will reduce time
and resources over meetings and
discussion that are not making
A PASSION FOR
PERSONALITY
Andrew Chow is a successful social media and public
relations strategist, entrepreneur, and best-selling author of
the “24/7” series of books. In his HR Summit and Expo Asia
2017 power talk, he’ll be explaining how the art of building
rapport is the key to success in communication.
BIO BRIEF
Andrew Chow Andrew Chow is known in
Singapore as a successful social media and
public relations strategist, entrepreneur and
speaker. He is also the best-selling author
of a highly popular series of books: Social
Media 247, Public Relations 247 and Personal
Branding 247.
His 30-year career has seen him work with
an array of clients, and he has made successful
presentations in over 15 countries in the last
five years, addressing more than 20,000
people.
Chow was listed among the Top 10 Most
Influential Speaker in Singapore by the
Singapore Business Review in 2013.
2. 16 HR SUMMIT & EXPO ASIA 2017 - FREE EXPO GUIDE
much progress
• Build rapport with almost
anyone in the organisation,
even if their viewpoints
may be different. People
like people who are like
themselves. If we can mirror
personality; we will be able to
connect more effectively.
What types of people are
the most difficult to have
uncomfortable conversations
with, and do you have any tips
on tackling this challenge?
People who always think they
are right. In this situation,
offering proof of alternative
viewpoints from the majority is
a good place to start.
People who like to be overly
friendly at the workplace – to
the point of invading your
personal space – are another
challenge. Making the excuse
that you are busy and prefer
to keep your personal life out
of the office is generally an
effective repellant for their
intrusion.
Then there are those who
claim credit where credit
simply isn’t due. For these
people, it is important to
highlight the contributions
of others and explain their
positive impacts.
Finally, there are the people
who play devil’s advocate all
the time. They always imagine
the worst possible things
that can happen in any given
situation and they lack trust in
almost everyone around them.
The way to connect with these
people is to actually ask them
what is the worst case scenario.
Allowing them to speak their
mind and fears will help
them to confront danger in a
cautious, sensible way.
Are there advantages to having
different personalities at work,
and how can HR professionals
maximise these?
Absolutely. There is firstly
the law of balance. Even
when two distinctly opposite
personalities are working
together, there could be a
dynamic of balance in terms of
viewpoints, approaches, and
decision making.
Diverse personalities are
also important for the personal
growth of individuals.
No matter how experienced
we are in life and at work,
there will always be blind spots
which others can help us to be
more evolved.
Finally, whole group
dynamics are also improved.
We cannot expect creativity
among a group with the same
personality. Neither would we
expect a steadfast group when
there are only two groups of
vastly different personalities
in the workplace to work
well together. To achieve the
full development of human
capital, we need diversity in
cultural background, as well as
personality.
Is building rapport with staff
the same as getting their buy-in
and respect?
They are not the same. Building
rapport is a way of life and
must be the foundation for
any productive and engaged
organisation. It cannot be
done only when we want to get
buy in or approval for a quick
decision.
Likewise, rapport building
must not be just confined to
peer level. Leaders today must
not only lead by example but
by connections too. People
today respect our leaders not
just because of their position
but also because of their
personality.
What happens if different
personalities clash more
often than they benefit the
organisation?
HR needs to focus on the
common traits between
different personalities and
channel their energy and focus
towards the bigger goals.
There is also a need for the
organisation to adopt the dame
personality and working styles
profiling so that there is a
common understanding across
the workforce. When everyone
speaks the same language
of describing and reading
personality, individuals will
tend to be less judgmental of
each other.
Managers should also be
equipped with coaching skills
to empower and guide staff to
resolve their differences.
So how can leaders build
rapport with staff without
crossing the lines?
All managers and leaders need
to weave building rapport into
their corporate cultures and
training protocals. One of the
best places to do this is through
existing coaching programmes,
where the following key
questions will help get to the
crux of the issue:
• What are the existing ways
of building rapport that we
should continue doing?
• What are the things we
should also start doing to
build better rapport?
• What are the things we
should stop doing because
they are not adding any value
in understanding each other
better in the workplace.
What can the audience expect
from your Power Talk at HR
Summit and Expo Asia 2017?
Within just 20 minutes,
participants will learn
to identify the different
personalities and their
working styles within their
organisations.
Participants will also be
able to receive quick rapport-
building skills according to the
nine different personalities
presented.