Get the best out of your grumpy people

We’ve all worked with one at some point. Most of us have worked with or for many more than one. But have you ever stopped to think that perhaps they had a point?

Everybody loves a ‘liker’. Those people who possess a sunny attitude and can-do demeanour. People who encourage those around them and instil confidence in a team. But in any team there is usually a ‘grumpy’. You know the type. They sit in the corner of the office, scowling and generally being a wet blanket on all the fun.

However, recent research by Dr Justin Hepler at the University of Illinois sheds new light on these party poopers. Okay, so they don’t like much and often have a narrow field of interests. But surprisingly this is where their strengths lie. By being narrow, they tend to be highly focussed on the things they do like. They spend more time on those things than others who have a wider range of interests and experiences.

The research findings show that ‘likers’ are more inclined to be distracted from the task at hand because there are so many other opportunities to consider. In contrast, when they have a task they do like, ‘haters’ will often invest more time into it, thereby developing their skillset.

The difficulty is matching these grumpies to the right tasks and roles. No mean feat in itself. Both the role and the candidate must match for a successful outcome. The McQuaig Word Survey will tell you what you need to know about your candidate but its value is enhanced when used with the McQuaig Job Survey to identify the core needs of the role. Get a match between the two and while there’s no guarantee your grumpy will smile more, they might just scowl a little less.

Listen to Dr Justin Hepler here.

To find out more about the McQuaig Psychometric System visit www.mcquaig.co.uk or call 0203 111 9292.