Reference Profile Series: The Altruist Manager
In the journey to empower Altruist managers, we emphasize the critical role of clear communication and unwavering support. This episode challenges conventional leadership narratives, revealing how Altruists can excel in leadership roles by tapping into their innate strengths in influence and collaboration. How can altruists transform your team? Find out in our latest episode!
Click here for a short video about the Altruist
Click here to get your very own Reference Profile
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The Bosshole® Chronicles
"Reference Profile Series: The Altruist Manager"
Original Publish Date: 10/8/2024
Hosts: John Broer & Sara Best
John Broer: Welcome back to the Bosshole Chronicles. Everybody out there in the Bosshole Transformation Nation this is your co-host, John Broer, welcoming you to another installment of our podcast. So good to have you here. And we thought this week we would drop one more episode about one of the 17 reference profiles from the Predictive Index Behavioral Assessment. That's one of the main tools we use here at Real Good Ventures, in addition to some other amazing diagnostics. Next week we will resume regular programming with a two-part series with one of our guests, a subject matter expert episode. Very excited about sharing that with you.
But this week we're going to talk about the Altruist. The Altruist is one of the 17 reference profiles and the very amazing and wonderful Sara Best will be joining me to talk a little bit more about this and, as a matter of fact, we have some firsthand experience because one of the key members of the Real Good Ventures team is an altruist and when we get to the persuader, Sara can share things about that. When we get to the captain, I'll be able to share more about that, simply because those are our reference profiles. But these are very real and very helpful in understanding ourselves but also understanding the people around us. So make sure you go into the show notes. Click the link to get your own reference profile description.But we're going to talk about the altruist that represents about 8.53% of the human population. Let's jump in. The Bosshole Chronicles are brought to you by Real Good Ventures, a talent optimization firm helping organizations diagnose their most critical people and execution issues with world-class analytics. Make sure to check out all the resources in the show notes and be sure to follow us and share your feedback. Enjoy today's episode.
Sara Best: Well, hey, John, great to see you. What are we talking about today?
JB: Hey, we're continuing our series on the 17 reference profiles from the Predictive Index, looking at it through the lens of a manager and also direct reports. But we're going to be talking about the Altruist today. We know a little something about altruists because we have one on our team, Hannah. Hannah's an altruist.
SB: That's right.
JB: And so let me just give an overview, real quick overview, and then maybe, Sara, you could walk through the drives needs behaviors. So an altruist is one of the flexing reference profiles and what we mean by that. If you see our competing values matrix and we've talked about this in previous episodes there are three reference profiles that sort of live right in the middle of our competing values matrix. That's the altruist, the adapter and the individualist. Those other two will be having episodes on there coming up, but an altruist is congenial and cooperative, with an efficient, precise work ethic. And remember, remember, there are all different types of altruists, but the we're going to be talking about in general. What's the behavioral DNA of an altruist? so, Sara, take us into the drives needs behaviors, if you wouldn't mind
SB: Well, yeah, and I just to be fair, I had to look up the word congenial just so I understood what it meant. It means pleasant or agreeable for those of us that might need a refresher on that word. Drives, needs, behaviors, yeah, the altruist pattern typically has. I'm just going to go through. Dominance, extroversion, patience and formality are four drives, tends to be lower in dominance, so very collaborative, team oriented. Higher in extroversion, so, as we talked about in our two previous episodes, very socially focused and very connected to people, very relationship focused, lower inpatients. So this is a, in my opinion, a signature element of the altruist pattern that they tend to be either situational to low impatience, which means they can sometimes be more proactive, or situationally proactive versus responsive, and they tend to have high formality. So, opposite the promoter pattern, the altruist pattern has an eye for detail and they're diligent, they're naturally disciplined, kind of go by the book. Those are the drives.
These drives create needs such as harmony, altruist needs, you know, everyone to get along and they like opportunities to collaborate, they like to handle multiple priorities, so they can, you know, spin a few plates at the same time and they are often very satisfied. Very much in need of clarity, of expectations. I think about the altruist on our team. We'll talk about her in a minute because I think the notion of what's most important to an altruist is the team. It's like everyone being successful. It's not an I thing, it becomes very much a we thing for the altruist. So they need that harmony and that collaboration and then we can expect them to be very cooperative, very sociable, action-oriented and fast-paced and organized. Who doesn't like that?
JB: Well, we like it because we don't do that really well. I mean, we struggle with that. So thank goodness for our altruist. So I'll talk a little bit about the signature work style and thank you for the drives, needs and behaviors. And in terms of community, this is a signature work style. Talks about how people communicate, how they delegate, how they make decisions, how they deal with action and risk.
And when it comes to the altruist, because of their high extroversion, they can present as being very enthusiastic and a persuasive talker. You know, you know not only the connection with people but also just the excitement that can come with the topics or the points that they're making, can take a real or have a real persuasive feel to it. And when it comes to delegation, they will have close follow-up after delegating details. And this is interesting because previous reference profiles, some of the reference profiles, love to delegate, share authority. But in this case, because of the altruist's higher formality, the drive to conform to rules and structure, they will delegate details but they'll be sure to follow up because they're attached to that and so that is something that you can sort of recognize or see in the delegation as a manager.
When it comes to decision-making, they tend to bring other people into the decision-making process because of their low dominance, that more collaborative and harmonies and higher extroversion, that collaborative, people-focused, and at the same time they will make decisions carefully and cautiously. And when you look at the pattern of an altruist, it's actually a Z and they're all again millions of different types of altruists. But generally what we see is this pattern where there is higher formality, lower dominance, which means a degree of caution when it comes to risk. So when they are making decisions, they will do so with a degree of caution and do it carefully and think about the people that it's impacting. And then, when it comes to action and risk, because of that what we would call D over A factor combination, they can be cautious with risk. Sometimes they will avoid risk, interestingly enough and this may seem counterintuitive but while they may be somewhat cautious with risk, they will respond favorably to pressure. It's like, yeah, bring it on, I'm not afraid of this.
And that's so funny because We can see that in Hannah, I mean, and she, she is a competitor. We know that because she played, you know, Division I volleyball, and well, not just from an athletic perspective, but I think she has very high standards for herself. So, Hannah, thank you for letting us use you as an example I'm just going to say that right now but that there is that ability to respond well to pressure and because they are that flexing reference profile, they have that unique ability to sort of migrate or shift to what is required at the time. And let me dig in. So those are some of those work styles that we see from an altruist yeah, it's really such a great combination.
SB: I’ve always said since I first learned about PI, everyone needs an altruist on their team, because they do kind of cover a lot of ground.
JB: So, with those common, you know, those signature work style components to consider, Sara, what are some of the strengths and potential traps altruists can find themselves in?
SB: Well, the strengths include this natural ability to build cohesion on a team. Very collaborative, they're organized, they'll have natural and pretty solid follow through, which is a bonus, and altruists can be multitaskers. So we've said this a couple of different ways. Repetitive work is not their thing. They like to change it up and work with a lot of things going on at one time. So the action is really helpful and you can count on them to like do what's needed. How can I help?
JB: Yes.
SB: So when it comes to common traps, the other side of that very extroverted collaborative, let's do things very well kind of notion is they could be seen as not strategic enough. So, not thinking of the big picture, they could be overly cautious, they could be too optimistic and overly trusting, like hey, it's all going to be fine, everyone's going to do what they're supposed to do and and therefore we don't have to address anything. And they may also become frustrated when things kind of stall out. So we call those stagnant environments where action isn't happening, things aren't moving, it doesn't appear that things are getting better or boxes are being checked.
JB: That's so interesting. And again I'm reflecting on our altruist, on the Real Good Ventures team and I've noticed that when given an assignment, I have no question that it's going to get done. None whatsoever, absolutely none. And that is a, that's a powerful, that's a superpower. And, to your point, having that on a team it kind of coalesces people. It sort of brings people together because you know, we have, of the four core members of the Real Good Ventures team, you and I are out on the periphery, our other team member, strategist sort of.
SB: Are we out in left field, John?
JB: Yeah, we're out, we're right field, but yeah, we could be out in left field, right, but I mean, but again, but again, Hannah, to her credit, brings just a real continuity right in that middle. So let's talk a little bit about how to work let's say we're on a team with an altruist and how to work well with them. Let me go ahead and share a little bit about that and then we'll talk about the altruist as a direct report.
It's helpful to give the altruist guidelines. They like clear, specific definitions, responsibilities and reporting relationships. I've often found, I think, to your point saying listen, I don't want to tell you how to do this, but this is where we need to go and how I envision this, or we envision this, but at that point just really let them tap into that signature work style and those superpowers and go with it and keep the variety there. We say mix it up. Altruists like variety in their work. So if you have them focused on one thing and one thing alone, they will stagnate and so just keep the variety there.
There are some managers who would say well, I don't want to overburden them with too many different things. That's why we use this data, because an altruist can manage that and they'll tell you. They will tell you I need a break or I need to come up for air, because sometimes you know altruists, while they have the capability to do so many great things, one of the traps, or potential kryptonite or cautionaries, is they end up doing too many great things and they feel a bit diluted and then finally um, not delusional, but you know what I mean they feel like their capabilities are being diluted or spread too thin, and then finally, let them help and collaborate. They love being part of a team, so isolating them. There are some reference profiles that prefer to work alone. And that isolation, that introspection, that's where they thrive, not the altruist. They want to be part of a team. Well, speaking of being part of a team, let's talk now and shift gears. Sarah, what if we had an altruist as a direct report? What do we do there? Let's look at those aspects.
SB: Well, I think you first, first thing you have to remember is they're sociable, they're efficient and they're detail oriented. So they're typically less effective when project guidelines are ambiguous. Uh, clarity is your friend when it comes to empowering an altruist, and you've talked about a lot of these things, you know. Ensure freedom from repetition. Provide opportunities to work with others We've talked about specific guidelines. Give them opportunities to work cross-functionally so they are capable of diving into and being involved in several elements of the work and the business. Provide consistent and dependable support. So remember, there's a lower dominance with an altruist, so collaboration. They have need for encouragement and harmony, making sure that the relationship and the support is there that's also really important and clearly communicating rules, the process, how this whole thing works, like what's the playbook. That's essential for an altruist. They have that higher formality. We'll talk about some of our other reference profiles that are very high in diligence, discipline and they go by the book and so without clarity about what the book is, it feels very uncertain and very risky.
So we want to reduce that risk, I would say too. There's such an emphasis on doing things the right way they have very high standards for themselves and other people that it becomes kind of a point of contention or resentment when people don't follow the rules or don't go by the book.
But, altruists are low in dominance, high in extroversion. Chances are they might not really speak up about that on the regular. So altruists, I think, have to watch out for. And it would be important to acknowledge, if you're directing an altruist, that they follow the rules. They go by the book. They're watching to see if other people do that too. And it can be very demotivating for your direct report. Who's an altruist if everyone doesn't kind of operate with that same adherence to the protocol? And it's got to be fair. Does that make sense?
JB: Oh, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Well, and, like the promoter and collaborator, they are looking at a sense of fairness for my people, these are my people and I want my team and everything to work out well. Now that makes a lot of sense. I think that there are times when is it safe to say that an altruist can be the consummate team player? But we want to encourage them not to be afraid to step into leadership roles. Afraid to step into leadership roles. If a person is so motivated to help provide that positive influence, we want to encourage that. I guess what I'm saying is it's not hard to encourage an altruist to be a great team player, because that's what they're wired to do. But if a team is drifting and doesn't have clear leadership and somebody providing that guidance and shepherding that team, ultras could easily do that. They just may need a little bit of encouragement to move into that role.
SB: Yeah, I look at Hannah as an example. You know her time playing D1 volleyball was not necessarily focused on stats and major success on the court. She was given a captain role, elected by her teammates for two years, and where she thrived was in cultivating that environment of trust and results.
JB: Yeah.
SB: Like so. Leadership is about influence, John. We talk about this all the time. Right you can lead an influence from any pattern. You do not have to be a captain or a maverick or a high dominance, low patience profile. This is a person who didn't really care at the end of the day if she played. She cared more about the team, right, and the team being together, about the team and the team being together, the team being successful her thing, in fact.
I can account for this going back as long as I can remember her being involved in sports. She worked hard for the team not because she wanted. I mean, of course she wanted to get better, but she wanted to get better for the team. And that's foreign to a person like me. I don't. I'm not wired that way. I think I can adjust and adapt and appreciate what that really can produce, but that's the way she thinks.
And I think altruists really have the best and what's best for others in mind, even over their own time on the court or yeah, or time in the spotlight yeah.
JB: Time in the spotlight and showcasing me is not okay. I mean, truth be told. When you talk about captains, persuaders, mavericks, venturers, we sometimes thrust ourselves into the spotlight.
SB: Right.
JB: And I'm going to, I'm going gonna say, from my perspective, it's like oh, pick me, pick me, I'll do the, I'll lead, I'll lead, I'll, I'll, I'll lead this team. Whereas just because somebody you know raises their hand and say pick me, pick me, I'll do this, may not be the best choice. That and again, that's why this data is so powerful, because when you think about an altruist capabilities and I love what you say is that everybody can lead, but we want them to lead from their self-awareness and their natural wiring and understand what kind of positive influence they can have with people around them. So, so, yeah, I, I, the reason, I, I. This is resonating as a last night I just had a conversation with one of my neighbors.
He was kind of fascinated by the stuff that we do, or interested in the stuff that we do, and he was talking about, you know, I enjoy managing and working with people. He said but I'm not what you would say, I am not what some would say is a stereotypical leader. And I said what do you mean by that? And he goes. Well, I mean, you know the people that sort of speak up and they're very aggressive or assertive and they thrust themselves and that's what made me think about it and I said you're right, that's a great point. You know, it's about positive influence. Well, what else? Anything else on the altruist?
SB: You know, I think, just to wrap it up, capitalize on their goodwill for others, but don't overemphasize that. Don't take advantage of the altruist, because you're going to end up having somebody who's resentful and probably a little bit frustrated. And help develop their comfortability with risk. Help them adjust, when they need, to those high, high standards they have for themselves and other people.
JB: But yeah, great point, Sara. Yes, absolutely so. Reminder go into the show notes, find out what your reference profile is, if you haven't done so already, and, hopefully, to all of our managers out there that are altruist on their team, understand that each one of these 17 reference profiles have amazing capabilities, natural gifting. Obviously, we all have those potential traps, those common traps that can show up, but that's what this is for. So, Sara, this was great. Really appreciate it.
SB: You too, John. Hey, folks, we'll see you next time on the Bosshole Chronicles. Be well.
JB: Thanks very much for checking out this episode of the Bosshole Chronicles. It was so good to have you here, and if you have your own Bosshole story that you want to share with the Bosshole Transformation Nation, just reach out. You can email us at mystory@thebossholechronicles.com. Again, mystory@thebossholechronicles.com, we'll see you next time.
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