About the Combination of Harmonizing and Directing in Storm Settings

You scored high for both Harmonizing and Directing in Storm. This combination has a particular character that you should be aware of.

Strengths of this combination: A strength of this combination is being assertive and goal-oriented in a pleasant way.  It's a great style for leading teams in settings where it's important to keep lots of people happy.  It's also great for settings where it is necessary to convince people of the merits of what you are doing.   It's perfect for sales, public relations, and any kind of leadership or coordination where relationships matter.

Limitations of this combination:  Like all style patterns, this combo has limitations you should be aware of.   At heart, these two styles are somewhat contradictory, for they respond to two very different things.  Directing responds to the call of task, to get things done.  Harmonizing responds to relationships, the concern to please others, charm, and keep people happy.  Together they give you the ability to push ahead with important work and relate well to others as you are doing so.  This is a gift for many settings.  But what happens when you hit resistance?  Which side of this unusual blend will you go for?  Others may find you hard to read at times or unpredictable, since they may not know what to expect.   If you shift back and forth between the two styles, once Directing, now Harmonizing, or vice versa, others may experience you as "slippery" or "devious".

How to benefit from the strengths and reduce your exposure to the limitations:  
1) Study the Cooperating Style, which blends commitment to task and relationship seamlessly.  No either/or there - it's task and relationship, all the time!  A lot of it is about being patient with differences, engaging in exploration of differences without being in a rush to resolve them.

2) A key strategy in Cooperating that you too can use is good listening and interacting at some depth with the perspectives of others, without hastening to bring in your own perspectives.  

3) Use helpful questions that support people in talking about the things they want and need and in exploring options.   This will use your energy and inclination to engage in a way that interacts without being pushy.

4) Coach yourself to think about your values and principles.  The more clarity you have about these, the more likely that you will find ways of navigating tricky situations consistently, in a principled way that wins trust.   

5) Smile at yourself, better yet, laugh sometimes.  People good at Harmonizing are often good with humor.   If that describes you, you can soften the paradoxical blend that you represent by being able to chuckle at yourself.  Others will appreciate it and may trust you more.