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Understanding the Expressive Behavioral Style

Cathie Leimbach • August 15, 2021

Being aware of your and your employee's primary and backup workplace behavior will make you a better leader. This self-awareness helps you to:

  • more quickly engage and motivate each of your employees
  • recognize your own strengths and weaknesses
  • communicate more effectively with each employee by tailoring conversations to fit their workplace behavioral style.

 

When someone’s primary behavioral work style is Expressive they blend a high level of both emotional responsiveness and assertiveness. These employees are big picture-oriented and take a look at the overall issue. They can often arrive at a fresh, novel, and creative approach to problems. They are willing to take risks to seize opportunities.

 

Members of your team with the Expressive primary work style tend to have the following strengths:

  • good communicator
  • emotional
  • passionate
  • motivational
  • inspirational
  • outgoing
  • fun-loving

 

Employees with an Expressive primary style tend to process things in a step-by-step linear sequence and observe and remember specific information. These employees will do better when they have flexibility in their work and how their time is managed. They are open to new opportunities like making decisions on the fly, and can sometimes enjoy working on things at the last minute or on their schedule.

 

Limitations to this Expressive work style include:

  • unrealistic
  • not detailed-oriented
  • excitable
  • impulsive
  • becoming bored by routine and details
  • can be too talkative
  • get bored easily

 

Leaders with an Expressive work behavioral style are action-oriented, driven by adventure, and prefer acting outside of the typical leadership norms. Because rules are the bane of their existence, they often feel that creativity is more important than the rule books. 

 

Leaders with an Expressive work style may believe that people perform best when they can establish their processes and ways of work.

 

If this is your leadership style you will benefit from being aware of how youpra work and how it impacts on your employees. Not all members of your team will feel comfortable or productive managing their own time and work product. These employees will need guidance and structure. Coaching them might seem stressful and a waste of time. However, it is crucial in supporting your employees to reach their potential.

 

Encouraging your team to define and express their own comfort level related to tasks and workload will create better results. Providing your team with the tools they need, even if it involves detailed structure, will lead to higher productivity.

 

Conversational management can be implemented in different ways to serve different ways of communicating with their employees.  For example:

 

Rather than saying, "Just do your job and get it done." (results-oriented and unrealistic). 

Do this instead. "I would like to get this completed by next Thursday.  What do you need from me to help you reach that goal?" (And be prepared to help them with processes and a timeline.)

 

Rather than saying, "We will get this done even if you think we can't." (Results-oriented and pushing the boundaries of structure)

Say this instead, "I appreciate your input. I think we can achieve this. What do you suggest we do to overcome your concerns?" (Being open to "push back" and reasonable concerns around execution.)

 

Coaching and motivating employees with an Expressive work style can be challenging. These employees do their best when they create their schedule and processes for work completion. This potentially creates problems integrating with a project team. They are easily bored, thrive on doing a million things simultaneously, and are adept at problem-solving even when they drop the ball. 

 

Coaching these employees will almost always include giving them some freedom to set the way they accomplish goals while helping them see how other people are on the team.  Encouraging them to listen to other perspectives will support them in integrating different facts into their evaluation. 

 

Make sure that they are in the correct position within the team. Employees with this Expressive work style add a solid results-oriented "can do" focus. They make excellent motivators and can inspire a team to reach higher levels of performance.

 

Use their energy and creativity by providing constant challenges and opportunities to solve problems and find ways to get things done. Whenever possible, give them the room to determine their process for accomplishment rather than providing a rigid structure. 

 

Employees with an Expressive work style can light up a room with their creativity, energy, and ability to motivate and inspire. Put them in positions where their strengths will enable their teams to reach higher productivity and results.

The Four Cs of Effective Conversation

By Cathie Leimbach • February 18, 2025
Based on “Four Cs of Effective Conversation” - The Ohio State University Leadership Center. Ever walked out of a meeting thinking everything was settled, only to realize later that key actions didn’t happen, or alignment was off? That’s because effective conversations require four key elements: clarity, candor, commitment, and completion. Clarity: Make Sure Everyone’s on the Same Page Miscommunication is one of the biggest productivity killers. It’s easy to assume people understand what’s being said, but without clear expectations, mistakes happen. Take the time to check for understanding—what’s obvious to you might not be obvious to everyone else. Candor: Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say Honest, direct conversations build strong teams. When people hold back their real thoughts or concerns, issues fester, and progress stalls. Creating a culture of candor—where people feel safe to speak openly—makes teams more effective and relationships stronger. Commitment: Get Specific About Next Steps A vague “I’ll handle it” often leads to dropped balls. When commitments are specific—who will do what by when—things actually get done. Leaders sometimes hesitate to ask for deadlines, fearing it feels like micromanagement, but clear commitments drive accountability without overstepping. Completion: Don’t Move On Too Soon Before wrapping up a discussion, check that everything’s been addressed. Did we answer all key questions? Does everyone know what happens next? Ensuring a topic is fully covered prevents confusion later and keeps teams aligned.  Mastering these four Cs can turn routine workplace conversations into powerful tools for productivity and collaboration.

Improve Leadership to Boost Workplace Productivity

By Cathie Leimbach • February 11, 2025
Today's workplaces are changing, and managers play a key role in increasing workplace morale and productivity. Research shows that managers impact 70% of what affects how engaged and effective employees are. Surveys show many employees are dissatisfied. They say that expectations are unclear, they don’t feel respected by management, they don’t get enough training, and they don't see how their work matters. With the increasing number of seniors and fewer people in the workforce, increased productivity is essential. Strong leadership is more important than ever. Managers need to develop skills to help their teams succeed. This includes: • Setting clear goals, • Showing appreciation, • Providing good training, and • Helping employees see the purpose of their work. The innovative Conversational Management program helps managers build these leadership skills. It focuses on the leadership practices which boost engagement and productivity. Managers can participate in a virtual Test Drive to see how these strategies can improve teamwork and performance. If you want better results and productivity, REGISTER HERE to join a Test Drive and learn about this highly effective leadership approach! 
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