Task-Oriented vs Relationship-Oriented
Do you like to get things done? Or, would you rather spend time with people?
When you have some available time, would you rather “buckle down” and work on your projects, or would you rather text a few people and see what’s going on? Or think about it this way… Do you get more frustrated when you can’t work on a project, or do you get more frustrated when you can’t spent quality time with someone else?
Your answer will depend on whether you are Task-Oriented or Relationship-Oriented. This difference is an important characteristic of our personality, and it affects our productivity at work, our relationship with others, and our happiness with ourselves.
Task-Oriented
Task-oriented people like to do things. When they get up in the morning, they think about items on their To Do List. When they get to work, they go directly to the office, login to the computer, and start writing reports. The most important thing for task-oriented people is accomplishing their goals. When they do talk to coworkers, it is usually about projects, deadlines, expenses, and other topics related to work.
Because of this personality characteristic, task-oriented people like to have jobs that keep them focused on projects. These may include jobs in technology, engineering, project management, research, financial analysis, surgery, and many traditional labor industries (carpentry, electrical, construction, mechanical, etc.).
Positives. Task-oriented people (especially managers) are hard-working, result-driven employees. They stay focused on the project until it is done, they produce quality work, they meet deadlines, and they think about new projects for the business. Task-oriented managers focus on production schedules and timelines, quality, and costs. You can depend on them to “keep things in line,” improve efficiency, and make a profit.
Negatives. Task-oriented people usually don’t think about other people’s emotional and psychological needs. They believe that the job is the main focus and that feelings and personal concerns are not important. They may also make decisions on their own based on data and evidence instead of asking others for their opinion. They may also prefer to work on their own instead of working on a team.
Because of this, task-oriented people can come across as “uncaring,” “unemotional,” “anti-social,” “cold,” and “inconsiderate” to others. Other people may feel that they have been left out of the decision-making process, and they may feel that they are not being respected or valued. They may also be seen as uncooperative on team projects. Task-oriented people get things done, but they may also alienate others and drive them away if they are not also focused on the project.
Relationship-Oriented
Relationship-oriented people enjoy spending time and working with others. When they get up in the morning, they think about the people they will work, and they think about what they will do together. When they get to work, they stop at each person’s office to say “good-morning” and ask “how are you today?”
They do this because they believe that their relationship with others is the most part of work. They spend time talking with coworkers and customers, and they focus on learning about others, building trust and workplace culture, and creating harmony within teams. They remember and celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other important events.
Because of this personality characteristic, relationship-oriented people like to have jobs where they can work with others. These may include jobs in sales, customer service, nursing and healthcare (where they can provide direct care to patients), teaching, coaching, entertainment, fundraising, and other culture-building jobs.
Positives. Relationship-oriented employees (especially senior leaders) build strong relationships, work environments, and communities. They listen and care about the needs and concerns of employees and customers, they provide emotional and psychological support and reaffirmation, and they make others feel like they have been heard and respected. They care about the team, they work well with coworkers, and they invite others to join. They regularly do team-building activities during meetings, they set goals together, and they work on projects as a team. Managers care about things like “customer satisfaction” and “employee happiness and well-being,” and they want to have a “great place to work.”
Negatives. Relationship-oriented people spend time doing things that don’t have an immediate impact, so they can be accused of “wasting time” and not producing “results.” They can spend company time and money socializing, team-building, going on retreats, and culture-building. This can make them seem like they are just having fun and not actually doing any “real work.” Also, their group decision-making process (where everyone’s voice is heard) can take a long time, and the leader may be seen as incapable of making a decision. The focus on positive emotional and psychological health can also make employees and customers focus too much on work-place conditions that are difficult to control — such as “organizational culture,” “employee attitude,” and “customer appreciation” — instead of quality, delivery time, and cost.
Reflect on Your Experiences…
Think about your experiences. Are you more task-focused or relationship-focused?
Do you make “to do lists” and spend time making schedules and analyzing information?
Do you believe in “getting the job done” and “doing whatever it takes”?
Do you wish others would stop “socializing” while at work and “just do their job”?
Overall, do you believe that what really counts in life is the “great things” you can accomplish?
Do you feel like everyone is too busy “doing on their own thing” and “don’t even care” about you as a person?
Do you wish you could spend less time on the computer and email and more time working together with others?
Do you wish you could spend more time with customers and learn about their interests, their families, their needs, and their thoughts?
Overall, do you believe that what really counts in life the quality of relationships you had with others?
The first four statements are task-oriented, the last four are relationship-oriented. Which describe you best?
Thank you for reading my newsletter. I enjoy helping individuals and organizations improve workplace culture (relationship-oriented) and become more effective at reaching their goals (task-oriented). You can find previous newsletters on the archive. If you enjoy this newsletter, consider sharing it with others.