How they operate: For Influence style people there is no guarantee that they will get from point A to point B. They are not goal oriented. They rather say its not the end result what matters, but the road that leads you there. The way they dress is usually cheerfull, colorfull. Their walk is fast and uncontrolled. They will keep eye contact with everyone in the room. They always want to see who is coming who is going, not to miss a good company. They are friendly and opened.

How they see themselves: optimistic, friendly, confident, cheerful, relaxed

How we see them: unorganized, too optimistic, careless, restless, tactless

Their main emotion: optimism

Their fear: deadlines, that people don’t like them

Reaction to fear: escape, unable to say no

Their natural strengths: they can be motivational for others, the are optimistic, the have a lot of ideas, they are social

Their weaknesses: talkative and gossipy, impulsive decisions, cannot keep deadlines

Stress factors: Everything that is boring and routine

When stress appears, they become: they put themselves in the forefront, they talk too much, they become unreasonably optimistic and enthusiastic

Under constant stress: they become morose and silent, they sit in the corner alone, they avoid company, they do not call you back

What steals their time: daydreaming, procrastination, can’t say no, long lunch times, messy desk

Influence style people are extroverted (that is, open, focusing outward, gaining energy from their surroundings), active and relationship-oriented. They do NOT GET from point A to point B quickly. They are not goal-oriented, for them social relationships, emotions and experiences are of primary importance. They crave excitement and novelty, they want to try everything, so their goals are constantly shifting.

People with the Influence (I) style are typically friendly and social. Their main driving force is building positive human relationships. What makes it easy for them is that they are very open and optimistic. Unlike other behavioral styles, they can be talkative and friendly even with people who they have just met. They have excellent communication skills, are capable of influencing others – and if needed, manipulated too. Influence style managers can make their team work enthusiastically, by using only their personal charm.

People with high Influence value cannot live without a certain level of exhuberance. They enjoy being the center of attention and if everyone is watching them. They love talking to others or just chatting about informal things. They feel comfortable in a workplace where they don’t have to sit alone all day long, but where they can walk over to the desk of their colleagues and talk to them in person. (Perhaps Influence (I) style is the only one who really likes and benefits from open offices. :)) They do this because it is imperative for them to be accepted, to be loved and to be popular. They have an extensive network of contacts and they can easily get new acquaintances but maintaining deeper relationships that require regularity can cause them difficulties.

Teamwork suits them well, because it is vital for them to be surrounded by people, and to have fun with others.
They are able to get on well with everyone and strive to make others feel good in their company too. They will be the ones who help maintain an optimistic atmosphere, a relaxed atmosphere. If for some reason this fails and the pessimistic attitude and personal conflicts overcome the group, they may lose their motivation. Loneliness is frustrating for them, and they are dispirited if they are ignored, feel not accepted, and if they do not receive enough positive feedback. They fear public criticism.

They are usually doing more things at the same time, their attention is divided and shifting. They are energetic and dynamic, as if they were constantly moving, or at least fidgeting. They like change and sometimes they even initiate it because these provide enriching and exciting experiences for them. They can barely tolerate monotony and controlled environments. Their mood also strongly influences the efficiency of their work.

Their communication is lively, enthusiastic, sometimes exaggerated and theatrical. They tend to dominate the conversation and talk too much. When they are rambling, sometimes they accidentally let slip confidential info, or make remarks that may be offensive to others.

The spontaneous and impulsive behavior is also characteristic of their decision making: they react primarily on the basis of their subjective experiences and feelings – quickly, often without careful consideration, objective data and facts. Their rapidly changing emotions often result in changes in their opinions. They can also be influenced against their will: when considering others’ input, who they hear it from may be as important for them as what they hear.

To sum up: For Influence style managers, fostering collaboration and team spirit are the most important. Ideas and enthusiasm bring them forward, they are energetic and impulsive. They are friendly, it is important for them to establish good relationships, they try to know everyone by name. Human relationships fill them with energy. They are happy to entrust dull or monotonous subtasks to others, as for example taking care of down-to-earth concerns and excuses. They rather discuss, inspire, motivate, take action, and attract more and more new people with their personal charm. They like to work with people they feel comfortable with, those who are partners in enthusiasm and in brainstorming. They often make hasty decisions based on their feelings, which they might reconsider the very next day. For this reason, they may seem inconsistent or reckless in the eyes of others. They are juggling with their tasks, so they often miss deadlines and finishing projects is not their forte either.

Development areas

• Reputation or popularity may be too important for them
• They overestimate their own ideas
• They talk too much, but they don’t pay enough attention
• They are impulsive and inconsistent
• They overestimate others
• They can overlook crucial details or be inaccurate
• They may be superficial

How to communicate with them

• If you argue, connect with their emotions, dreams and thoughts
• Be friendly and relate to them as a person (not their position)
• Give them enough time to talk and express their thoughts
• Leave out the tiny details, give them the full picture
• Ask their opinion frequently
• Be casual with them

DISCLAIMER / Addendum
We would also like to draw your attention to the fact that people are always multi-dimensional, they can rarely be described with one behavioral style. Usually there is a secondary or tertiary style that affect their behaviour. In addition, the adaptive behavior of most people differs from their natural behavioral profile, which should always be taken into account as well. The values that motivate behaviour – and serve as an explanation to others – are always there, under the surface.
The above summary fits people with high I (Influence) value and gives a partial description without recognizing the impact of the motivations, the other styles, and their natural vs. adaptive behavioral profile.