SOCIABLE IMAGE BASE

Sociable Image Base (SIB) people are tactful, diplomatic, and detail-oriented in their work. They seek to avoid antagonizing others and dislike negative reactions, which make them sensitive to how others treat them. They are conservative and cautious, often checking and rechecking their work, thereby slowing down the decision-making process. That persistence, however, often makes them valuable as troubleshooters, since they may uncover areas in the work environment that need improvement or change. SIBs are easily adaptable, but their reluctance to "make waves"may sometimes be a drawback, since they may fail to point out a problem due to fear of antagonizing someone. SIBs prefer to have a clear idea of exactly what is expected of them, and they will work very hard to realize those expectations. Tact and systematic work habits, as well as an excellent sense of timing, are qualities that co-workers find particularly engaging in SIBs, although there is a possibility that too much concentration on detail may sometimes cloud their goals. Fear of unfavorable reactions from peers and superiors can cause SIBs to escape into too much precision in their work, but with enough positive reactions, they can turn their fears around and perform in a more relaxed fashion.

 

Potential Strengths

 

Achievement-oriented

Zealous

Productive

 

Potential Weaknesses

 

Decision Making

Ambiguous feelings about the work environment may hamper the decision-making process

Communication

May need clarification of what is expected in work situation

Need to overachieve may result in overperformance, impede communication with others

Control of People

May need self-acceptance before dealing with

others

May need reinforcement for productive behavior

Control of Time

May need to reexamine frenzied pace of own

work output

 

Potential Strengths

Tactful

Detail-oriented

systematic

Makes decisions carefully

Accurate

Plans carefully

Checks results

Questioning

Well prepared

Precise

Cooperative

Values knowledge of the subject

Values experience

Good listener

Logical

Potential Weaknesses

Decision Making

Could be too hesitant

Could be more assertive

Could be overly cautious on decisions

May be afraid to take risks

Communication

May concentrate too much on detail

Maybe too protective of own position

May rely too much on memo-writing

Maybe too guarded in dealing with others

Control of People

Maybe too demanding

Could inhibit initiative in others

Could demand too much detailed work

May not trust others sufficiently

Control of Time

Could spend too much time organizing

Could spend too much time supervising

Could spend too much time on unnecessary details