Type A Personalities Essay -- Psychology, Control Freaks

I have often heard of people referred to as having Type A personalities, but for a long time did not understand the meaning of the term. Type A behavior is consistent with a person who is aggressive, ambitious, competitive, task oriented and always on the move (Ivanchevich p. 257). At times, Type A's are referred to as "control freaks" (Stone). Individuals with Type A behavior work very hard at getting the most done in the littlest time possible; they often finish peoples sentence because of their explosive speech pattern; they are impatient and can become irritated when put in situations where they must wait since they consider it a waste of their valuable time (Ivancevich p. 257). Type A's prefer things to be done their way, with little regard for people who see things differently than them and will take control of situations whenever possible, even when there is an appointed leader (Stone). The best way to deal with Type A behavior is to give these individuals the recognition they are looking for without empowering them (Stone). Type A's unknowingly fear receiving the type of treatment they use on others, therefore acknowledging their efforts will usually appease them (Stone). Type B The opposite of Type A behavior is known as Type B behavior. This person is relaxed, patient, steady and even-tempered (Ivancevich p. 258). Type B personalities go with the flow of things and do not usually worry about time pressures or pressure by other persons (Ivancevich p. 258). Type B individuals are confident and may a good amount of drive, but they work at their own pace (Ivancevich p. 258). Type B personalities enjoy winning, but do not stress out if they lose. Type B's are also reflective and often think of other and find... ...se. Type B's are also reflective and often think of other and find ways to help out when they can (Type A). In the story, "The Tortoise and the Hare", the Tortoise was laid back and took his time to reach his goal, whereas the Hare was aggressive and ruthless. The same comparison can be made with Type B's as the Tortoise and Type A's as the Hare. Type B behavior, although not wrong in itself, can be a source of stress for others in the workplace that do not display the same behavior type (Ivancevich p. 253). According to my research, the best way to deal with conflict arising from behavior type differences is to educate individuals about their differences in order to bring awareness and cohesiveness (Gordon). Manager's need to recognize the basis of employee's personalities in order to better coach and develop them as integral parts of the workforce (Gordon).