If you haven't picked up your Oops! I'm The Manager! book in a while or ever, I'm here to remind you of the Playground Personalities© and how they can help you in your day-to-day communications with people at work as well as outside of work! Let's take a moment to reflect on you as the manager, there will be plenty of time to apply the theory to others - but remember knowing yourself first is key!

What kind of kid were you on the playground?

• The Peacemaker kid who made sure everyone got a turn at bat;
• The Organizer kid who had everyone line up and count off by twos;
• The Revolutionary kid who changed the rules in the middle of the game; or,
• The Steamroller kid who wanted to play the game his or her own way!

Most of us are the same - just in adult bodies. We sit in big offices or around boardroom tables and are expected to communicate with others to get the job done. So why is this sometimes hard?  Because we sometimes forget that the words that motivate us, don't necessarily motivate others. Remember, you have to communicate with people the way they liked to be communicated with, not the way you like to be communicated with.

So, once you know who you are, you have to figure out how to spot these Playground Personalities© in others. Here are some clues:

• Peacemakers appreciate communication and collaboration.
• Organizers are highly structured and decisive.
• Revolutionaries hate routines and schedules and prefer to adapt to the moment at hand.
• Steamrollers are smart, highly opinionated and can solve complex problems.

If you listen for word clues from your staff, kids or mate and try to figure out who's who on your feet, you will save time, money and effort and actually be able to get your work done instead of unscrambling miscommunications all day!  So remember some key words and listen for them! Peacemakers may say, "I feel...," Organizers say "I think...," Revolutionaries say "I don't like..." and Steamrollers say "I believe...."  Good luck!