Emotional intelligence at work: what kind of account manager am I?

November 28, 2019

I used to be sceptical about these kinds of tests. Can a computer really assess the complexities of human personalities and relationships?!  I have been proved wrong – there isn’t a single word in my reports that doesn’t resonate. It’s even brought some things to the surface which I hadn’t realised about myself.

The first test we did was a DISC assessment. Each letter stands for the 4 main strands making up an individual’s personality:

  • D = DOMINANCE. Tends to be assertive, decisive and results driven. They make decisions based primarily on thinking, can be impatient and have a strong desire to lead.
        Needs: authority, challenges to solve.                  


  • I = INFLUENCE. Can be very outgoing and persuasive, very people-oriented, having quite an optimistic outlook and lots of creative flare. They make decisions primarily on feeling and have strong communication skills.
        Needs: social relationships, a friendly, optimistic environment.                  

  • S = STEADINESS. This personality is usually very patient and favours stability and structure. Not a risk taker, they like to operate at a steady balanced pace.
        Needs: Systems, a good team around them, stability.                  

  • C = CONSCIENTIOUS. Tends to be very data, fact and analysis driven. They are precise and accurate, valuing structure and order and usually have a high attention to detail.
        Needs: Rules to follow, precision, data to process and analyse.

It’s really opened my eyes to the variety in personality types and the drivers everyone has. These reports are about self-awareness and applying your learnings in your day to day life – both professional and personal. Easier said than done! There is a real emphasis at C+C on emotional intelligence, both in our interactions with each other and with clients. There’s always space for improvement, but – as a business – we have made a conscious decision to improve our individual and collective emotional intelligence. We believe it’s a competitive advantage.

Working in the client service team in healthcare communications means I interact with a lot of different people, such as clients, colleagues, and directly with patients and healthcare professionals. Becoming more self-aware and knowledgeable about how to interact with different people, is helping me to improve in communicating in so many ways. It’s often about adapting your communication style to help bring out the best in their personality.

When mentoring the rest of the team, it has helped me support each team member to develop, in a way that feels comfortable for them. It’s helped me to advise when a certain trait is a natural strength, to be nurtured and encouraged. In turn, it’s become easier to discuss any counter-productive tendencies and to do so in a positive way. For example, as an iS style, I have the natural desire to talk and fill silences, however my colleague who is a C style needs extra thinking time before contributing. I am making a conscious effort to allow other people to speak before I do, to allow the time they need to express their opinions.

Every agency preaches about collaboration and interpersonal skills. In a people business like ours – they are essentials skills to master. As a senior member of the C+C client services team, I don’t want to just preach. I think it’s our responsibility to get this stuff right, for the sake of our clients – and crucially, the patients we work with. That’s why I’m embracing my ‘I’ style and getting the message out!

What we delivered:

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