Adapt, communicate to deal with different styles at work, home

I like to believe my work style is such that I'm able to get along well with colleagues. I try to be dependable and focused so we can accomplish the tasks at hand, but at the same time find ways to have fun on the job.

Still, there have been times in my career that I have struggled to work with particular colleagues. Usually these co-workers were competent, good people, but our styles were in such constant conflict that we couldn't effectively get things done.

I thought about those struggles as I considered a recent study developed by OfficeTeam, the International Association of Administrative Professionals and Insights Learning and Development.

The study includes responses from 3,249 administrative professionals in the U.S. and Canada, and full results are available in a research guide titled "Your Work Style in Color: A Colorful Approach to Working Relationships."

Some of the survey's results are not surprising. One shows that 81 percent of respondents prefer to collaborate with people who have similar work styles to their own. Really, we could have figured that out without a survey.

Another "duh" result is that 70 percent of respondents said it could be challenging to team up with someone who has a different style.

However, I found it interesting that 66 percent cited benefits to working with people who approach things differently.

"At work, employees who have differing perspectives and approaches bring fresh ideas to projects," OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking said in a press release. "You can improve team collaboration by taking advantage of complementary strengths and adapting your own work style to suit the situation."

He makes a good point, one I need to take to heart. As a colleague, and especially as a manager, I should be able to adapt my style to others, just as I hope they will try to adapt to me. If we can meet somewhere in the middle, we should be able to enjoy all of the benefits of different ideas without the stress and anguish.

Frankly, this advice carries over into home life, too. My wife's work style is significantly different from mine, and while a couple of my children share my work tendencies, some don't. I too often expect all of them to adjust to my style, while I'm not as willing to approach things from their points of view.