To do it now or to do it later? That is the question.

In previous articles, we have discussed the Forté Communication Style Strengths of dominance/non-dominance, extroversion/ambiversion/introversion, and now we visit patience/impatience.

Do keep in mind that, as mentioned before, any of the strengths will be influenced by three other strengths, as reflected in the Forté Communication Style Profile. Yes, in one sense they stand alone. Yet, in the bigger picture, they will be influenced by both the three other strengths, plus the intensity of all four strengths, together.

The patient person views themselves as relaxed, stable, likeable and at ease with life's complexities. The impatient person tends to see him or herself as intense, action-oriented, quick-minded and anxious for change.

In the Forté adapting environment, those adapting to patience perceive themselves as needing or being expected to be easygoing, dependable and relaxed. Those adapting to impatience perceive themselves as being expected to be hasty, quick-witted, intense and change-oriented.

As we discussed previously, life goes on and there will be times when we need to either do it now or wait until later. The key is understanding which adapting strategy will be most effective for the individual leaders, team or team member.

The patient person is typically very good at understanding the “competitive” environment - in short, when to move with haste and when not to do so.The impatient person (especially if his or her primary strength is dominance) is naturally competitive with and in all they do.

The patient person is very much a planner and will tend to see the big picture, especially if nonconformity is in his or her profile. The first answer is not his or her best answer. This has nothing to do with intelligence; given a little time to think things over, that person will come back with an answer with which he or she is most comfortable. On the other hand, the impatient person is ready to take action now and can course correct, if needed.

The impatient person likes to set a fast pace, no only personally, but also for others. An impatient person can be demotivated if goals and objectives are either unclear or not being obtained. If impatience and conformity are strengths, that individual not only like things done quickly but correctly, as well.

From both an individual and a team development viewpoint, there is great balance between those who appreciate a little time to think things over and those who want to act sooner rather than later. White-boarding dates and deadlines from all viewpoints will drive reality and minimize key items falling through the cracks or not being accounted for in some way.

From a leadership standpoint, if you see the Forté Team Pulse Report reflecting that the majority of the team is adapting in either direction – needing more time or wanting to act now – bringing everyone together to discuss the trend will drive higher levels of efficiency virtually every time.

When the impatient person is communicating with the patient individual, it works best to identify the idea or question and suggest a discussion in the next day or so, rather than in the moment.

When the patient person is communicating with the impatient individual, thinking through things in advance of identifying the idea or question and being comfortable with a fast decision can prove equally beneficial.

Again, it is not so much who you are but how you adapt to others that will drive your ultimate success.

If you would like to experience a Forté Communication Style Report yourself, please click here. Completing the Forté Surveys will take less than eight minutes, and you will have your results immediately. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

C.D. “Hoop” Morgan, III is the founder and chairman of The Forté Institute, LLC, a global behavioral sciences firm best known for developing and providing innovative people, process and interpersonal performance improvement solutions. Forté provides online communication style reports to more than 6,000 corporate clients throughout the globe. To learn more about the company, go to www.theforteinstitute.com or call (910) 452-5152.