Different Styles

• Jack likes oral reports and sighs whenever he sees a stack of mandatory reading.
• Mary gets uneasy with oral reports and relaxes as soon as a proposal is reduced to writing.
• Jack wants to move quickly and iron out any problems along the way.
• Mary wants all of the contingencies to be analyzed before proceeding with any major project.
• Jack is comfortable with vagueness and uncertainty because he believes that trusting relationships are the safety net and that even the best agreement will encounter unforeseen circumstances.
• Mary wants specifics and regards ambiguity as fertile ground for misunderstanding and conflict.
• Jack likes a low-to-medium level of conflict.
• Mary regards conflict as a sign that someone is behaving improperly.
• Both have solid records of achievement.
• Jack and Mary have just been assigned to negotiate an agreement with an outside organization.
• Things are about to get interesting.