Know Thyself…And Others

NexGen members enjoy special luncheon and presentation.

During NAEC NOLA, members of the NexGen group were treated to a special luncheon and presentation.

The luncheon was held in an upstairs conference room of the MCCNO and was completely full with approximately 45 people in attendance, requiring some to sit on the floor and stand in the back even after the arrival of an extra table.

The speaker was Nick Kraus, founder and CEO of kraus marketing. Tables were covered in a DISC personality assessment for participants to fill out to discover their main personality type out of Dominance (the winner), Influence (the enthusiast), Steadiness (the peacekeeper) and Conscientiousness (the analyst).

Kraus asked participants to think through the assessment based on how they are at work, as this may be different from how they are at home or with their friends. With lively audience discussion and participation, he asked how people saw themselves in the personality descriptions and if they could identify which personality types the people they work with or manage display.

He reviewed each type through the lens of how to manage that person, saying that, as members of the next generation, the participants would likely manage people at some point in their future careers, if they didn’t already. He also discussed different ways to sell to each personality type, as there was a large number of salespeople in attendance.

Kraus used this to drive home the point that you can’t deal with everybody the same way, in management or in sales, and recognizing the personality traits of others can lead to success. 

For current and future managers, he emphasized the following points:

• Understand and assess who you are talking to.

• Build a relationship with that person based on their personality preferences.

• Set the bar high and manage the expectations of your employees.

• The pack runs at the speed of the leader – work like you want your best employee to work.

The mission of NAEC’s NexGen is to bridge the gap between the next generation of industry leaders and current industry leaders by providing education and guidance aiding in the success of the next generation. This presentation helped further this mission by giving participants insight into the different personality traits of both themselves and those with whom they work.