REFLECTORS

Reflectors are cooperative, friendly, patient, agreeable, good listeners, and people-focused. Although they do not show a lot of energy, that doesn’t mean they don’t have it. It simply means they will appear more reserved than others and will not seek attention in a crowd.

Often they stand on the fringe in group situations to observe the dynamics, situation, and people before contributing. When you ask a Reflector a question, they will pause for what may seem like a long time before responding. They prefer to think their answer through before stating it out loud.

Often, Reflectors will be softer talkers, not because they are meek, but because they do not see a need to call attention to themselves. You will find that Reflectors enjoy being a part of a team, if the team is cohesive and people carry their weight.

I’ve often seen Reflectors become frustrated because their opinion isn’t asked or they aren’t asked to participate in high-profile activities. The reason they do not raise their hand first is not that they are less interested, but that they want to think before volunteering.

Working Style

You will find that Reflectors are careful in their approach to their work. They may ask a lot of questions before agreeing to or beginning new activities. They are not your first adopters for ideas or productions. They are process-focused; if there is a policy or procedure, they will follow it and find any holes in it. Reflectors don’t like any steps to be missed or skipped.

Reflectors are precise and thorough. There is no rushing them; the stress of pressure may even slow them down and surely frustrate them. In work meetings, Reflectors often will not be the first to express a new idea or to volunteer information. They will wait for their opinion to be asked. If it isn’t, they may show annoyance later or say “Well, no one ever asked me.”

Word Choices You will hear Reflectors use words such as “how,” “feel,” and “process,” and questions and phrases such as “When should…?” “This is how we do it,” “Don’t want to rush through this,” “Are you sure?” “Who else?” and “Has that worked before?” They are diplomatic in their speech and careful with their word choices. When taken to the extreme, this can be perceived as weak or wimpy, though it isn’t.

Level of Detail Reflectors pay attention to details. They prefer a high level of detail and are able to recall details or know where to get the data if needed. They will create reference information for themselves and for everyone else to document the process and keep everyone following it.

Fears Common fears for Reflectors include missing something, the unknown, change, breaking the rules, loss of security, and instability.

Value That Reflectors Want from You

Reflectors value a logical and consistent approach to situations. They like information in advance and want to know the steps involved. They appreciate someone helping them through the decision-making process by providing all the information they need and not pressing them. They do appreciate a timeline for a decision to be made as it helps them finalize the decision. Reflectors value good listeners because they are good listeners.