Developers don't argue. If disagreements do occasionally occur, the topic is usually settled or dropped in favor of something more productive. And designers? These girls have so much work they don't even have the chance to realize that the workplace is a social setting.

However, this firm is constantly expanding, and even a few tiffs may eventually snowball into arguments of unnecessarily enormous proportions. With this said, Ben had the excellent foresight to offer me a chance at educating myself on diffusing difficult situations in the workplace. I found the seminar (Dealing with Difficult People, sponsored by CareerTrack) so enlightening, I'd like to share with everyone some tidbits I have learned.

Approximately 75% of long term job success stems directly from people skills; only 25% derives from technical knowledge. This is huge! So what can you do to ensure successful people skills?

Listen

This is an incredibly simple act, and yet few people take the time to actually stop what they are doing, direct all their attention onto others, and really listen. In order to do this, you need 3 things: the capacity to listen (focus), the desire (or willingness) to listen, and the ability to evaluate what you hear. In other words, you need to WANT to grasp what it is others are saying to you, and go out of your way to do so. People really only want 2 things out of their transactions with others, and that is to be valued and understood. You can show both of these by hearing them out to completion, and then going over what you heard in your own words. A good example of a listener at KSC, and I think the devs will back me up on this one, is Neal; when someone has a question, no matter how minute, he will take out both headphones, turn his chair towards you and give you ALL of his attention. This indirectly lets people know that they matter and creates feelings of appreciation and respect among employees.

Body Language

Interestingly, body language (55% of communication) and tone of voice (38% of communication) affect how people react to you much more than what you actually say (only 7% of communication). The best way to communicate, is to follow the anagram SOFTEN:

Smile
Open Stance
Forward lean
Territory
Eye contact
Nod head

The quickest way to anger someone is to fold your arms, look past him, and lean back in your chair as soon as he walks into your office. The best way to diffuse anger is by modeling behavior you would like others to exhibit. Nothing crossed implies honesty and openness, leaning forward demonstrates interest, and maintaining eye contact builds trust. Speaking softly and slowly, and avoiding personal space and pointing are also good ways to communicate effectively. To learn more, you can visit www.changingminds.org/techniques/body/bodylanguage.htm.

Don't Be Scared!

The best way to handle interactions with people is to do so assertively. If you aren't sure what being assertive entails, keep in mind this basic message: "This is what I think. This is what I feel. This is how I see the situation." It respectfully brings the issue out on the table to be dealt with quickly and with everyone's side of the situation in mind. You can't possibly solve a problem if you aren't even sure what it is! And don't back down! The more you stick to your guns, the more respect you'll get, I promise. If you want a situation to change, you really have to confront it immediately and persistently (as scary as that sounds). A good way to assert yourself with others is by following this sentence pattern:

"For the sake of (name the relationship), when you (name the problem) and this happens (what happens when the problem occurs), I feel (name honest feelings). What I want is (name what you would rather happen). Can we agree?"

What you are looking to do is change the behavior, not the person. It will never help to attack the person who is causing problems, but behaviors can be modified easily. It is also important to add "Can we agree?" at the end of the sentence; you are then in oral contract with the person, and can bring this up if he engages in problematic behavior again. Here's a more detailed example:

"For the sake of our friendship as neighbors, when you let your dog poop all over my yard and then I accidentally roll in it when I play with my kids, I get extremely irritated. What I want is for you to pick up the poop immediately after you let the dog out. Can we agree?"

Remember, it takes at least 6 tries and 21 days to form a new habit, so be patient with those "lazy neighbors."

The most interesting part of the seminar was hearing about CareerTrack's version of the 4 different personality types: thinkers, relaters, directors and socializers. For reference, these would be found in the Myers-Briggs personality test as Introvert Thinker, Introvert Feeler, Extrovert Thinker and Extrovert Feeler, respectively.

Curious as to where you fit in?? Here's a little test you can take to get an idea:

Thinkers

These guys are the meticulous task-oriented individuals of the world. Organized, focused and on-point, thinkers need things to be correct more than anything. In fact, their main goal in the workplace is ACCURACY. Because they can be perfectionists, thinkers are not very good at receiving constructive criticism, and may complain if they have a problem they can't seem to fix. The best way to work with them is to provide them with as much information as you can, the "who, what, where, why, and how" of the situation, so that they can see and understand your process. Also, help them move into "problem-solving mode" by directing their concerns toward working on a solution. Negativity may rear its ugly head when things go wrong, and the best way to counteract it is to bring the thinker back to the task at hand: instead of what CAN'T be done, focus on what CAN.

Relaters

Can't we all just get along?? This is the relaters' motto; their goal is STABILITY and harmony within their relationships. Sensitivity and a need to be liked drives their actions, and they tend to shut down, submit, and exhibit passive aggressive behavior when pressured. When speaking with relaters, be casual and sincere, slow down and listen to how they feel about the issue, make honesty safe by being open and patient to what they have to say, and reinforce to them the fact that you want to get along with them, and that the relationship is important to you. All of these things will help create a safe haven for confidence and honest transactions, and will prevent the break-downs in communication which lead to arguments.

Directors

Also known as people who "get it done," directors seek to be in CONTROL, and always know what they want and how to get it. Life is a giant comprehensive checklist, and great pains are taken to remain focused, direct and blunt on each task and with each individual they come into contact. Trust and respect are very important, and at times, if you don't gain either, you may become invisible. They tend to react aggressively to pressure: they may raise their voices, bully others and become irritable and impatient. When working with them, try to be proactive, task-oriented, and direct in your speech. Also, don't be afraid to stand your ground! They respect those who command it. Show them that you understand and support their goals, and they will become more flexible with your ideas.

Socializers

This one is my favorite. Socializers are direct, charismatic, energetic, creative, people-oriented and adore RECOGNITION. On the flip-side, they are disorganized, sensitive, dramatic, horrible procrastinators and cannot function without recognition. When asking them to do something, focus more on the results rather than the process; they enjoy creative freedom when working on projects. Show flexibility and positive affirmation when talking to them, and don't forget to let them talk as well; this will help them feel valued, allowing them to open up to criticism and suggestions and utilize their enthusiasm and optimism to the max.

Of course, not everyone will fit neatly into one specific category, but you can definitely use these descriptions to better understand yourself and how to communicate with fellow coworkers effectively.

Welcome to Perspectives, a collection of articles written by members of the Killswitch staff. These articles will pertain to the individual strengths of the authors, as well as the firm's position on certain issues and outlook for the future. We are starting by writing under four topics: Development, Design, Project Managemment and Running the Business. Here's a quick rundown:

• Development articles will be directed at the development community. Some of these articles will be technical in nature, while others will be commentary on larger development matters.
• Design articles will range in topic, but will be written by our design staff here at Killswitch and will support our design logic, design tasks, challenges and everyday solutions to solving our clients' big design problems.
• Project Management articles will range from Killswitch's unique approach to managing a project, to simple and easy strategies we employ to make our project management the best for our clients.
• Running the Business articles will be written by the Partners at our firm, and will include high-level business and marketing strategy topics, as well as client and relevant business issues.

Overall, we hope this is used as a resource to learn about our practices as a firm, our holistic approach to design and development, and how as a young firm, we have continued to thrive in a competitive market.