Everything you need to know about an Artisan

Artisans are highly precise and thorough workers. So how exactly do they lead their teams to victory?

As a leader, Artisans will generally be focused on the development of structured, carefully researched, and well thought-out systems. They are often responsive managers who focus on ensuring others have the structure needed to accomplish tasks. Artisans will generally provide guidelines and direction for the team to follow precisely. They focus the team around repeatable success and high quality results.

Below is a list of strengths and cautions when an Artisan is in a management role.

But it’s not just about knowing how you lead; you also should be aware of the individuals you manage and the Team Type they form. This allows you to tailor your leadership strategies based on the people you’re actually managing—and use your strengths as an Artisan to your advantage.

Let’s say you’re an Artisan who’s managing an Exploring Team. This Team Type is on the quadrant directly opposite yours, which means you’ll generally have competing values. Don’t panic! Different personalities don’t innately lead to failure. Understanding this difference in opinions, however, is a crucial step.

Take a look below at some points of friction to be aware of. Use these to learn how you can use your strengths to lead a team that doesn’t directly align with your Reference Profile.

Leading an Exploring Team as an Artisan

When an Artisan is leading an Exploring Team, they may be uncomfortable due to their desire for a structured and steady environment. You may encounter areas of friction, but there are ways you can help your people stretch their behavioral drives and make the team feel like magic.

Friction

Benefits

For the leader

The Exploring Team’s intense approach and flexibility of rules may clash with an Artisan’s deliberate and analytical style.

For the team

An Artisan’s desire to take time and reflect can clash with the Exploring Team’s desire to meet and discuss problems right away. It can be frustrating for the team if they feel they don’t have the time and space to talk things out.

For the leader

Artisans are often careful and reflective in their work. They appreciate structure and like to follow a process to ensure they land on the optimal solution. Exploring Teams tend to be creative and look for new ways to get the work done. An Exploring Team can help Artisans push boundaries when appropriate.

For the team

An Exploring Team will often be quick to jump to innovate and build but in some cases this might lead to hasty decisions. Artisans have a tendency to approach problem solving through in-depth analysis. Being so thorough can help define clear objectives for product innovation so the team can be innovative in the areas that really matter.

Based on the benefits and areas of friction that can arise when having a differently aligned team, come up with strategies that will help you lean into your strengths. For example, you could identify the areas/tasks that are repeatable in your team and define processes to make the team more efficient in some areas but not limit them in all aspects to a mandated process.

So, we understand who we are, where we fit into a team, and how we can lead other teams as an Artisan. When it comes to leading, though, there is much more to consider. You also need to think about what Strategy Type your team needs to accomplish their goals.

Do you feel prepared to make sure your team feels like magic rather than causing constant friction? Want to learn more? Check out our two workshops around building and cultivating teams that work like a dream.