4) The Intuitor is the person who likes to mull things over in his or her head. The Intuitor wants to be seen as patient and will take the time to explore all avenues before making a final decision. He or she often goes along easily with the group to avoid appearing aggressive. Because the Intuitor is often quiet, he or she can be seen as unenthusiastic.
To communicate with the Intuitor, Dr. Keogh suggests using patience and politeness while allowing him or her ample time to digest and mull over the conversation (either during or afterwards). Dr. Keogh also suggests being inventive when communicating with this type of person. “[Intuitors] like to challenge themselves by learning new things and by solving problems which stretch their existing skills,” he says. “Offering a way to expand their horizons and produce some rational solution can be persuasive to this type.”
Dr. Keogh’s research has shown that most physicians are either Sensors or Thinkers, but the physician leader should be prepared to communicate with—and manage—all four types. Some may think this suggestion is asking a physician leader to cater to his or her employees’ quirks, but the savvy leader will understand that different communication styles are part of life, and understanding how to elicit a positive response from different people will only help the leader in the long run.
There are several ways to determine your communication style and that of your employees, with the Myers–Briggs test being among the most popular. Research on trusted Internet sites or at your local library or university can help you determine how to best identify your employees’ communication styles.
No matter how you go about identifying your communication style, it is important to understand that establishing open, proactive internal communication is one of the greatest assets a physician leader can have (or can obtain) to lead a successful practice, department, or institution.