One challenge to leadership with its focus on people is developing those interpersonal relationships with those who are task oriented. If you are people oriented, networking and relationships building are easier. Taskers on the other hand can struggle with the sense that interactions should always be in the context of work that needs to be done. Time spent “by the water cooler” is viewed as unproductive. Then taskers are surprised when leadership opportunities and promotions pass them by.

Networking in any meaningful way can seem daunting, but look to strengths to overcome this. Taskers are often organized and active accomplishers. They can use skills not normally associated with people skills to help develop those skills. For instance, leverage an electronic calendar system to set regular reminders to visit key people. If a plan of action can be set, such as get the names of everyone’s pets or favorite treat, taskers are more likely than non-taskers to act quickly to execute.

A few concerns with changing tasker behavior are avoidance tactics and follow through. Taskers may start prioritizing other, potentially less important, tasks before those involving developing relationships. They can also start making significant habit changes, then slowly taper off until they are back to square one. This can be especially difficult with busy work environments as distractions can break focus and lack of accountability can be taken as tacit okay to go back to prior patterns.