How do you motivate a rebel from Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies?
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Gretchen Rubin deduced that people respond to others’ expectations in different ways. For example, some seek to please (obligers) while others need to understand the why first (questioners).
It’s invaluable framework to understand how others might react to your expectations differently — whether at work or at home.
Of all the tendencies, the rebel tendency causes the most anguish. Rebels seem to reject any and all suggestions.
In this article, I define a rebel and then explain several ways that you can motivate a rebel effectively.
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What is a Rebel?
Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike. They choose to act from a sense of choice, of freedom. Rebels wake up and think, “What do I want to do today?”
How to Deal with a Rebel
Rebels want to get things done in their own time. If someone pushes them to do it, they become even more resistant. They hate schedules, and they do not care about their reputation. Even something as simple as an email with the subject line "Action Required" can cause them to respond late or not at all. Many rebels are even happy to be different or independent.
Rebels can often work better when there are no expectations.
Here are some ways you can deal with rebels effectively:
Give them space. They value freedom above all else. Nagging, reminders, and regular checkins will only remind them that they’re being suffocated. They love to operate freely within a general charter.
Give them a choice. If you give them three to four choices, the choices make rebels feel like they’re in charge. You, the manager, should present the choices. This will limit their ability to roam too far from the company’s objectives.
Use reverse psychology. Rebels love to prove others wrong. So apply some reverse psychology. Tell them that the task or goal you intended cannot be accomplished. They'll take that as a challenge and be all the more determined to prove you wrong.
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