James, a newly promoted senior manager in the public sector, got in touch after hearing about the career profiling work that I do.

Now managing a team of 50 and responsible for delivering several key projects, he was looking for support as he adjusted to the challenges that lay ahead.

Using the LAB Profile, I worked with James to explore what really motivated him at work, and how these insights could help him succeed in his new role.

As the LAB Profile focuses on the language we use, James and I began with a conversation over the phone.

I work with clients via phone or video call (with the camera off) rather than meeting face to face, as it allows me to listen, without visual distractions, to how people say things – focusing on their tone, phrasing and choice of words to uncover their decision-making patterns and motivational triggers.

My clients don’t need to prepare anything. All I ask is that they be themselves and open to discussing their work. I’m often told it feels like an engaging and natural conversation!

After 40 minutes of talking to James about what drives him at work, I was able to identify all the motivation and behaviour patterns that the LAB Profile uncovers.

James was particularly interested in how he tackles new projects at work, and through our conversation, we discovered that he tends to jump straight in, take the lead and focus 100% on achieving his goals.

But he often finds himself frustrated by the people around him, particularly those who point out obstacles that might stop him from delivering results, and whom he views as ‘negative’. It was this attitude that caused friction in his previous role.

We explored how his colleagues’ language patterns differed from his own, and James soon realised that those ‘negative’ people shared the same end goal as him but were motivated differently; whereas he focuses on achieving targets, they are more likely driven by solving problems – for example, meeting deadlines. This insight helped him to see that their contrasting viewpoints could broaden his perspective, and that by highlighting potential issues, they could actually help him stay on track.

By revealing the link between language and motivation, the LAB Profile helped James understand how to use the right words to connect with his new team. He mastered a few simple techniques to ensure everyone felt included in his decision-making. Feeling that they could share their views and be heard, his team became more motivated and engaged, and this led to improved performance.

Poor communication skills are often at the root of problems we experience at work. But for James, the LAB Profile unlocked the power of effective communication, enabling him to immediately make positive changes to his leadership style.

If you’d like to discover the power of the LAB Profile, let’s talk…