“Detail-Oriented” vs. “Delegates Details” Personality Traits

While every employee is unique and has preferences when it comes to work environment, communication and tasks, you can basically categorize your employees into one of two personality groups: detail-oriented people vs. people who delegate details.

Let’s take a look at the differences between these two personalities, including how they prefer to work, organize and use their time. Understanding how each type works can help you build a more successful and productive workplace.

What is a detail-oriented personality?

Someone with a detail-oriented personality is meticulous and likes to have everything in order – otherwise, they can get very uncomfortable. The detailed person enjoys analyzing all the facts and information, making sure everything is correct and correlating all the known issues. Precision, accuracy, organization, and neatness are the cornerstones of the detailed personality trait.

On the downside, people with this trait can be criticized for failing to see the big picture, for being perfectionists or wasting too much time on the details instead of “getting the job done.”

What are the characteristics of detail-oriented person?

In general, detail-oriented people show the following characteristics:

• They like projects made up of many small tasks
• They often like proofreading and can quickly spot grammar and spelling mistakes
• They enjoy research projects that allow them to hunt for specifics and spot errors
• They are often good with numbers, including positions in accounting and finance

How to work with a detail-oriented person

Detail-oriented people often like to have lists and check off assignments that need completion. In the workplace, detail-oriented people are interested in checking facts and numbers. In looking at a plan of action, they’re likely to note all the individual steps that are necessary to achieve a particular goal and they tend to trust processes that have worked for them in the past.

How to train a detail-oriented person

• Show them steps of a process and explain a practical method for completion. If you’re explaining a theory or something abstract, present details and concrete facts first
• Someone with a detail-oriented personality may have difficulty with a great deal of change, so keep this in mind when training

How to motivate detail-oriented people

• Provide them with their own space and allow them to organize things as they see fit
• Look for projects that have numerous small tasks for them to check off
• Schedule regular time to communicate about how they view their work and how the details they’re involved in lead to the larger goals of the organization

How to give feedback to detail-oriented people

• It’s a good idea to give detail-oriented people the details first – for instance, about what’s going well – and then help them see how what they’re doing fits in to the larger goals of the department or business
• Detail-oriented types may struggle with new ideas, as they often like to stick with what they know and what has worked for them in the past. Their attitude may be, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If you need them to be open to something new, help them understand why you’re trying a different approach and how it could benefit both them and the company

What is the opposite of a detail-oriented person?

At Hire Success, we define the opposite of a detail-oriented personality as someone who delegates details. While detail-oriented people prefer focusing on small details and the fine points, those who delegate details generally prefer to look at the big picture.

What is a person who delegates details?

This trait represents the opposite of someone who’s detail-oriented. This type of person doesn't enjoy dwelling on all of the details but prefers to get to the bottom line and move on. If this person is in a position to delegate work to others, he or she may tend to let others they trust handle the details and consider their summary report as sufficient for making a decision. If there is no one else to delegate the details to, then they may seem disorganized or messy since they don't really enjoy the details of cleaning up and organizing, preferring instead to move on to bigger and better things.

What are the characteristics of someone who delegates details?

• They like to be in charge, look at the big picture and develop new projects
• They are known for being visionary and having new ideas
• They are good at strategic thinking and being creative
• They can see patterns in complex problems quickly

How to work with someone who delegates details

Learning how to work with someone who delegates details is important for businesses, because these types are often leaders and creative types. In general, they tend to be optimistic and idealistic, so they bring positive energy and a can-do attitude to the workplace. However, they can also over-schedule themselves, miss important facts and fail to see potential problems because they assume that “it will all work out.”

How to train someone who delegates details

• Big picture people hate what they see as menial work. It’s important to explain how details play a role in the overall plan or strategy and why they matter
• Someone who delegates details likes high-level discussion, so if you can, schedule some time to discuss ideas and suggestions for improvements

How to motivate someone who delegates details

• Someone who delegates details often likes to be in charge and leave smaller things to someone else. If possible, reward them for a job well done by giving them a chance to oversee or design a larger project
• They like to come up with creative plans, so give them a chance to be in a brainstorming session and share their ideas or explain how they could make a situation/project/department better

How to give feedback to someone who delegates details

• This type likes getting positive verbal feedback and to discuss how things are going
• Set up regular times to talk through things with them and demonstrate how and why data is important in creating big-picture plans

Which is a better worker: Someone who’s detail-oriented vs. Someone who delegates details?

When it comes to detail-oriented personalities vs. those who delegate details in the workplace,

one type isn’t “better” than another – it all depends on the job and the traits you identify as necessary for success in a particular role. Your company will benefit from having people with different strengths in different jobs.

Hire Success can help provide insights into each job candidate/current employee you have and help you determine the traits you need.

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