What’s your work chemistry?

The two of us feel incredibly privileged to spend our lives sharing the tools, mindsets, and ways of working we’ve honed over our careers. We pride ourselves on our point of difference: Powrsuit isn’t theoretical frameworks that sound good on paper, it’s the tactics we use every day to build high-performing organisations.

So we found ourselves in a right pickle at the start of this year when our first planning session devolved into a list of frustrations we had with each other. Small misunderstandings, that left unaddressed, had grown into much bigger issues – in our heads anyway.

Our fabulous advisor, Deb, clocked the problem straight away: We are very different people. 

Duh.

There is no normal

Fortunately, Deb also had a simple solution: The Deloitte Business Chemistry Tool. Unlike most strengths tests, this 20-question survey focuses on optimising the relationships between people. Even better, it’s designed to answer on behalf of yourself, colleagues, partners, friends or clients to get a better understanding of the critical dynamics in your life. 

Why is this important? Well, despite our best intentions, many of us accidentally assume our default is normal. We interpret differences as flaws and get frustrated when people don’t behave the way we expect. And look, no personality test is perfect. Humans can’t be put into boxes, but it’s endlessly surprising just how differently we’re wired – and how that impacts our interactions. 

Personality tests give us more understanding about where each other is coming from, what drives us, and what value we bring. And when you work together as closely as we do, understanding each other’s wiring can be the difference between driving forward at full speed or getting stuck debating the colour of the car.

Treat others the way they want to be treated

Most of us were raised with the golden rule: Treat other people the way you like to be treated. When it comes to respect and empathy, it’s a great motto to live by. But, if you’ve ever actually interacted with other people, you realise pretty quickly that what works for you often falls completely flat with others: 

You deliver the direct feedback you crave, but the recipient feels attacked. They call you blunt, you think they’re too sensitive.

You try to progress work quickly, but the legal team keeps slowing you down with ‘unnecessary’ processes. They think you’re reckless, you think they’re bureaucratic.

You invest time building team cohesion, but your colleague skips the small talk and gets straight to the task. You think they don’t value people. They think you’re avoiding real work.

You wrap up a meeting early to save everyone time, but forget that some attendees needed to process before contributing. You think you’ve created efficiency, but they feel bulldozed.

You use delegation to give your team autonomy, but they want clarity and process. You think you’re empowering them, but they feel unsupported.

See what’s happening here? No one is in the wrong, but everyone feels wronged because they have different motivations and values.

Adapt to thrive

Every time we talk about adapting our behaviour to enhance relationships and influence, we get pushback. It either feels manipulative or like we’re asking you to change who you are. Neither is correct.

We’re always adapting how we show up – it’s why we ditch our pyjamas when we go to the supermarket, lower our voices at the library and slow down when driving conditions change. Tweaking our behaviour to create more positive interactions is just another way of responding to our environment. It also makes it infinitely easier to find common ground, interpret different communication styles and get sh*t done.

After a slight lapse, we’re back to practising what we preach. Whenever we find ourselves talking at cross purposes, we pause and acknowledge ‘this is a chemistry thing’. A quick reset, and we’re back to moving forward together.