Finding the Solution: Inside the Core Values of Innovators

In the case of Innovators, the name says it all. They love solving problems. They have an analytical mind that is always seeking a better way to do things. They enjoy solving problems so much they often come up with multiple solutions and have trouble settling on just one. This can frustrate the action-oriented Builders on the team.

Builders can take an Innovator's solutions and turn them into actionable forward progress, creating a powerful team that gets results. Innovators often rely on Merchants to convey their solutions to others. They can also rely on Bankers to help gather and organize information.

Innovators achieve the greatest success by cooperating and coordinating with team members that are strong in the other core values.

Innovators are naturally creative, often finding novel answers to problems that are truly out of the box. When a team faces a roadblock or some other seemingly insurmountable problem, it will often be the Innovator that finds a way around it, over it, under it, or through it, whatever is required to prevail. Innovators are the last person on the team to admit defeat.

When working on a team, Innovators seek to understand the underlying and hidden motivation of others. Their catalytic value is compassion, often making them more open-minded than others. In fact, they often worry about not being open-minded enough, as this can negatively affect their wisdom and ability to solve problems. Innovators are also very patient because of these traits. Nobody is more skilled than the Innovator at discussing competing opinions and views while remaining civil. Unlike to-the-point Builders, Innovators actually enjoy shaping and refining their views through discussions with others.

An Innovator's self respect and sense of workplace happiness depends on the size, complexity, and importance of the problems they are solving. Nothing can make an Innovator bored faster than being assigned tasks they view as menial or unimportant, except for not having any problems to solve at all.

When feeling frustrated or backed into a corner, Innovators react by asking questions that can be interrogatory or even accusatory. Despite their wisdom and sense of compassion, Innovators can be confounded by the verbal sparring conflict strategies of Builders or Merchants.

Are you an Innovator? Take the Core Values Index assessment today and find out.

If you want to learn more about the other Core Values, here is a handy guide:

• Bankers
• Builders
• Merchants