By Mark Vickers, Ph.D.

Most individuals who possess high Decision Maker and Tracker traits would not agree that the two are complementary. In fact they would likely call them antagonistic. Why? Because Decision Makers make decisions with surety and resolve. Trackers make decisions with reservation and skepticism.

On the surface these two traits are in conflict, but when seen as complementary (that is, as two pieces of a larger puzzle) they can better each other. Case in point: when an engineering friend discovered that Decision Maker and Tracker were prominent traits for him, he was able to allow his need for detail to start the process of information gathering. But at a certain point, he gave his Decision Maker trait permission to take over and actually come to a conclusion.

It was not easy for him, but it did allow him the freedom to exercise the strengths of each trait while mitigating their weaknesses. Each trait worked together to produce a better decision. He no longer hesitated because of his fear of insufficient information nor did he allow himself to become overly confident or abrupt.

The mix of the two push him to be cautious and entrepreneurial. The strengths and weaknesses of these traits produce a rare combination that is paying off.