Behavioral Scale Deep Dive: High Endurance

Endurance: The ability to persist with any task through to its completion. 

Are you someone who needs to finish what you start and gets anxious if you don’t?   If you answered yes, you might be a high scorer in Endurance.  Let’s dive into what makes these type of people tick and how you can best help them grow. 

High Endurance

Meet Meg. Meg is a hardworking, persistent employee who you can always count on to “come through.” She never misses deadlines and always completes her projects throughly and punctually, ensuring that every detail is refined before submitting it to her manager.  Sometimes, if she can’t finish a project she’s working on during the work day, she’ll work late into the night just to get it done, even if it’s not due for another week. It drives her crazy when her colleagues come into her office and try to chat or give her other projects while she’s in the middle of another one.

Meg is a good example of someone with a high score in Endurance. She: 

Needs to finish what she starts. 

Has a strong sense of duty and obligation. 

Works conscientiously and is usually able to withstand hardship and adversity. 

Is focused and not easily distracted. 

Works methodically.

Prefers the “tried and true” as opposed to the risky and unproven. 

Will work “tirelessly” on the completion of tasks.

 

Tips for Managing High Scorers

Although high scorers in Endurance are extremely reliable and consistent, sometimes they can become a little too obsessed with every single task and lose sight of their priorities, often leading to overwhelm and burnout. They can also sometimes be a little too intense and task-oriented for other people, and can have a hard time “letting go,” which can create an uptight atmosphere for their less obsessed counterparts.

Here are some tips for managing someone with a high Endurance score: 

High scorers in Endurance may have a tendency to get caught up in the details and miss the big picture. Encourage them to understand priorities and to not become too focused on less important tasks or projects. 

Others may view high scorers in Endurance as being “too stiff” or boring. Encourage them to “Lighten up” and have some fun to help those around them feel more comfortable and relaxed in their presence. 

High scorers in Endurance likely have a psychological need to be responsible and thorough, and the opportunity for advancement also motivates them. Give them opportunities to do this! 

Encourage them to step away from what they are doing every 90 minutes (because they can focus for hours), and encourage them to remember to smile on a regular basis, especially around others.