Consistency in a Nutshell
People with Consistency believe the rules should apply equally to everyone. They're uncomfortable with favouritism, special treatment, or double standards.
Consistency-driven people maintain steady expectations. They're predictable in how they treat people, apply standards, and make decisions. They notice when someone gets special treatment or when rules bend for the powerful. It bothers them.
At their best, people with high Consistency create cultures of fairness. Everyone knows where they stand. There's no favouritism, no hidden rules, no confusion about expectations. Teams trust them because they're predictable and even-handed.
Your Key Contributions
- Even standards: Your commitment to fairness means standards get applied evenly, which builds trust across the team
- Predictable expectations: You make expectations predictable, so teammates know where they stand and can do their best work
- Guarding fairness: You call out uneven treatment when you see it, protecting the team from favouritism
Watch Out For
- Rigidity when flexibility would be better
- Difficulty adapting rules to context or individual circumstances
- Coming across as inflexible or legalistic
- Frustration when others don't see why equity matters
The 2 Sides of Consistency
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What Energises You
- Clear, consistent standards applied to everyone
- Holding people equally accountable
- Knowing the rules and applying them fairly
- Working with straightforward, no-favouritism colleagues
- Predictable, stable processes
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What Drains You
- Favouritism or special treatment for certain people
- Inconsistent enforcement of rules
- Watching someone get away with behaviour others would be punished for
- Ambiguous standards that shift based on who's involved
- Feeling like the rules are made up as we go
How Others See You
How to Invest in Consistency for Work
If You're high in Consistency
- Document your standards so everyone knows what to expect.
- Recognise that some situations require flexible application of rules, not abandonment of them.
- Pair with Empathy or Adaptability to understand when rules need context.
- Use your fairness to build psychological safety; people need to know the bar is the same for everyone.
Managing Someone Who Leads with Consistency
- Be transparent about your decision-making standards.
- Don't ask them to apply rules differently to different people.
- Use them to hold the team to a consistent bar.
- Give them the authority to enforce the standards you set.
Connecting with Someone who Leads with Consistency
- Be clear and consistent in your own behaviour and expectations.
- Don't ask for special treatment or exceptions.
- If you need flexibility, explain why the rule should bend, not ask them to pretend it did.
- Trust their fairness, even if it costs you occasionally.