A guide for helping shape interactions, team environments, and organizational cultures to elevate individual and collective performance

Ever wonder what it is that makes two people click or clash? Or why some groups excel while others fumble? Or how you, as a leader, can make or break team potential? “Business Chemistry: Practical Magic for Crafting Powerful Work Relationships” (Wiley; May 2018) by Kim Christfort and Suzanne Vickberg, helps answer these questions.

Based on extensive research and analytics, and years of proven success in the field, the Business Chemistry framework was developed to provide a simple yet powerful way to identify meaningful differences between people’s working styles. Launched in 2010 and profiled in a 2017 Harvard Business Review cover story, Business Chemistry explores the individual and collective power of four primary working styles: “Pioneers” who value possibilities and spark energy and imagination; “Guardians” who value stability and bring order and rigor; “Drivers” who value challenge and generate momentum; and “Integrators” who value connection and draw teams together.

Whether the goal is to raise your own level of performance, enhance customer engagement, or become a more effective leader, Christfort and Vickberg offer practical ways to grasp different perspectives, recognize the value they bring, and determine what is needed to excel.

Manage and motivate different working styles by learning what kinds of interactions and working conditions kill their potential, and what kinds unlock it.
Build empathy and stronger relationships by recognizing key differences in how people work and what they need to thrive, then flexing your own style accordingly.
Foster productive interactions among team members, including helping opposite types work better together).
Mitigate conflicts in the workplace through understanding the four working styles and their proclivities.
Embrace cognitive diversity on your team and harness it to improve your group’s performance, not undermine it.
Create powerful relationships with colleagues, customers and everyone else.
“One of our goals in writing this book was to shed light on the untapped potential that exists within many organizations, and provide people with a means to activate it,” said Kim Christfort, managing director, Deloitte LLP, and national managing director of Deloitte’s Greenhouse Experience. “And of course, we wanted to practice what we preach by infusing this book with elements that will appeal to different types — not only practical strategies and relevant data, but also colorful stories, evocative images and some humor too.”

On any given day, professionals interact with many different types of people: some prefer diplomacy while others prefer candor; some focus on the big picture and others hone in on the details; and some work methodically and others rapidly. Business Chemistry addresses how to embrace differences and unite across them. Throughout this book, Christfort and Vickberg offer suggestions for creating better business chemistry with colleagues; techniques for managing, motivating, and influencing different types of people; strategies for earning their trust and respect; and ideas for leading teams so that everyone can excel and deliver their best performance.

“One of the unique features of this book is that it’s written by two authors with different perspectives and opposite working styles,” said Suzanne Vickberg, Ph.D., senior manager, Deloitte LLP and applied insights lead, Deloitte’s Greenhouse Experience. “We didn’t try to merge our styles into something neutral. Instead, we took advantage of our differences to create a book that has something to offer for everyone, regardless of their type.”

Deloitte developed the Business Chemistry® system to help provide insights about individuals and teams based on observable business behaviors. Business Chemistry draws upon the latest analytics technologies to reveal four scientifically based patterns of behavior.