ARE YOU AN APPLE OR A LIME?

EVER WONDERED WHY THAT PARTICULAR COLLEAGUE GETS UNDER YOUR SKIN OR HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUR BOSS’ CONTROLLING BEHAVIOUR? MAYBE FRUIT IS THE ANSWER

Lynne Schinella, author of Bite Me! And Other Do’s and Don’ts of Dealing with Our Differences has been delivering keynotes and workshops to organisations for over 20 years to help them develop stronger relationships among their staff. Her secret tool? Fruit.

Getting along with colleagues is easy when we work with people who share our qualities and values says Schinella. But, she adds; “If you want to work productively with the people not like you, you have to learn to speak their language.” According to Schinella we need to learn to put on our ‘fruit suit’.

FRUIT IN A SUIT

Knowing which fruit you are is the starting point to better relationships, and most of us will be dominant in one, with another as a close second. “Apples have a wonderful analytical ability to see big picture results,” says Schinella. “Mangoes have excellent people skills and Limes bring high-level organisation and patience.” Bananas, she says, offer excellent diplomacy and can keep a team connected.

There’s room for a fruit salad in the workplace but the challenge can be seeing each other’s strengths, particularly when you’re stressed or your team is struggling. So how can we use the fruit analogy to create greater harmony at work?

LOOK FOR SYNERGY

The brain is split into left and right hemispheres which is what makes some fruits relate and others grate. Apples and Limes work from the left hemisphere and both learn through facts. Mangoes and Bananas sit on the right which is the creative side and both gather information more randomly.

Apples and Mangoes share a common position within the frontal brain while Limes and Bananas are at the rear. These pairings all make communication easier.

The problems arise when diagonally opposite fruits come together: Apples and Bananas rarely see eye to eye and Mangoes rub

up against Limes. Knowing how to deal with your differences can help you create harmony. Here’s how…

STAND UP TO THE APPLE

Apple managers are sometimes seen as aggressive and intimidating, while Apple employees get frustrated and bored easily. If you come up against a colleague or boss with Apple traits, the way to deal with them is to stand up to them and provide them with facts. “This can be daunting as your Apple manager is an articulate and practised debater,” says Schinella. “But the only way to gain respect is to go head to head with an Apple.”

TALK TO THE MANGO

Mango managers aren’t good at giving direction and can lack time management. How to deal? Mangoes come up with lots of new ideas but not all will come to fruition. Talking is the Mango manager’s way of working things out so be patient and ask questions. Mango employees want to do things their own way and often talk too much. They work best in the early stages of a task, so give them new projects to work on.

GIVE LIME THE DETAILS

“It’s easy for limes to be misunderstood,” says Schinella. “Because of their drive for detail they get consumed by their work … and be aware that a Lime doesn’t always need to say things out loud.” For the most part, they are often introverts. Lime managers have a tendency to micromanage so you need to over-communicate with them. Give them all the details so they see you as reliable says Schinella, and volunteer for tasks. If you’re managing a Lime, encourage them to prepare in advance so they can contribute at meetings.

BE ON A BANANA’S TEAM

“The Bananas in your organisation will be tuned in to the needs of others before anyone else,” explains Schinella. It’s easy for Apples and Mangoes to take advantage of the relaxed Banana type because it’s hard for them to say no: they’re nice people who build relationships. As managers they can lack authority and are reluctant to discipline and as employees they often take on too much. If your boss is a Banana, show them what you can bring to the team. And if you’re managing one, maintain regular catch-ups so they know where they stand. Pressure can become overwhelming for this fruit.