The Trouble with Task-Oriented People: When Strength Becomes Weakness

This blog was prompted by another excellent Tracom Webinsar: The Trouble with Task-Oriented People — When Productivity Stops Being Productive

There’s a popular saying in business circles: “What gets measured gets managed.”

But in reality, what often happens is: what gets measured gets over-managed, and what really matters ??— people, motivation, and emotions get ignored.

Nowhere is this more evident than in highly task-oriented individuals. These are the productivity fanatics, the to-do list warriors, and the spreadsheet gladiators. They mean well. They want results. But, as TRACOM puts it bluntly in their excellent article, “The Trouble with Task-Oriented People,” their greatest strength can become a liability.

Let’s explore why.

Enter the 7MTF: Personality at the Core

Before we go further, we need to understand what makes these individuals tick. Using the 7MTF (Seven Motivational Temperament Factors) model, we can paint a psychological profile.

Task-oriented people typically rank high on:

Engineer – Logical, methodical, obsessed with structure and problem-solving.

Normal – Rules-driven, risk-averse, detail-focused.

They are usually low in:

Mover – The life-of-the-party, high-EQ social connector.

Politician – Charismatic persuader, instinctively knows how to get buy-in.

Artist – Emotionally sensitive, creative, perceptive of nuance.

In essence, you get someone who’s technically brilliant—but often emotionally blind.

 The Hidden Dangers of Over-Focusing on Tasks

From the outside, task-oriented people look like a manager’s dream. They’re productive, focused, and rarely miss a deadline.

But dig deeper, and you’ll find five common problems:

1. Emotional Disconnection

They often ignore or misread emotional cues. Empathy is low. They can come across as robotic or cold—even if they don’t mean to.

2. Burnout Risks (for Everyone)

Their own stress is often overlooked, and they expect others to match their pace. This leads to mental exhaustion and low morale across teams.

3. Ineffective Communication

They believe that stating the task is enough. They skip context, emotions, and persuasion—making them poor motivators.

4. Delegation Problems

They tend to micromanage or avoid delegation, fearing others won’t do the job “properly.” This creates bottlenecks.

5. Short-Term Thinking

By focusing on what needs to be done now, they often miss strategic, long-term considerations that require emotional intelligence and intuition.

When Productivity Isn’t Productive

Task-focus without emotional intelligence alienates people.

Team performance and engagement suffer when interpersonal dynamics are ignored. This aligns perfectly with what we see in the 7MTF model—overuse of the Engineer and Normal traits without counterbalance leads to dysfunction.

A Case in Point: Gavin the Super-Manager

Consider Gavin, a senior project manager with a triple-degree background in IT, engineering, and finance. He ran his department like a Swiss watch—except nobody wanted to work with him.

Why?  He barked orders.  He never smiled.  He dismissed “feelings” as weakness.  He never celebrated wins—he just moved to the next task.

After a 360-degree review, Gavin’s boss enrolled him in a 7MTF coaching session. His profile? Off-the-charts Engineer, high Normal, with bottom-barrel Mover and Artist.

We gave him three challenges:

• Begin every meeting with a check-in: “How’s everyone feeling today?”
• Start a praise journal and give at least one compliment daily.
• Block 30 minutes weekly to reflect on emotional feedback received.

Three months later, productivity was unchanged—but engagement had soared. Staff turnover dropped. Team members self-reported 30% higher satisfaction.

Gavin didn’t stop being task-oriented. He just learned to be people-inclusive.

Rebalancing Through the 7MTF

To help task-oriented people achieve emotional growth, focus on complementary traits:

Add Mover Energy:  Engage in more casual, social conversations.  Ask open-ended questions about people’s lives.  Celebrate birthdays and small wins.

Channel the Artist:  Reflect on how you felt during the day.  Journal reactions to team interactions.  Practise active listening without interrupting or solving immediately.

Leverage the Politician:  Practice influencing rather than directing.  Use stories and metaphors to connect emotionally.  Offer public recognition to boost morale.

Why EQ Matters More Than Ever

According to multiple studies (and common sense), emotional intelligence predicts 58% of success across job types. It’s what transforms a competent manager into a great leader.

More and more organisations are seeing that performance issues aren’t just skill gaps—they’re often EQ gaps.

Being technically excellent is no longer enough. If you want to lead, manage, or even survive the modern workplace, you need to read the room—not just the spreadsheet.

Next Steps: Train the Brain, Don’t Change the Soul

Some Engineers recoil at this advice, thinking they must become “touchy-feely.” Not true. The goal isn’t to become someone else—it’s to enhance your natural strengths with emotional tools.

That’s why the 7MTF model works so well. It provides a structured, scientific framework for emotional growth—perfect for logical minds who want emotional ROI.

Conclusion: Focus on People to Get More Done

Here’s the paradox: task-oriented people will achieve more when they stop focusing solely on tasks.

By integrating emotional intelligence—through self-awareness, interpersonal connection, and behavioural flexibility—they unlock new levels of performance and leadership.

It’s time we stop glorifying output at the expense of empathy. Productivity is great. But as the research shows, people are the real productivity engine.

Ready to Build Your Emotional Intelligence?

Take the next step with by investing A$25 and 5 hours by completing our Introduction 7MTF Emotional Intelligence Course and transform your strengths into leadership superpowers.