The term reflective can immediately remind you of reluctance and follower can call tour mind a person without initiative, however reflective / follower personalities can be very effective and reliable, examples of reflective/follower managers include mid-level appointed public officials and mid-level managers of very large corporations, where structural frameworks and set protocols are unavoidably enforced.
Reflective/Follower managers are not always known as trailblazers, they won’t try out a brand or model unless they have been tested and there are available reliable positive data. They are noted for placing a premium on safety and can be very cautious.
Follower / Reflective Managers will rely heavily on experience, tested processes and solutions. They sometimes have new ideas but can be reluctant to challenge the status quo, sometimes self-test of a position or opinion with repeated unending questions is only a means of solidifying believe in a process or project for which you request approval.
Reflective / Follower managers are different from skeptics, skeptics have an idea of what they want, and they may just not believe that your solution is the one they will accept. They do not necessarily distrust you; they simply want an abundance of information to assist them get a good grasp of the issue at hand.
As with every new or different opinion or position, provide references that the reflective manager will feel confident accepting. So, when a manager uses words like “be innovative, let’s expedite, be swift, my expertise, that’s very bright, and not the old way”, do not immediately decide that they are innovators.
And when the reflective manager is convinced, you have done what is required to prove your position, be firm in requesting a deadline for a decision, and be prompt about following thru on a mutually agreed date.
