What kills more Internet projects than any other factor? Personalities! After owning my own business for 12 years, being a principal in two partnerships, and heavily involved in the development of several Web-based ventures and enterprises, I've had the opportunity of working with a myriad of people and personalities.

No matter how great the concept or how innovative the idea, it's all useless if the key players can't communicate with each other. In my experience, I've found that the most common breakdown is between what I refer to as the Doers and the Dreamers.

The Doers are the technicians. They get the job done. They handle the technical details of the project. In the Internet community, these would be the programmers, the code builders. These people make the intricate details of a Web site operate. Without them, nothing gets done. Usually these people are somewhat introverted. They do their work quietly and efficiently. They enjoy praise and can often get their feelings hurt when their hard work goes unnoticed.

The Dreamers are idea generators. Their minds work 90 miles an hour 24 hours a day. They wake up at 3 a.m. with fantastic new product or service ideas and ways to market or promote their business. Generally extroverted, Dreamer's are networkers and team builders. They know how to select wonderful people to get the job done. They are not doers. They have a tough time focusing because no sooner have they thought of one great idea, then they're off on another. Although they are excellent salespeople, they may often sell things that do not exist, at which point they must yell for the Doer to pull another rabbit out of the hat.

Communication Breakdown

If you have two business partners and one is a Dreamer and the other is a Doer, you might think, 'Great he's the idea man, and she's the Doer. This should work out perfectly.' But NO! This combination can be a recipe for disaster. If you have a 'true' Doer and a 'true' Dreamer together, the Doer will speak in nebulous theories that sound wonderful when he's speaking, but when it comes time for the 'true' Doer to put them into place, there are no steps for her to follow. For example, how do you translate, 'We'll have a web site where people select the news, articles, and jobs that interest them and we'll send them to their email box every morning' into something that's actually do-able? That sounds wonderful, but there are steps that have to be taken. And the very technical person won't just intuitively know what those steps are. The Doer needs it broken down for them in itemized steps.

And even then, for a technician, that's not detailed enough. How are the people going to sign up for this? What information needs to be collected on the form? What information needs to be collected for each content provider? Where does each element need to fit on the Web page or on the email that gets sent? Who's handling the subscriber database?

The Doer needs to know all this information before she can even get started on her part of the work. But, very few Dreamers know how to break their vision down into achievable steps and substeps. Some of them don't even really know what they want -- but they know it when they see it. Very few technicians can truly see the visionary's big picture well enough to perform the task. So the two parties are clogged in a quagmire of misunderstandings and stalemates, and if left un-addressed, total business failure.

Recipe for Resentment

Another common problem between these two personality types is that Dreamers are so highly creative and extroverted that they often assume their flow of ideas and networking ability is of greater worth than the accomplishments of the work-horse Doers. As a result, the Doers feel unappreciated and resentment builds. They start thinking, 'Sure, he has great ideas, but this whole project would be nothing if I wasn't the one doing all the work!' The problem comes in the disparate time it takes to think of ideas that just readily flow out of a Dreamer and the long, tedious, thankless hours donated by the Doer to make them a reality. Resentment is almost inevitable unless the Dreamer gives constant praise and thanksgiving to the Doer.

So what's the solution? If you're in a business partnership that consists of these two personality types, what can you do? First you can show praise and appreciation to each other for your own unique talents, gifts and contributions. Jenette Rotatori-Zubero, professional coach and strategist suggests, 'It's important to realize that both parties, the Doers and the Dreamers, have a considerable amount to contribute to the relationship. The project wouldn't exist if both parties weren't present. The Dreamer doesn't have the attention span to dig down to the details, and the Doer doesn't have the vision for where it could go. With that in mind, it's vital to the success of the project for each party to find a way to communicate with each other that is effective and leaves both parties feeling they understood what was said, and are in agreement about where the project is going. In other words, both parties need to leave the conversation with the same ultimate goals, and a clear vision of how the in-between goals are going to be met.'

But if you can't even communicate with each other, then what? You need the third personality type:

The Strategist

A Strategist bridges the gap between the Dreamer and the Doer. Because Strategists are visionary, creative problem solvers, they can see the big picture and break it into bite-size steps that the Doer can understand. A talented Strategist also acts as a natural communication bridge between the other two and helps them see each other's strengths and contributions. The Strategist serves as a mediator and buffer zone. Strategists thrive on this type of situation, but can be stressed by it if the Doers and Dreamers refuse to cooperate. Strategists can be either extroverted or introverted, but because they are intuitive to human behavior, they have the ability to listen and really hear what the others are saying and translate that into doable steps.

Jenette Rotatori-Zubero explains, 'They need to find someone who can help the Dreamer articulate what they want, take the ideas to the Doer and help the Doer figure out how to get it done. In other words, they need a Strategist.'

The key to success in any organization is to have all three personality types involved, appreciated, and compensated, and doing what they do best. Don't try to make a Doer see the big picture well enough to make sales or negotiate a strategic alliance with a potential vendor. Don't expect a Dreamer to do much manual labor. Use a Strategist for what they do best -- planning, organization, mediation, and problem-solving. When people do what they do best, not only will your people be happier and more effective, but your organization will be more successful

Marnie Pehrson, a mother of 6, has been highlighting truth and talent for 15 years. Whether it's writing a novel that spotlights individuals who've made a difference in the world or helping a talented entrepreneur create a platform for his life's work, Marnie underscores truth and talent in innovative and compelling ways. She is the creator of www.IdeaMarketers.com and helps experts promote their products and services online. For more information on her various projects and books, visit http://www.pwgroup.com. Contact the author, Marnie Pehrson , at marnie@pwgroup.com
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