Each individual has a unique set of features, strengths, and limitations that characterize them in the job. There is joy in knowing that everyone is unique. Work styles vary, and personalities collide, so disputes are expected. But if the purpose isn't to avert conflict, what is it? Participating in productive conflict is necessary to ensure everyone in an organization works well together.
Once you understand how to deal with various personality types, your team can fulfill their objectives, work constructively and productively, and create a healthy business culture. Here's how to handle those different personality types.
What is a workplace personality type?
Workplace personality types mainly explain how a person acts at work. Some people like to focus on the task, whereas others excel at delegating and motivating a team of personnel. The work personality types are identical to the regular personality types, but there is a greater emphasis on how these personality types affect professional performance.
Knowing about employee personality types is vital for both employees and employers. Learning about personality types at work will help you better collaborate with people of different sorts since it will help you understand what makes them tick.
Employers may use their knowledge of workplace personality types to ensure that their workforce is performing at the highest level possible, enhancing mental well-being and job happiness.
Learning about and handling different personalities
Any challenge must be understood and tackled. Exploring the psychology that runs through people's different personalities, which has been thoroughly studied, can give you a sense of the variety of personalities you may meet at work.
Breaking down the personalities
- The Playful.
- The Peaceful.
- The Powerful.
- The Precise.
The Myers-Briggs is one of the most popular personality tests, and psychology researcher Allison Mooney has simplified these 16 personality types into four main groups.
The Playful
Playful personalities are active, enthusiastic, and outgoing. They excel in social situations and like communicating their opinions. They are creative and excellent at coming up with unique ideas, yet they can be disorganized and easily diverted.
The Peaceful
Peaceful personalities are organized and diplomatic. They avoid confrontation and do not impose conditions on their team members. Instead, when speaking with their colleagues, they remain calm and calculated. They are more introverted and can function well on their own.
The Powerful
Influential personalities, as expected, are a force to be reckoned with. They are decisive, clear, and result-oriented. They are also fiercely loyal and possess strong ideals. This personality type gives clarity and assertiveness to an organization, making them excellent leaders.
The precise
Precise personalities pay attention to detail and are meticulous when carrying out tasks. That means they prefer to "knuckle down" and complete the work correctly the first time.
They are, therefore, a very significant asset to any team, but to succeed, they require the proper amount of room, assistance, and encouragement. Compared to other personality types, they are more likely to be sensitive to criticism since they are perfectionists.
You most likely fall into more than one category, and that's okay. Humans are complicated and multifaceted, but it's easy to understand how some of these traits may clash.
Why is it necessary to understand workplace personalities?
Employees with diverse workplace personalities may have significantly different approaches to work, ranging from how they are treated or assigned work to how they treat others and approach their tasks.
The better you understand the various personality types in your office, the more precisely you can customize your everyday operations to match your employees. Understanding workplace personalities and adapting your approach to each one might assist in increasing employee retention.
Tips for working with different personalities
Teamwork is a vital element of success in many pursuits. However, when dealing with a wide range of personalities, collaboration might be challenging at times. Here are some methods for bridging divides and creating a peaceful, productive team:
Spend Time Getting to Know Each Person
Acknowledging the presence of diverse personalities within your team and effectively managing them are distinct concepts, with the latter requiring a certain level of ability.
It is important to take the time to listen to each person and learn about their needs and motivations. Consider each person's natural skills and limitations, as well as how they respond in various situations.
Emotional intelligence and awareness of staff members' needs will help you make wise judgments about assigning work and defining roles.
Recognize and appreciate experience
In the same spirit, reminding staff members that they cannot and should not do everything is critical.
People have specializations, areas of experience, and interests that make them well-suited to different aspects of the business, even on the same team and project. Respecting others' skills can assist colleagues realize that they should be doing the same.
When individuals feel appreciated and vital to the team, they will likely produce more excellent work and cease dividing the group by interfering with each other's tasks.
Acknowledge cultural disparities and our unconscious biases
Interaction and communication styles vary throughout cultures, which might result in misinterpretations between them. Some people use making jokes about other people to show their camaraderie.
Others may view it as improper, which could make them feel dehumanized or harassed. Cultural differences in communication styles can cause misunderstandings and raise the possibility of unconscious prejudice.
As a result, it's critical to get to know your team and gain firsthand or one-on-one knowledge of their culture. Opportunities to share meals, life stories, and manners to foster greater empathy, acceptance, and understanding may foster this.
Understand their intentions
While it's difficult to understand what drives you and others, understanding the differences in behavior patterns is ultimately the most excellent method to promote constructive conflict.
Author William Moulton Marston, in his 1928 book Emotions of Normal People, laid the groundwork for the DiSC personality profile, which is used by companies and organizations worldwide to assess and grow their workforces.
The DiSC profile provides program participants with an understanding of their motivations by outlining four different behavioral types.
This facilitates communication among coworkers about their needs at work by providing a common language.
View people objectively, not personally
Try to de-personalize your thoughts and feelings to accept individuals for who they are, rather than thinking in terms of, "It irritates me when John does this or says this."
Critiquing individuals based on our inclinations might result in resentment and irritation when they behave in a manner that we find objectionable.
Individuals' perspectives, beliefs, characteristics, and backgrounds must be accepted. The statement, "This is just John, and I don't have to have an opinion about that," can help one accept and let go of others for who they are.
Accept what others bring to the table
It's simple to see the challenges your differences generate when you work with people with diverse personalities. It needs to be more evident how your differences might improve teamwork.
You must consciously look for the positive aspects of your coworkers' characteristics to foster cohesiveness.
Even though a coworker seems aggressive to you, remember that their candorfacilitates a straightforward flow of information. Consider the possibility that a coworker who seems extremely passive is attempting to show empathy.
Modify the way you communicate
Maintaining strong work connections requires the ability to adjust to varied personalities. That includes adapting your communication style to the person you are speaking with.
For instance, you might speak more casually with some coworkers and more formally and directly with others. Find out your coworkers' preferred communication style, then adjust your tone accordingly.
Taking this action can have a significant impact on your interpersonal relationships.
Utilize the talents of each individual
The beauty of diverse personality types in the workplace is that each one brings special advantages. A well-rounded team consists of members with a range of strengths.
If you give employees the chance to use their strengths, they will feel more productive and at ease in their roles.
Someone who excels at formulating broad strategy could need help in a position where they must conduct incredibly detailed daily duties.
However, if the role plays to their strengths, the other team member who excels at meticulous work might do well in it.
Conclusion
The main message is that no two people are wired identically. With an agile, questioning attitude and an appreciation for other personalities, we might be able to discover that sweet spot on difficult days.
An exciting way to look at it is through the lens of an experiment: your method of listening, speaking, or understanding another person's point of view may not be successful the first time, but with modifications and adaptations, you may find long-term benefits.
