Personality Types in your Workforce

Learning to assess the various personalities among your workforce can be a challenging experience. Breaking the diverse personalities into four main groups helps. This is not to stereotype anyone – after all, each individual is usually a mix – in various amounts – of all four groups. Rarely is someone totally one personality type. Never-the-less, most people can generally fit one of the types. Learning the basic differences and how to interact with them can make for a more serene and productive workforce.

The natural “boss”. These individuals are confident and enjoy being at the helm. They respond quickly to problems, have a ready solution, and keep the project moving forward. In their fast-pace decisions, they can brush aside, or fail to recognize altogether, the underlying issues. This can come back to haunt the project, so don’t be afraid to point out these issues as needed. They have a strong will and can be very blunt, but they don’t mean to offend, so try to not take it personal. In fact, they prefer everyone else to be as blunt right back and won’t be bothered by it in the least bit.

The team organizers. These special individuals are great at rounding the troops. They generally maintain a positive, upbeat spirit, quickly perceive what needs to be accomplished, and persuade you into doing your part – plus somebody else’s. They come up with great plans on a regular basis but beware, they aren’t the best at paying attention to details. That doesn’t mean their plans should be scrapped – they’re usually good – but take time to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is present. Every project manager needs at least one of these enthusiastic motivators on their team.

The T crossers and I dotters. In layman’s terms, the perfectionist. It is easy to want to avoid these members of “let’s do everything according to the rules” club, but don’t be quick to do it. They like to work alone and are often ruled by their need to have everything right, but they are a great asset to every team. You can always count on them to do their job perfect and on time. Furthermore, their analytical skills help them to see the situation clearly and recognize where the rest of the team is on the wrong track. If you don’t take their correction personal – they are focused on the task, not you – the whole project will be more successful.

Last, but certainly not least, every team needs a Stable Mabel. This personality type thrives on routine. They fulfill their responsibilities, and more, with a consistent, thoughtful, and well done performance. They are the cheerleaders behind the rest of the team – quickly setting aside their own desires to accommodate everyone else’s. Be careful though, in their desire to avoid conflict and “keep the peace”, they can fail to stand up against a bad idea.

As we noted before, these are just basis types – there are multiple combinations of the different groups. The key is twofold.
1. Understand yourself. Know who you are, what personality you fit. Be honest and recognize what aspects of yourself may rub other people in a negative way.
2. Recognize the personalities of your coworkers and make allowances for their natural bents. Try to accommodate their weak areas.

When team members work together, appreciating each other’s strengths and accepting each other’s weaknesses, they can accomplish great things. Their projects will run smoother and experience less difficulties. And that makes everyone – especially company management – happier.

Are you looking for potential staff members who work well on teams? Contact Springborn Staffing. We specialize in every personality type, finding best-match personnel for companies in Bangor and Portland, Maine.

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