Your personality dictates how you perceive the world, how you interact with others, and the people you attract. Your personality also influences the way you manage other people. We need managers and leaders to understand the people with whom they work. This means understanding personalities, understanding how to manage different people, and understanding your own shortcomings.
“Quiet people have the loudest minds”.
– Stephen Hawking
Objectives:
- Explore various personality types
- Investigate tools to manage personalities
- Discuss the importance of bias management
What are the Different Personality Types in the Workplace?
Personality Types in the Workplace: Introverts
Introverts are individuals who are inwardly-oriented and tend to focus more on their own thoughts, feelings, and emotions rather than seeking external stimulation. They tend to prefer quiet, solitary activities and may become exhausted by too much social interaction.
Signs of an Introvert:
Energy Drain: Introverts can quickly become exhausted in crowded or noisy environments and need solitude or quiet spaces to recharge.
Solitude: Introverts are comfortable with alone time or small groups, but this doesn’t mean they are shy or dislike people.
Close Friendships: Despite a common misconception, introverts enjoy socializing, but tend to have smaller circles of close friends with whom they have strong connections.
Reserved: Introverts may come across as shy, but in reality, they simply prefer to observe and assess situations before joining in.
Stimulation: Introverts are often drained by excessive social interaction and external stimulation and find calm, solitary activities more stimulating.
Self-awareness: Due to their inward-oriented nature, introverts tend to have a good understanding of themselves and their actions, and how those actions impact others.
Personality Types in the Workplace: Extroverts
Extroverts are known for their outgoing and energetic personalities, often being the life of the party. They draw people to them and love being in the spotlight. If you’re an extrovert, you’re likely to thrive in social settings and enjoy meeting new people.
Here are some common signs of an extrovert:
• Enjoys Social Settings: Extroverts enjoy being around others and derive energy from social interactions. They are more likely to approach new groups and start a conversation.
• Dislikes Alone Time: Unlike introverts, extroverts find solitude to be boring. They need to be around others to recharge and feel their best.
• Thrives in Groups: Extroverts tend to thrive in environments with large groups of people and do not find it draining.
• Talkative: Extroverts are often talkative and prefer to discuss their problems or ideas with others. They find it helpful to bounce ideas off others and gain new perspectives.
• Outgoing: Extroverts are energetic, optimistic, and often exude a positive energy.
• Risk-Taker: Extroverts tend to enjoy taking risks and have been shown to have a dopamine reward system for doing so. They may be more inclined to try new things, such as joining a new group of people or jumping out of a plane.
It’s important to note that everyone is unique and may not fit perfectly into one personality type. But if you recognize these common traits in yourself, you might be an extrovert!
What are the different personality types in the workplace and how can a manager handle them effectively?
The Workplace is filled with diverse personalities, each with their own strengths and challenges. Here’s a rundown of some common ones:
Rising Star: This is the up-and-coming talent in your company. Independent and always on the lookout for ways to improve their role and the company, they are poised for great things in their career. Recognize their hard work and contributions and gradually give them more responsibility and independence. A personal development plan would also help them focus on long-term goals.
Domain Master: These employees are the epitome of competency and reliability. They can be trusted to do their job, and do it well. They may not bring new ideas to the table, but their steady and dependable nature is a valuable asset to the company. To keep them engaged, make sure they feel valued, and don’t hesitate to ask for their input – they may have valuable insights.
Squeaky Wheel: These employees are productive, but also require a lot of support. They need help with problem-solving, resource management, and doing their job. As a manager, you need patience to nurture this type of employee. Coach, mentor, and provide structure, and you’ll see their potential blossom.
Steamroller: These employees get the job done, but their attitude can sometimes be an issue. They are opinionated and may step on some toes. As a manager, focus on their emotional intelligence and provide coaching and mentorship to help them develop it. Real-time feedback can help address problematic behavior.
Stowaway: This type of employee shows up to work but doesn’t contribute much. They’re clock-watchers who only do the bare minimum. To improve their performance, spend more time with them, conduct regular check-ins, and have a performance evaluation in place with a concrete improvement plan.
Joyrider: These employees are full of energy and ideas. They love coming up with creative concepts for the company and the team. The challenge is that they can get so caught up in their ideas that they neglect their actual work. To keep them focused, limit the number of side projects they take on and help structure their day. Provide support and feedback, and make sure they feel valued.
Square Peg: These employees are the ones who consume a disproportionate amount of your leadership capital. Despite claiming to work hard, they actually contribute little to the team. Focus on their skills and conduct a skills analysis to see what they need to improve or move them to another role that better suits their abilities.
Slacker: These employees have the skills to do the job but don’t actually do it. Unlike Stowaways, they don’t even do the bare minimum. As a manager, you need to check on them constantly to make sure they’re on track. Provide structure, guidance, and support, and help them find their footing in their role.
How to effectively manage and lead a team with varying personalities?
As a manager or leader, it’s important to understand and embrace the diverse personalities in your workplace. Here are some tips to help you effectively manage and lead a team with varying personalities:
Acknowledge your biases: A lot of managers and leaders may not be aware of their biases. This can impact their ability to effectively manage their team. It’s important to be honest with yourself and identify your biases based on factors such as race, gender, and more. You can then work towards overcoming these biases.
Defuse conflicts: With a diverse group of personalities, conflicts can arise. It’s the responsibility of managers and leaders to defuse these conflicts and bring the team together. Sharing personality tests with employees and providing training sessions to help them understand each other can help bridge the gap.
Listen actively: Active listening is an essential part of communication. As a manager or leader, it’s crucial to listen to the needs of your employees and understand their personality type. This way, you can provide the support and guidance they need.
Invest in recognition and reward systems: A recognition and reward system that takes into account both introverts and extroverts can boost employee engagement. By investing in ways to engage employees, you can create a positive work environment and retain long-term employees.
Promote teamwork: Closing the gap between introverts and extroverts is crucial for promoting teamwork. The company should adopt a one-team approach where everyone is valued equally. Your recognition and reward system should also take into account what all employees need to feel motivated.
Encourage self-reflection: Coaching and mentoring employees to not take everything personally can help navigate the challenges of different personalities and conflicts. Encouraging self-reflection, learning, and growth can help individuals grow both personally and professionally.
Manage egos: Egos can cause conflicts and damage the team, leading to employee turnover. As a manager or leader, it’s important to address egos that are having a negative impact on the team. While egos can sometimes be a positive trait, they can also become toxic and harm everyone.
Foster positive gossip: Gossip can cause anxiety and frustration among employees, especially when they don’t have the correct information. Encouraging positive gossip, such as sharing sneak peeks at upcoming changes and plans, can create a positive work environment and build excitement among employees.
In conclusion, managing a team with diverse personalities requires empathy, active listening, and effective leadership. By following these tips, you can create a positive and productive work environment for all.
What are some popular personality assessment tools and what do they measure?
Personality assessments are an important tool used by companies and individuals to gain a better understanding of themselves and others. These assessments come in different forms and use various methodologies, but they all aim to provide insights into an individual’s personality traits and tendencies.
California Psychological Inventory (CPI)
The CPI is a well-respected personality assessment tool that companies use to assess an individual’s ability to interact with others. It covers areas such as sociability, conceptual understanding, and independence, and provides a snapshot of how an individual is likely to react to certain situations.
Caliper Profile
The Caliper Profile is a comprehensive assessment that measures 25 personality traits that are related to job achievement. The assessment provides a detailed analysis of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, including empathy, leadership, time management, and more.
Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The MBTI is one of the most popular and well-known personality assessments in the world. It assesses an individual’s personality type based on four dimensions, providing a deeper understanding of strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies. Although it is widely used, the reliability of the MBTI has sometimes been called into question.
16 Personality Factors Questionnaire (16PF)
The 16PF is a highly reliable personality assessment tool that is used by companies, educational institutions, counselors, and more. It covers areas such as social boldness, openness to change, self-reliance, and perfectionism, and provides a clear picture of an individual’s personality traits and tendencies.
Whether you’re looking to better understand yourself or others, there is a personality assessment tool to suit your needs. Some assessments are free, while others require a fee, but the goal is always the same: to help individuals and companies better understand their employees and guide leaders to more effectively manage their teams.
What are the benefits of using personality assessments in the workplace?
• Building Stronger Teams
Personality assessments can be a valuable tool for managers and leaders when it comes to setting up teams and hiring employees. By understanding the personality traits and tendencies of each team member, it’s easier to build a team that complements one another and supports company growth. Keep in mind that assessments should be used as a guide, not as a hard and fast rule.
• Improved Motivation and Coaching
By using personality assessments, managers and leaders can gain a deeper understanding of their employees, which in turn can help inform recognition and reward programs, as well as personalized coaching sessions. This leads to improved employee performance and overall productivity.
• Reduced Conflict Management
When employees feel understood, they’re less likely to experience conflict with their coworkers. A supportive workplace environment where employees are more likely to understand each other helps promote a positive, cohesive work atmosphere.
• Increased Understanding
Personality assessments can lead to a deeper level of understanding between employees, managers, and leaders. When employees feel understood, they’re more likely to extend that same understanding to others, creating a supportive and empathetic workplace culture. Sharing personality types among team members can also help employees better understand themselves and each other.
Introverts can make great managers and leaders, and here’s why:
• Active Listeners
Introverts have a reputation for being attentive listeners. They tend to process information internally before sharing their thoughts, which makes employees feel heard and valued. This internal processing also allows introverted managers and leaders to better understand the needs of their team.
• Skilled Critical Thinkers
Introverts tend to excel at critical thinking as they take the time to internalize problems before presenting solutions to their team. This ability to thoroughly analyze and solve problems makes them effective leaders.
• Detail-Oriented
Introverts often approach decisions with caution, taking the time to gather all necessary information before acting. This attention to detail can make them meticulous and efficient in their work.
• Emotionally Stable
While emotions are a natural part of the human experience, introverts are often perceived as less emotional. This doesn’t mean they lack emotions, but they tend to express them differently. Their ability to control their emotions and develop emotional intelligence can be a valuable asset in the workplace.
How can a manager create an environment where introverts can thrive in the workplace
As a manager, it’s important to create an environment where introverts can thrive. Start by designing an office space that balances collaboration and solitude. Some introverted employees may need quiet time to recharge or focus on individual tasks, while others may thrive in group settings.
Effective communication is crucial for introverts and extroverts to work well together. Consider establishing a communication plan that accommodates everyone’s needs. Additionally, provide opportunities for introverted employees to have one-on-one meetings to share their ideas and feedback.
Training and professional development are essential for all employees, including introverts. Encourage introverts to participate in activities that will help them grow, such as public speaking or skills training. Keep in mind that everyone has different needs, so it’s important to tailor training to individual employees.
Finally, it’s critical to manage your own biases and ensure fairness in how you treat all employees. Avoid favoritism and make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed. By implementing these strategies, you can create a workplace where introverts can thrive and make valuable contributions to the team.
What to avoid when managing introverts
Pushing conformity
You won’t be able to change the personality types of your team. Avoid setting up systems or communication processes that only benefit one personality type. Allow employees to be themselves and create a neutral system.
Using the limelight as a reward or punishment
It is very important to know if they want to be in the limelight or not. Avoid giving it as a reward or punishment when you don’t know the impact it will have on your employee. For example, when you use the limelight as a reward, the action gives the employee anxiety. It fails to be a reward regardless of what you intended.
Inconsistency
Most employees look to leaders and managers for consistency. This also applies to introverts. They need to be consistent in the way you treat them. How you set up standards and systems and also, how you follow up.
Only focusing on the needs of some
Managers and leaders have to be neutral. You need to set aside your likes and dislikes to serve your team. Use the collective needs of your team to better lead them.
Losing your patience
It is very difficult to be managing someone that is your complete opposite. The key is to never lose your patience. Understand before reacting. Make sure that you are taking time to better understand your introverted members.
Extroverts as Managers and Leaders
• Focus on the people
They are very good leaders and managers as they are able to focus on people which includes, clients, employees, staff, and other stakeholders. This means that they are more able to connect with those around them.
• Social
Extroverts are known for being social and outward-focused. They can connect with their employees and stakeholders very easily they provide an opportunity to interact with them. People have more access to this manager or leader due to them being more sociable.
• Clients
Extroverts make good salespeople as they can connect to large crowds very easily. This means they can take this skill to their team. They can help to improve the skill of their team members.
• Positive
This is a big benefit to the company as a whole. It creates a very good working environment and people want to be at work.
How to Manage Extrovert Team Members
- Create time for problem-solving
Extroverts need time to work on problems. They need to talk it out with someone as they tend to bounce off ideas. As this process can take time, it is good to set up a process to help out the employee.
- Idea-sharing is key
Extroverts feel centered around people. They need people to work in groups to collaborate. This helps them to come up with ideas, come up with innovation, and stimulates them more externally.
- Set the level of detail
To help out the extrovert, set up the level of detail that you want from the idea or the objective. Outline what you need and what you need them to provide. This will help them plan and deliver the correct amount of information.
- Set boundaries
Talking in collaboration can take a lot of hours and at times there are not enough hours in a day. Set boundaries on when they collaborate and when they need to work on their own. This would help extroverts manage their time better and reach objectives.
- Guide the ups and downs
As extroverts like to externally work through problems and tasks, it can mean that there are a lot of ups and downs. The aim is for the manager and the leader to better guide them through these emotions and help them see the solution faster, and encourage them where they can.
What to Avoid when Managing Extroverts
- Solo projects
Avoid giving them solo projects. Extroverts can work on solo projects but they prefer teamwork. As they get their stimulation externally, they will struggle to work on their own.
- No reward and recognition
This can apply to most employees but more so to extroverts. Make sure that you are serving your employees and know what motivates them to ensure that they are thriving.
- Little interaction
Avoid structuring their day too much which leaves the employees little time to connect with others. Give extroverts the stimulation they need.
- Administration and too much detail
Extroverts find too much admin and detail tedious and less engaging. Set up a good balance between interaction admin and how detailed the admin is.
Manage Your Perception and Bias
Though we should strive to be as fair in judgment as possible, the reality is that we all have biases that affect our judgments. Managers are no exception to the rule and a number of common biases affect how they evaluate their employees. Some of the most common are stereotyping, selecting perception, confirmation biases, and first impression biases, and all of these things influence how a manager and a leader will work with employees. Biases can be an issue for all companies.
Recruitment bias
At times it can start as early as when you start to recruit. It is very important to understand the biases that you have in place and how to fix the company as a whole.
- Beauty bias
When a company hires more attractive employees. This means that people who are more attractive gain a competitive advantage in the market. Someone with a higher level of education or experience can lose out because they are not as attractive.
- Affinity bias
This is when, for example, you hire someone because they come from the same university as you. Or you have a lot of things in common. Because of this, you assume things about the candidate.
- Halo effect
This is when you see one great thing about the candidate and you let that overshadow any of the other red flags.
- Horn effect
This is the opposite of the halo effect. You allow one bad thing about the candidate to overshadow all the good.
Dangerous biases of managers and leaders
- Similarity bias
The manager or the leader gives a lot of advantages to employees when they are similar in a lot of ways. This means that the other personality type does not get the same advantages.
- “I hired you”
This occurs when a manager or a leader wants you to think about his or her decision. It can become very dangerous if the manager or leader does not look at what the employee is doing. It comes down to the ego and pride of the leader or manager.
- “I coached you”
This means the manager or the leader defends the actions of the employee because the manager or the leader invested time in them. Because of the time invested, the managers and leaders believe that whatever the employee does, reflects on them, which can either be good or bad. So this means that bad behavior is rewarded.
- Hard limits
This is when a manager and the leader limit the company. For example, I won’t hire someone without a Harvard degree. The leader and manager allow their bias to limit the company as they are not willing to compromise.
- “I used to do that job”
The managers or the leaders have set up an idea of what is right or wrong when it comes down to that position. That means that they have a bias when it comes to change. They were not open to growth as they feel they know more about what is needed for that role.
- Pressure to deliver
This is when a manager or leader is under a lot of pressure to deliver. They can rely on their own bias to guide them. It can leave the company stuck with very little growth. This is a very hard situation to turn around.
Steps to reduce bias in the workplace
You can take several steps to limit bias in your workplace. You can think of unconscious bias as the cognitive equivalent of muscle memory, coming into play when we are faced with gaps in our own personal experience. Due to the human brain’s tendency to create shortcuts, everyone has unconscious biases.
Step 1: Set expectations and collect feedback
You can start by sending out a survey. Make sure to add why you’re doing this, when it needs to be completed, and that you need everyone, to be honest. Ideally, make sure that the feedback is honest and open.
Questions to ask:
• Are you currently comfortable in the workplace?
• Do you think your performance is effectively and fairly assessed?
• When you think of bias, what do you think of?
Make sure to give a good mix of questions to get the most information that you can.
Step 2: Encourage participation
Ask for employees to get involved in the training session, and help everyone add to the process. This will help people share their stories, experience, and how to overcome the issues.
Step 3: Build bias awareness
Make sure to share the results so that employees know what is happening in the company. Education is key to understanding the bias in the company and in your country.
Step 4: Reduce opportunities for bias through a structure
Update your systems to limit the amount of bias in the workplace. Rethink your self-evaluation and your mentorship program. and how you promote within your company.
Let us end this with this quote;
“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend”.
― Robertson Davies, Tempest-Tost
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