Knowing Personality Types Can Build a Strong Team

Aug 5
08:35

2011

Angela Huffmon

Angela Huffmon

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Knowing the personality types of your employees can help you build a stronger team. The right team members working together can present the best projects.

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The individuals on your team may have conflicting personalities that is affecting their progress.  Managing a team can be a challenge.   You may be wondering why the team is having so many problems.  The people on the team may have personality types that are grading against one another.  You may have too many chiefs and not enough Indians working together.  Everyone wants to be in control and no one wants to do the actual work.

There are many benefits to building teams.  However,Knowing Personality Types Can Build a Strong Team Articles building a strong team means more than just telling four or five people they must work together.  First, you must decide that everyone has the correct amount of training and experience.  Next, you need to determine if you are putting the right personalities together.

Personality Testing

If you want to find out the personality types of each of your employees you can have them tested.  There are various tests available to determine personality styles, Myers Briggs is probably the most common.  These tests will generally ask a series of questions that will determine an individual’s tendencies, style, and personal characteristics.  These traits will be categorized into a particular group and a personality type will be determined.

You can use this information to find out the strengths of each of your employees.  Also, by knowing the personality types you can determine which people should work well together.  This will help you design a more successful team.  There are many ways to break down the various personality types.  No matter which personality test you choose the personality types will be similar to the examples below.

These personality examples will help you understand why it is important to know the styles of your employees.  In addition, you will design a team that will motivate, inspire, challenge each other and present the best assignments together.

Employee with Driven Personality

This employee is usually focused on the bottom-line.  He will keep your team on track with meeting project deadlines.  The driven employee may volunteer to be team-lead.  He will not be comfortable with being just a follower because he might be a little bossy.  However, his authoritative style will keep your team from procrastinating or lagging behind.

Employee with Analytical Personality

The Analytic will help your team to present accurate information.  She is usually rigid in her analysis of data making sure to eliminate errors.  The analytic is extremely detailed and organized liking to follow a set process.  This is her way of preventing mistakes.  She may have a tendency to lag behind, however the Driven employee will her meet her deadlines.

Employee with Creative Personality

This employee may be considered a flake with the rest of the team.  The reason is because he doesn’t work the conventional way.  He may do his best work outside on a bench rather than in the stiff office space.  In addition to his ideas, this employee will bring a tremendous amount of energy.  He will also encourage the team to think outside the box about improvements that will affect future growth.  Due to his innovative nature his mind may wander getting him off track.  The team may feel they have to continue to ground him and keep his focus on the task at hand.

Employee with Caring Personality

This employee cares a great deal about the other team members.  She will benefit the team by making sure all team members are working together well.  If a conflict breaks out among the other team members she will usually step in and be the mediator.  This employee is an extremely good listener.  Her good attitude and caring personality will be like grease between the more strong willed personalities of the team.  She will not allow team problems to affect their progress.

Too many individuals with the same personality traits could stall a project.  All personality types are important for the success of a project.  As a manager, knowing the personality traits of your employees will encourage everyone to bring their strengths to the team.