Personality Types In The Workplace

Social Firm recently had a team building session to understand our personality types in the office. What we found was that we are made up of very unique individuals whose qualities overlap, complement and occasionally, challenge one another.

Most jobs require you to work with others in some capacity, and this exercise was helpful in illustrating our individual strengths and weaknesses so that we can continue to find the most efficient ways to work together. Consider these takeaways to help you navigate the difference in personality types you will likely encounter in your workplace.

Understand other’s communication habits and adapt yours accordingly.

This is perhaps the single most important thing to remember. Communication is everything in a healthy and thriving workplace. To bridge communication barriers with your co-workers, adapt the way you interact with them by tuning into the ways they prefer to communicate. Do they tend to respond better to a quick email or G-chat versus an impromptu visit at their desk? Are they quick-thinkers on their feet or are they at their best after they’ve had time to think and process? Adapting your communication efforts based around their preferences will likely make them more responsive.

Don’t take things personally and pick and choose your battles.

Differences of opinion are unavoidable—however, it’s important to keep track of the goal at hand. Being open-minded to others’ input and considering their perspectives is important and necessary to the overall vision of a project, and workplace conflicts only soak up valuable work time. Negativity spreads quickly, so keep emotions in check and use differences in position as a way to find an innovative solution to the problem.

Be respectful of other people’s area of expertise.

In a strong work environment, every team member brings something unique to the table. A variety of talents and contributions by various people is what makes an office go round. It’s important to foster a mutual respect for co-workers and the expertise they bring to the company. This sense of respect enables collaboration and encourages growth and development from the entire team, ultimately shaping the success of your company.

Taking the time to understand yourself and your co-workers will help you to formulate an arsenal of tools to help you interact with the people you work closely with every day.