During your career, you’re bound to come across a huge range of people and a wide variety of personality types. Not all of these will be compatible with you, and managing those who clash can be a challenge, however it is something that all professionals have to deal with if they want to be successful.
When personas collide, or if a person is difficult to deal with in a working environment, it can have a major impact on performance - both personal and at a corporate level.
For business leaders, creating the right balance of personalities is vitally important and some of the most successful teams are made up of a real variety of characters. So instead of shying away from those with personalities that are different to our own, developing and embracing them is a key skill we all need to acquire.
By understanding and respecting other personality types, businesses should be able to allocate people to roles which they will excel in, selecting the right mix of characters to best complement the organisation’s culture and achieve their long-term goals.
At MorePeople, we use Clarity4D profiles in team building and with our clients to make an impact on efficiency and sales performance. Like many of the most widely used profiling models, the Clarity4D approach is based on the most effective psychological research and, in particular, the work of Carl Jung.
It is a great tool to use for personal and team development, from selection through to appraisals and cross-departmental communication. By developing personnel, companies can reduce the costs of high staff turnover, missed deadlines and errors due to poor communication.
Here's a brief overview of some of the more typical personality types that Clarity4D and other research has identified. Maybe you can recognise one that most describes you?
The Overthinker
Most professionals will encounter a few overthinkers throughout their time in the food and agriculture industry, and they will often be a great asset to any company.
Research from the Five Factor Model, which analyses personality structure, claims that overthinkers will look into most things, spending a lot of time analysing information or tasks.
While overthinkers can appear to be frustrating to deal with when a task needs to be done quickly and effectively, they will pick up the smallest details and will be really useful when something needs to be properly investigated and pulled apart.
In control
Controllers will often be in senior positions where they have to manage members of staff. They like to have everything a specific way, where everything is under control.
Although some people will find those who exercise control difficult to work with, they can also be a great asset in a situation that requires organisation, by bringing structure and discipline.
They are often conscientious by nature and are therefore usually well prepared due to good time management skills and a sharp attention to detail.
Competitive
Competition is important in any business. If you want to be the best at something, you’ve got to compete with others to get to that position. Healthy competition is the life blood of most commercial organisations and is something that most businesses will encourage.
However, those with really competitive personalities can often turn the smallest things into a competition - which isn’t always productive. When everything is turned into a battle, it can cause stress and work can be delayed, creating a high-pressure environment which some can struggle with.
Professionals who feel as though their competitiveness can take over from time to time should let the little things go and prioritise those tasks that really do benefit from a competitive approach.
Energetic workers
Professionals who have heaps of energy are also a personality type which can benefit most offices. They are great in situations where action is required, are good for improving team morale and boosting the general office atmosphere.
Energetic workers are usually not afraid to share opinions or ideas, which is great when a business wants to take a new approach to something. It’s good for a candidate to have energy and passion because it usually means that they care.
It’s important to remember that everyone is working towards the same goal, and sometime a company requires energy and passion to ensure goals are reached and ideas are pushed beyond their boundaries.
The introvert
Every office has workers that are quiet, observant and often keep things to themselves. But it is important to realise that this doesn’t mean that these personality types are shy or anxious. It just means they express their emotions in a different way. Their nature is to internalise things and mull things over before they act.
Clarity4D categorises introverts as a simple personality type, people who like to strip things down and keep things as simple as possible.
Introverts usually have good listening skills and excel when working independently. While they may work hard to get things done, they may also need a little more of a push when it comes to putting ideas across to a wider audience.
The extrovert
As you would expect these are to opposite to introverts. They express their emotions externally, so are generally more noticeable, more verbal and as a consequence 'appear' to be the most confident of people. Extroverts are usually open-minded and willing to learn. They are curious to try new things and can be innovative and creative - which is a core trait in most businesses.
They often like to think positively, taking things on the chin when they don’t go as planned, which is a great attitude to have. However, sometimes these types of characters can be hard to control or rein in, especially if a job needs to be done in a particular way or with a certain degree of discipline.
Managing personalities
Judy Oliver, director of Clarity 4D, commented: “Having some understanding of the core personalities that people exhibit is important, as it underlines how individuals like to be spoken to or dealt with. In this fast-moving world, those individuals and companies who can recognise the different communication preferences of co-workers and customers, will be able to respond in the right way and gain a competitive edge."
“Our profiles provide a powerful and enlightening personal learning experience and because they are centred on easy to recall elements around colour, and the 4 core elements of fire, air, earth and water that people recognise, remember and then actually apply those principles in their day to day interactions with others.”
If you’re interested in exploring different personality types, or want to know more about the Clarity4D profiles, please feel free to email us on info@morepeople.co.uk or call 01780 480530 and have a chat with one of our recruitment specialists.
