Working with Different Personality Styles
How to Manage a Team with Different Personalities
Different personalities playing themselves out in the workplace can be very frustrating, comical, and entertaining. That’s why TV shows like The Office and Parks and Recreation are so popular. People can relate to these real-world characters. Either you are one of the characters or you know one! But in the real world, the question becomes how to manage a team with different personalities.
There are so many personality tests out there, but the most widely used and most trusted is The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) Assessment. Our team of Certified MBTI® Practitioners provide consultations, and we’ve seen incredible results for both individuals and teams. We typically work on identifying personality types, and then provide coaching on how to interact with other personality types.
Let’s think through some scenarios of how personality types play out in the workplace using the TV show “The Office” as our example. (If you’re interested, here is an entire conversation thread about each character’s MBTI® type. Below is a summary of one person’s opinion from that thread.)
The “Michael Scott”: Do you have a boss that is extraverted, craves attention, procrastinates and is impressively loud? This type of personality is a great leader but needs coworkers that can be “the voice of reason” as needed.
The “Dwight Schrute”: Do you work with someone who has an amazing attention to detail but lacks the social tact to go with it? Tasks are more important than people, and while the job will always get done, some hurt some feelings will be left in the wake of success.
The “Jim Halpert”: Introverted, but a goofball, this person doesn’t readily open up to those around him or her, which can cause relationships to take a long time to develop between coworkers. It can also cause feuds that may disrupt work efficiency.
The “Pam Beesly”: Very emotional and not the greatest leader, Pam isn’t incredibly productive but does bring good ideas to the table. She is loyal but easily gets bored with work.
Why Personality Types Matter When Understanding How to Manage a Team with Different Personalities
While the TV show characters are dramatic for entertainment purposes, we can all relate to working with many personality types. It’s difficult to work with people that clash with your standard way of operating. Even with these rifts, recent studies have shown that collaboration directly links to higher revenue. At the end of the day, we want our positions, our teams, and our companies to be profitable. The great news is that all personalities can learn to work together and form productive, profitable teams.
Successful collaboration within internal teams and alongside external partners requires effective communication, conflict management, stress management, and leadership skills. There are many tools, resources, and attainable skills that anyone can learn to collaborate with other personality types effectively. Hiring a career coach and MBTI® consultant is the best way to ensure success in this area.
Are you interested in taking a MBTI® Assessment or having your entire team do so? The Wilbanks Consulting Group provides tailored workshops to groups, and career coaching to individuals, allowing teams and individuals to move forward quickly with the clarity and agility required to excel. Learn more about MBTI® and schedule your assessment today!