Let’s face it, at work, different personalities are bound to collide without the proper education and understanding of work personality types. Knowing how to communicate and work with most colleagues is a skill. It takes emotional intelligence, empathy, and respect to successfully execute interpersonal skills. At SuiteMate Staffing Solutions, Inc. we hire and supply a variety of different personalities and talents. Here are 5 tips to effectively work with different personality types.
KNOW AND UNDERSTAND YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE
Take a free online DISC personality assessment to know your team personality and work style. There are four personality types such as Drive, Influence, Support, and Clarity. Knowing your work personality and style can aid in communication with different types of personality styles and productivity within a work environment. Being aware of where and how you fit in gives you an understanding of not only how you like to work but how you can communicate with opposite personalities effectively. Click here to take the Truity DISC Personality Assessment to find your work team personality and work style.
KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE OTHER PERSONALITY TYPES
Just like a loved one, once we understand and know how someone operates and communicates, we have more tolerance and empathy towards them. Individuals in any position at a workplace can benefit from the knowledge and understanding of a DISC personality test. Understanding how to communicate with different personalities can increase productivity and mediate disagreements within the team. Once you know the different personality types you can not only understand how a team member operates in the workplace but also learn not to take their delivery personal. According to Leaders, 80% of Fortune 500 companies use personality tests to vet for upper-level positions. Understanding how to communicate effectively with a team can benefit any employee seeking management or leadership roles.
APPROACH EVERY CONVERSATION WITH CONFIDENCE
Once you understand the different personality types you can communicate effectively without conflict or tension within the work environment. Many issues within the workspace are that many individuals cannot communicate their needs, boundaries, or requests without feeling uncomfortable. Any employee regardless of personality type has the capability to feel empowered and heard while at the workplace. On average most employees spend more time at work with colleagues than in the home space. With the right knowledge, understanding, and application the workspace can be a positive and safe place where everyone is heard and empowered.
BALANCE ANALYTICAL AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional intelligence is the ability to effectively manage your emotions as well as managing the emotions of others. According to Harvard Business School Online, to lead or operate with emotional intelligence you must have self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management skills.
- Self-Awareness
- Having knowledge; conscious; and cognizant of self
- Self-Management
- The act or manner of managing and handling self
- Social Awareness
- The ability to empathetically consider the perspectives of other and respond accordingly
- Relationship Management
- The ability to manage relationships in your life
An analytical approach is simply analyzing a problem and finding a solution. Analytical thinking solves problems by data analysis and finds resolutions solely based on hard facts. For successful communication, creating a balance between both emotional intelligence and analytical intelligence is essential. It’s great to know the facts and understand patterns while also having the ability to empathize with others and build relationships.
ALWAYS BE RESPECTFUL
In a respectful work environment where people feel valued, ideas will flow, and retention will be low. In any position individuals will feel valued when respect is given to their execution and accomplishments. Every workplace can be healthy and productive with respect to each roll involved in success. Understanding your colleagues approach to work and how it ties into their personality is key to effective communication that can drive success within any team and work environment.
Book Recommendations:
- Who Moved My Cheese by Dr. Spencer Johnson
- The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace by Gary Chapman & Paul White
- I Said This, You Heard That by Kathleen Edelman
- Surrounded by Idiots by Thomas Erikson
- The Power of Understanding People by Dave Mitchell