Personality “tests” deliver no right or wrong answers for whether or not someone should be on your team.
But they do offer, as Dr Jeromy Anglim, a Deakin University Psychology lecturer says, “a language for talking about individual differences and personal styles which many people find useful.”
Like a shorthand, cheat sheet or quick code for recognising a response and its likely motivation.
And then you can decide how you will handle it.
How does personality or temperament typing help?
Personality profiling is about understanding your own strengths and preferences and those of the people you work with for self and social awareness – key attributes of emotionally intelligent leaders.
How else will you recognise before it’s too late when a team member is struggling because your organisational structure doesn’t align with how they work best?
Hierarchical reporting, for example, can offer the clear boundaries some people need, while flatter structures suit those who do amazing work when weaving in and out of project teams.
When you don’t understand the individual personalities in your team, you could be frustrated when pre-set KPIs are not met, not respected and sometimes not even attempted.
But when you do, you can develop KPIs that draw on their strengths and preferred ways of working, communicating and learning.
Do different personality types work differently, even on the same tasks?
Yes. It’s not just about getting the job done. It’s also about the way it’s done – ideally not causing more problems than it fixes for others.
This can be tricky for project success and team cohesion when one person feels hindered or held back by another’s insistence on adhering to pre-determined schedules.
Or when a team member keeps tweaking until they feel the ‘whatsit’ is ready while everyone else is satisfied with the current version.
I’m yet to meet a manager or team leader who’s thrilled about the time they spend on refereeing personality rumbles.
What happens when everyone on the team is too similar?
There’s plenty of research that confirms personality profiling can help you identify who is suited to particular kinds of work and who will do them well.
This is particularly valuable for project teams – if everyone excels at planning but no one’s good at actually getting the job going or garnering the support it needs, then great ideas just stay stuck to the drawing board.
Diversity of personality (and therefore thinking, communicating and behaving styles) within a team can reduce the hazards of Groupthink , like poor decision-making and innovative ideas left unvoiced.
Are personality “tests” reliable indicators of a person’s aptitude for a job or a team?
“Success at work is not simply a matter of being able to perform particular tasks. It also depends on motivation and the capacity to handle stress, complexity and the social context within an organisation. Personality traits are especially relevant to this broader context of work. They tell us how people are likely to behave rather than merely what narrow skills they possess…personality matters and tests that assess it can improve selection decisions.”
An effective profiling model will have a scientific basis that’s built upon years of evidence collection, analysis and validation.
The Assessment Standards Institute, which facilitates the development and application of the American Psychological Association (APA) standards for educational and psychological testing, has certified True Colors as exceeding generally accepted standards of Data Reliability, Construct Validity and Disparate Impact.
Yes, there are also studies debunking the power of personality profiling. And of course personality is a more complex concept than a ‘test’ score.
But as a recognisable sketch of what we are like more often than not, personality profiling models (like True Colors) can save you from hours of time and angst otherwise lost to wondering why the team can’t function effectively.
Let’s examine how True Colors personality profiling might help you bring out the best in your team. Tap the button to book a complimentary and unconditional Tell Me More Call.
When your teen says it, you might roll your own eyes.
But when a work colleague calls you that…
Ouch!
To be accused of spoiling fun or ruining the moment, especially in front of others, can really cut to your core.
And it’s most likely that you didn’t mean to be mean. You were just stopping everyone from having regrets later – like missing deadlines or sabotaging this month’s excellent safety record.
Allowing the fun can still kill the joy for others.
And work can be joyful even without a laugh or lapse of routine.
Fun is the action. Joy is the feeling.
Writing for Brainz Magazine, which covers entrepreneurship, personal development, leadership and lifestyle, Kristen Lessig Schenerlein says:
According to the psychological literature, joy is an intense momentary experience of positive emotion — one that’s recognizable through physical expressions like smiling and laughter and through physical feelings such as a sense of lightness in your body.
In the moment, it’s a major, measurable upward shift in mood.
After, it can be an important motivator to front up every day.
Because it’s a positive expectation of more pleasure than pressure.
When you feel good about what you do, you’re more inclined to keep doing it.
And when you see that what you’re doing does good for yourself and others, joy can be profound.
Joy is communicated with words, tone, facial expressions, and posture – and just like a smile, it can be contagious!
Fun can help you forget for while – the budget squeeze, the difficult conversation, the tasks procreating like rabbits in the in-tray.
Joy, on the other hand, doesn’t end when the games and good times are over. It’s the feeling that pulses afterward, reminding you you’re glad you participated.
It’s what keeps you buoyant when you’re feeling swamped.
Moments of joy are a measure of happiness.
Did you know that a 2022 YouGov/Indeed study into the current state of Australian workers’ wellbeing found 26% of people surveyed said they were looking for new jobs because they didn’t feel happy in their current roles?
And that 42% associated ‘workplace happiness’ with having good relationships with colleagues and managers?
Recognising what makes the work or the workplace enjoyable for everyone in your team, not just yourself, is powerful for self-awareness and social-awareness.
Not only because you can avoid being called a killjoy, but because you can proactively contribute to regular pulses of joy.
You can use your knowledge of what gives your people joy to keep them engaged and thriving.
I created the following list from posters people make in my TrueColors workshops when asked, ‘What joys do YOU appreciate at work?’
Celebrating success
Working harmoniously
Sharing food on special occasions
Laughter
Camaraderie
Freedom of expression
Sharing a purpose and standards
New experiences
Friendships
Feeling appreciated
Do you know what ‘joy at work’ means for the individuals in your team?
We could have some fun finding out.
Tap the button to book a complimentary and unconditional Tell Me More Call.
PS. When I was a child, Joy is like the rain was my favourite hymn. The lyrics still resonate.
We have the legendary battles of World War 1 to thank for the emergence of Australia’s team identity, the Anzacs of Gallipoli in particular.
What role did communication play?
One factor attributed to the disastrous outcomes of the Gallipoli landings was the rapid loss of contact between the troops when the rugged terrain forced them to split into small groups.
In the dark.
Scrambling up the cliffs.
With no maps or battle plans.
What they lacked in support from their leaders, the Anzacs made up for with a concentrated, determined energy.
That’s what got them up and over and into legend.
How can 21st century leaders generate and channel that kind of energy with today’s workforce?
The answer is in the Communication Energy Equation.
It’s about looking at communication as the energy, the life force that invigorates teams.
Because teams need energy to move, to act, to have an impact.
Energy is what is released when entities interact. That’s how we get sound, warmth, light, smell, sensation, movement and change.
Sound energy
Humour me and clap your hands once.
I bet that small burst of sound energy sounded lonely and ineffective.
Now, imagine you’re in a theatre and it’s the end of the performance. Everyone around you is clapping too.
That sound energy has soooo much more impact, yes?
It reverberated because acting together we release powerful energy.
The performers are in no doubt about how much the audience enjoyed the show.
Communication energy
I’ve spent a lot of time working with scientists, so naturally I found myself consulting a couple of famous ones to help me explain communication energy.
Einstein declared that energy is E=mc2 – or the potential energy of an object is equal to its size, times its size.
Newton’s second law of motion says F = ma, or that the force on an object is what will make it move faster and faster.
If the force is weak and the object is heavy, it takes ages to increase the speed.
But if the force is strong and the object is light, then it will move a lot faster very quickly.
So how do you optimise the potential energy to take your team where you want them to go?
How do you generate a force that is strong and a team that is nimble?
By applying the Communication Energy Equation: E + E + E + E = empowered.
Pentland’s key elements of effective team communication
And if we add Equip to the mix, you’ll have an even more effective team.
Energy (frequency + volume)
Let’s look at energy.
The charge of the young Anzacs up the cliff face and the charge of the lighthorse brigade so often represent that energy of our youthful identity.
In business, energy is the frequency and volume of interactions.
The greater the frequency and the stronger the volume, the more energy your team will have.
If you want more energy from your team, you have to communicate effectively more often.
But there’s a tipping point – too much too often and the energy will have nowhere to go. You’ll all become frazzled and explode or implode.
(Too much talking and not enough work getting done, as my teachers always seem to say to me!)
Legendary leaders understand the energy ebbs and flows of their people and the interactions of those people.
Think of hydropower and dams – like the Snowy Hydro, built in post-World War 2 from the sweat and determination of the hundreds of displaced and willing migrants who came to Australia to start their lives over after that war.
And like the Snowy Hydro, you’ve got to get the levels right of the inflows, the outflows and storage – the potential energy – for it to be a power for good, rather than a flooding force of destruction.
Awareness – of the self and others – is a key leadership skill.
You have to know who you are leading and how they might respond to your direction.
Self and team awareness activities like True Colors profiling, are extremely valuable.
Legendary leaders recognise the differences between how team members operate and interact, to harness and channel that energy.
Engagement (energy distribution)
A military engagement is a combat between two forces, like the Anzacs and the Turks.
In organisations, engagement is the distribution of energy.
Legendary leaders keep a check on that activity and interactivity to make sure it’s shared evenly.
Developing some rules of engagement with your team is important, so everyone invests in the outcomes.
Some of these rules or guidelines might include:
The type of interactions – how you communicate, e.g. by email, meetings, sharing documents and cloud-based project management tools, video conferencing, etc.
How often do you consider necessary and reasonable for the team to communicate – weekly, daily, monthly?
What protocols will you put in place around the communication to support it?
Can you stick to a set time for every meeting and agree to always start on time? (Just one meeting per day starting 10 minutes late can add up to almost an hour of lost time every week and a whole week by the end of the year. None of you will get those 40 hours back).
Does everyone have to attend every meeting? Who has the capacity and capability to coordinate the communications and chair the meetings?
What’s a reasonable turnaround time for responding to emails, and how long can emails be before they become attachments or phone calls?
How will technology be welcomed and used?
Legendary leaders have these conversations so everyone understands what’s expected of them and the team.
Exploration (external interactions)
Like the Anzacs crossing battle lines into unknown territory, this is when individuals interact outside the team so they can bring back intelligence, news, ideas, knowledge, methods, and skills to enrich the team – to make what you’re doing even better, faster, more efficient, more profitable and rewarding.
Exploration is about encouraging your people to engage with other teams in the company and collaborate with peers from other organisations.
Networking is a key skill for exploration. Don’t assume that all your team members are willing and able to network effectively.
Observe their reactions when you present exploration expeditions to them, and coach them or provide training if they are reluctant to go out on hunting and gathering missions.
You want to build up their confidence to venture beyond the team horizon.
That includes online networking, via LinkedIn and other professional and technical forums.
Participating in online discussions also activates the exploration element and returns value to the team.
Support your team’s professional memberships. Encourage them to join special interest industry groups. You could pay for their memberships, or allow them to leave early to attend a committee meeting.
It’s something you can add to your rules of engagement – how team members share what they’ve learnt from going to meetings, conferences, and training, and from researching trends and opinions.
Another key competency for exploration and external engagement is public speaking.
Sharing your team’s expertise with an audience is another way to attract conversations about what you’re doing with people who have similar interests but different approaches.
Build up your allies and collaborations by putting your team’s efforts under the spotlight to be noticed.
Share the responsibility of leading team meetings, so everyone can practise their skills and boost their confidence.
Equip (to energise + engage + explore)
The fourth element I’ve introduced to the Communication Energy Equation is equipping your team so they can generate the energy, engage with each other and have the skills and confidence to go out and bring back new learnings.
Equip them with these 5 communication essentials.
1. Collaboration tools – the technology and opportunities to interact with each other, no matter where they are.
Offer a range of communication options so everyone in the team can communicate in ways that best suits their personalities, their needs and their job functions, while meeting the team’s goals and commitments.
(If you think team communication is tough today, spare a thought for the soldiers of WW1 – how would you cope with just carrier pigeons and megaphones?)
2. Protocols and guidelines – team harmony is most inspiring when everyone sings from the same song sheet.
When everyone knows and agrees to what the team and the company deem as appropriate behaviour for communication, it’s easier to keep the team in tune.
This is what is expected to happen before, after and during meetings…
This is what’s acceptable in a written report…
This is what we do after we go to conferences…
3. Skills and capability – to do their current job and to develop their abilities to do future jobs.
Audit their job skills and see how they align with the elements of energy, engagement and exploration.
Are their writing skills up to scratch?
Do they know how to use the video conferencing platform you’ve chosen?
Can they chair meetings efficiently?
Are they confident networkers?
Do they know how to deliver effective presentations?
What extra training will they need?
Talk to them about their ongoing communication skills development.
4. Team skills – observe your team working together and model the team behaviours you want to see, such as effective listening and giving feedback using positive language.
What are they like with negotiation and conflict resolution?
Do they know how to behave with good grace when they don’t get their own way?
Being able to trust, show empathy and share are core strengths of a good team player.
Be sure all the members of your team know how to play nicely.
5. Permission and encouragement – to release, transfer and transform the energy.
Be clear about your expectations as their team leader. Let them know where the boundaries lie and how flexible they might be.
Encourage them to interact with each other, to get involved with their professional associations, make it possible for them to be the best they can be.
Which would you rather:
Staff who say ‘I didn’t know I could’… OR… I’m so glad I could!
Anzac Day April 25 is when Australians pause to reflect on the efforts of our first national team, a youthful team representing the energy of their country.
Today, I hope you’ll also remember the Communication Energy Equation so your team can be heroes too, but better prepared, equipped and empowered to succeed.
This post is dedicated to my dad, Robert (Bob) Davson, an Australian Navy Vietnam veteran and a legendary man in my heart.
There’s value your team generates, values they believe in, and things that they value (stuff that’s important to them).
If you can’t distinguish between them, you’ve got a problem.
And it’s a common one.
Remaining committed to company values when you don’t feel valued yourself – because what youvalue isn’t respected – means generating value for the business is going to be tougher.
Company ‘core values’
People can be drawn to work for an organisation because of its promoted values.
And they stay because they feel, hear and see those values in action.
Or they leave when the promised values turn out to be just words on the website.
Company and team values are often ideals about behaviour, like ‘professionalism’, ‘integrity’, and ‘people before profit’.
Or slightly less abstract and subjective concepts like ‘innovation’, ‘collaboration and other ‘tions’.
Whatever values or types they may be, the key is for the values to have shared meaning: every employee understands exactly the same definition of the value’s concept as their boss and their colleagues.
When people on the same team have different ideas about what ‘success’ looks like, what ‘passion’ sounds like, and what ‘safety’ feels like, a problem’s already brewing.
What we actually value
Then there’s what matters to people, what they value and need to have respected to be able to give their best to a job, which often doesn’t show up in those lists of nouns about company values.
I created this list ⤵ from posters people make in my True Colors workshops. In one of the group activities I ask, ‘What do YOU value?’
Did you know these are just as important to your people as ‘teamwork’, ‘trust’, and ‘transparency’?
They’re what workers appreciate when provided because they enable people to then generate value for others.
So…
✔ Check that your team has a shared understanding of your common values. ✔ Check in with each person about what they value and if it’s being acknowledged.
Because when you know and understand what others value, you can do something about it.
If you sense or know a problem’s brewing in your team, maybe it’s a misunderstood values issue.
And, if you want to get to know what matters to your people sooner, tap the button below to book a complimentary and unconditionalTell Me More call.
