Personality Types and The Team

In today’s business world relationships are becoming an essential part of what we do and how we do it. The more you learn about the people you work with and yourself the higher the chances of a productive, efficient and effective work environment. So how can one attain this? Yes, interpersonal skills can be learned, a person can also enhance emotional intelligence through active listening, non-verbal communication, proper conflict management techniques and properly managing stress. As leaders and members of teams, understanding personality types is also important. Leaders should understand that people react differently to certain triggers depending on their natural behavior. According to Kroeger, Rutledge & Thuesen, Typewatching is a form of personality analysis that is “based on the notion that as long as we’re going to label one another, we might as well do it as skillfully, objectively, and constructively as possible. It is an organized, scientifically validated system that has been used for more than forty years by individuals and organizational activities, from hiring and firing to marketing and sales (Kroeger et al., p. 5).” Typewatching by Kroeger et al is used in conjunction with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychological instrument. Which is an instrument that helps individuals understand people personality differences.

According to the MBTI instrument, I am considered an ISTP type, whose definition is introvert, sensor, thinking and perceiver. As an introverted-perceiver my tendency is quiet and reflective. When a decision is made I often further reflect on it and then return to the conference

table with an idea missed during the initial discussion. According to the MBTI instrument, introvert-pe...

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...n the ISTP will most likely make. The task-management skills will naturally lie with the ENTJ and the ESFJ will most likely bring strong interpersonal skills to the team.

To improve the working relationship with teammates, it is important to value team member perspectives and contributions. This is the area I would have to focus on the most. By nature the ISTP type is able to solve problems independently and practically. However, if team member inclusion is not put into practice, extroverts may feel alienated and unappreciated. This though is actually an opportunity to facilitate innovation in a small team that could otherwise fall prey to group norms.

Reference

Kroeger, O. Rutledge, H. Thuesen, J. (2002), Type Talk At Work. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

Thompson, L. (2011). Making The Team A Guide For Managers. Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.