What is Your Work Style

Myers-Briggs (MBTI).   DISC.   StrengthsFinder.   True Colors.   Predictive Index (PI).

It can be an alphabet soup of personality assessments.   But here is the truth.   They are all very similar.   I’m certified in several of them, and while I’m sure the creators of the trademarked assessments won’t like this, at the root…they are all the same.

So why do people spend money and time hiring facilitators to lead exercises with their teams about whichever assessment they have chosen?   Because the value is in creating common language for their teams to use to understand the different styles people have at work.  And once they have been identified, then how to work best together with all the different personalities.

As leaders, it starts with us.   What is your work style?   What are your natural tendencies at work and where do you need to stretch based on what is needed in a moment?  And what kind of personalities do you need to surround yourself with in order to have a well balanced, strong team?   Not sure? Well let’s look at the common pieces of these assessments then we will talk about why this is important in a team.  As you read through these, remember, there are no right or wrong answers.   You will be a mix of the different components.   So no judgment, no trying to work the system, just see how you naturally answer them.

Communication

One of the key pillars of any work style is how you communicate.  Do you prefer to speak to people one-on-one or in groups?   Do you like to be able to think through your thoughts before sharing or brainstorm on the spot?   Do you prefer to communicate in written form or verbally?  Do you like collaborating with people to get to an answer, or do you prefer to work more on your own and then get feedback?  

Decision Making

Often how you make decisions is also tied to how you take in information.   Do you need a lot of data in order to feel confident to make a decision or do you lean more with your gut feeling?   Once a decision is made do you jump to the details and process to roll it out or are you thinking about the next idea?  As you are making a decision, do you think about the people it will impact or do you focus more on the impact it will have on the business?  Do you think about the impact the decision has on individuals or the masses?

Motivation

This can be a tough one because often people say they fall somewhere on the spectrum.   But try to think about your first reaction or instinct.  Are you more motivated by the rush of hitting a specific goal or the impact that work will have on others?   When you are given a goal, do you hit the ground running or do you ask questions about what is needed to hit the goal?  In times of stress or change, do you think about what needs to happen to still hit the goal or do you ask what do others need, how others are feeling or what the impact is to others?

Project Management

Outside of work, the example that is always used is, once you decide to take a trip, do you know how you are spending every minute or do you just have a plane ticket and you will figure it out when you get there!   It applies to work projects as well.   Do you like to create a detailed project plan or do you like to keep it open?   Do deadlines motivate you or stress you out?   Do you do work along the way or find inspiration in the 11th hour?  Do lists help you stay organized or do you just naturally know how to navigate the project in your head?

This all comes together in the workplace because you want balance on the team!  If everyone rushes to a goal, who will sit there and ask what systems need to be put into place, do we need to train people, etc?   If everyone sits and analyzes each piece of data before making a decision, you may not move fast enough as a business and miss opportunities in the market.   You want a team that is made up of different styles to always get the best outcomes.

And as a leader, you need to recognize the different styles on your team and then flex to meet them where they are.   If you like to talk things out but manage someone who needs time to think, you probably want to send them agendas or pre-work ahead of meetings so they can come more prepared.   If you are giving feedback to someone who focuses more on the impact of their work, versus just hitting a goal, it may feel like you are coming down too hard on them when in fact you are just trying to motivate them.   If you are more list oriented and they like to be more open when working through a project, it might feel like you are micromanaging them.  I use these examples in manager training and coaching a lot because you can be doing everything else right, but if you aren’t adjusting to the style of the employee in front of you, it can really hurt the relationship and the ability to have that person thrive (and stay!).

There are no right or wrong ways of working.  As a team, it’s important to appreciate what each style brings to the organization.   First you have to help people identify their styles of working.  Then you have to share with each other and highlight how each person makes the team successful.  Finally, help each other be vulnerable and share both their superpower but also where they need to lean on others.   I recently led a team exercise around work styles with a group and two amazing things came out of it.  First, people just got such an appreciation for each other and had a lot of laughs.  I heard several times, “Wait, that is why you do that?”.   And second they realized they are better together.   It was a team of a lot of extroverted, goal driven people.   The one or two people who were more curious and thoughtful were being lost in the energy of others.  When in fact they had amazing questions and brought up some really key things that could help the team win faster than just jumping in head first.

Each personality is important to help a team be successful and create a cohesive, productive, high performing team.  Leaders have the opportunity to set that tone to help each individual, and therefore the business, shine!

More about Karen

After starting my career in theatre and entertainment, I found my true passion in helping organizations build amazing cultures while guiding individuals to ignite their inner spark.  By bringing the perspective of a coach, an HR leader, a manager, and a business owner, I am able to help both the business and the humans achieve their goals simultaneously.

Now with over 20 years of HR leadership experience, I am the Global Chief People Officer at Obviously, a VML/WPP company, and Founder of the coaching & advising business, Shine at Work®.  I host the career development podcast, also called “Shine at Work“, and am the author of “Setting the Stage: A Guide to Preparing for Any Feedback Conversation.” As a corporate speaker, I enjoy sharing stories and actionable advice so that people can shine at work and in life.

A New England native (Go Sox!) I currently live in Charlotte, NC with her husband and furry babies.