Understanding Personality Types

There are plenty of communication frameworks and personality tests out there. Some of them are useful, some are not, but all should be taken with a grain of salt. The main benefit of these things is to match your management style to the needs, motivations, and strengths of your team. Consider them starting points; not ultimate truths.

Situational Leadership

Situational Leadership is about meeting a person where they're at in a process. This is a customized breakdown:

Employee Level D1

The situation: They're eager but new to this type of task or role. They don't know where to start.
Example: Your employee is eager to start a new video strategy on your team…but doesn't know where to begin.
Approach - Directing: You can send them a series of questions to get the video strategy started. Things like: What are common types of videos that our competitors are making? How long are they? Are they interview style, animation, or something else? What's the recommended length of a YouTube video? How much does it cost to produce a video?

Employee Level D2

The situation: The traditional model states that someone at the D2 level has the necessary skills but is stuck in place due to lack of confidence. However, D2 is more about a slow down in quality or production. For this reason, this level can apply to folks who are burnt out, frustrated, or demotivated. You'll need to support this latter group differently than the former.
Example A: Your employee is feeling anxious about a project and seems to be jumping around from task to task.
Approach A - Coaching: Offer plenty of clarity around the project and work together to break down the work into smaller tasks with hard deadlines. You might also want to prioritize the tasks in order of importance.
Example B: Your employee was a high-performer but now their work quality is slipping.
Approach B - Coaching: Ask yourself if there are ways you can utilize their skills or interests more often. It's possible that this person slid into D2 because the work became stale or you weren't developing them enough. You might also want to lean into community-building, so the person can gain engagement outside their immediate work. You can also focus on the bigger picture and the role they play on the team.

Employee Level D3

Situation: The employee is experienced and capable but lacks a bit of confidence to own the project fully.
Example: They're doing a presentation and don't feel confident about their materials.
Approach - Supporting: At this level, you're more of a sounding board. Your role is to ask questions. You can also offer to review their work – such as the presentation – and provide feedback and support.

Employee Level D4

Situation: The employee is highly capable and comfortable owning their work.
Example: You give your employee a project to analyze top performing pages. They do so thoroughly and quickly.
Approach - Delegating: You really don't have to do much with a D4, as they're very comfortable owning their own work. However, that doesn't mean you should take them for granted. If you do, they can easily burn out or become demotivated. Instead, ask for their opinions on strategies, ask if there are projects the team should take on, and tap them for stretch projects they'd be interested in.

StrengthsFinder

StrengthsFinder is a personality test to uncover the top five strengths that make up a person's approach to work. Their top trait tends to match them pretty well. Why this test is useful: Knowing your team's strengths can help you determine which personalities might work best on a project.

For instance, someone whose strength is Analytical might work well with someone with the strength of Futuristic or Restorative, because there's common interest in looking at patterns to come up with better outcomes. However, the Analytical person may have trouble working with someone strong in Intellection or Learner, as these folks may want to explore new elements mid-way through the project.

The 34 Strengths

Analytical - Searches for reasons and causes; enjoys strategy.
Context - Wants to understand the present by examining the past.
Futuristic - Is inspired by the future and what it can be.
Ideation - Likes to dive deep into ideas.
Input - Likes to collect information and ideas.
Intellection - Is introspective and interested in many things at once.
Learner - Enjoys the process of learning more than the results.
Strategist - Cuts through the clutter to find the best solution.
Activator - Impatient to take action quickly.
Command - Takes control of situations and makes decisions.
Communication - Likes to discuss, teach, present, and host.
Competitive - Strives to win first place.
Maximizer - Finds "well-roundedness" a waste of time; focuses on what matters most.
Self-Assurance - Feels confident taking risks.
Significance - Wants to be seen, heard, and make a big impact.
Woo - Loves making connections with other people.
Adaptability - Responds to the demands of the moment.
Connectedness - Believes that every event has meaning.
Developer - Interested in developing the potential in others.
Empathy - Has an easy time putting themselves in other's shoes.
Harmony - Seeks consensus and common ground.
Includer - Notices anyone who's left out and brings them into the fold.
Individualization - Interested in individuality and how people can best work together.
Positivity - Is upbeat and can spread that excitement to others.
Realtor - Enjoys close relationships and achieving goals together.
Achiever - Is driven and wants to see tangible results of their efforts.
Arranger - Excels at arranging complex pieces into something productive.
Belief - Has core values and enjoys consistency.
Consistency - Craves stable routines and clear rules that everyone follows.
Deliberative - Plans ahead to better navigate risks and obstacles.
Discipline - Prefers stability and order; sets up routines and self-imposed deadlines.
Focus - Likes a clear destination; prioritizes and acts.
Responsibility - Takes ownership and follows through no matter what.
Restorative - Figures out what's wrong and comes up with better solutions.

Enneagram

The enneagram test is a personality test that is broken down into nine archetypes, which can sometimes reveal inner motivations. For instance, an Achiever might be more focused on getting results while an Enthusiast might care more about enjoying the work itself. But again, take the results with a grain of salt.

Enneagram Types:

One - The Perfectionist: Dedicated, wants to be the best at what they do, but can be overly critical.
Two - The Giver: Supportive, warm, and might not focus on their own needs.
Three - The Achiever: Success-oriented and driven, but also image-conscious.
Four - The Individualist: Wants to be as unique as possible, but can be emotion-based.
Five - The Investigator: Loves to learn, but can be detached from the rest of the group.
Six - The Loyalist: They love security and are great planners, but can get anxious about the unknown.
Seven - The Enthusiast: Passionate, fun, wants to love what they do, but doesn't like getting tied down.
Eight - The Challenger: They are protectors with a take-charge attitude, but can get controlling.
Nine - The Peacemaker: Values harmony and comfort, but can get complacent.

Jennifer CuellarSeptember 26, 2022