Leveraging personality �types at work

A quick introduction on how to use personality testing to improve �team collaboration, performance and happiness at work��By Philip Boisvieux 🌳 | CC-BY-NC-SA license

Initially crafted and presented at makesense (2016)

Foreword

Hi there!

Welcome! This presentation is aimed at guiding you while discovering and using personality testing for yourself or within your team at work.

It will cover the following topics:

1. The why, how and what of personality testing
2. A presentation of common tests and processes
3. An introduction to some of the most popular tests (MBTI, Big Five…) including:
1. A short presentation of each test
2. An explanation of how it works
3. A glimpse at the outcomes
4. Pros and cons for using the test
5. Testing resources

Warning: This is a text-heavy presentation

It has been designed as a guide to be read more than a media to be presented, as the topics may require additional time for quiet review. So, enjoy your read and head to the end of each section if �you only wish to take the tests!

Personality testing at work

Table of contents

• Personality testing 101
• Common tests
• How to use them
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• Big Five
• Enneagram
• Other tests & resources

Personality testing 101

The why and what of personality testing

Why would you use personality testing?

What alternatives do you currently use to reach these benefits?

Why use personality testing at work

• Work better and smarter together
• Collaborate smarter and leverage �each other’s strengths
• Develop synergies and better �manage internal resources
• Boost team cohesion and motivation
• Help each other understand �and reflect on work styles
• Improve internal communication
• Support personal growth
• Identify strengths and growth opportunities
• Facilitate career advancement

+

+

+

There are many misconceptions and misuses around personality testing.�Please keep in mind the following instructions throughout the presentation.

What personality testing is NOT about

Common misconceptions about personality testing

“I see… you’re a Positivizer type”

• You are not a personality type. You are a person. Personality types are only about identifying thought or behavior patterns, personality traits.
• You are not bound by a type. You can change and adjust your behavior. Having a tendency towards certain behaviors does not mean you are bound �to be the same all life long.
• There is no magic test. Each test has its limits and is somewhat limiting. Always put the results into perspective!
• There is no good or bad type. Each type has its advantages and flaws. And depending on cultures, work environments… some might be more valued.
• It should never be mandatory. It is just a tool for self-understanding. Not a rule.

What personality testing IS about

Goals and uses of personality testing

A tool for self-understanding

• Personality is a great tool for self-understanding and self-reflection, both in a personal and team setting. It allows for a better understanding of work styles, decision making, stress handling, etc.
• Use personality testing to guide internal discussions and collective reflections on team effectiveness, conflict management, etc.
• Organize tasks, projects and teams based on each other’s strengths, weaknesses and preferences to boost productivity.
• Use personality testing when welcoming new team members, in order to form strong and complementary collaborations internally.

Common tests

Popular tests and their �key components

How do most of the tests work?

Common methodologies

Each test has its specificities, both in terms of analysis and methodology. However, it is interesting and useful to note they share a lot of similarities:

• Most of the personality tests are based on declarative data, self-identification and questionnaires. Some of them also include third-party validation.
• Most of them use scales and questions on typical work and personal behaviors to identify preferences, temperament, cognitive abilities and interests.
• Most of them have light versions and extended versions that usually cost money and are meant �to be taken with certified centers or trainers.

tests & frameworks

Common tests and frameworks

There are many tests and frameworks you can use to assess personal and team preferences. Here is a shortlist of the most common ones. Feel free to �let me know if you think we missed an important one!

• MBTI
• Big Five and related tests (16PF, IPIP)
• Belbin Team Roles
• Enneagram
• Process Com
• DISC
• Personality Compass
• Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel
• Etc.

How to use

Advice on using �personality testing at work

Keep in mind

Instructions before use

• Beware of biases: tests are mostly based on declarative data, so it is easy self-project in an ideal self or to be biased while answering. Not to mention you might answer the test in a specific mood or context.
• Results can change from one year to another. It is therefore advised to retake some tests to identify evolutions, although some test results are supposed to be stable.
• Always look at the tests as a tool and a basis for discussion, not as an absolute definition of yourself nor a magical team-building solution.
• Each tests has its limits and focuses on specific aspects of personality. No test will ever capture your full personality and potential.

Typical process for using the tests in a team

Reflecting on the results

Tips on sharing with your team

Looking at your current activities and organization…

• How do you feel about the results and what you have just learned from each other?
• How do you currently value each profile’s strengths and preferences?
• How do you deal with each profile’s weaknesses?
• What skills, traits or profiles are you missing? Which ones are quite common?

With the results in mind, what could you do to value each profile and take everyone’s preferences into account in your internal communications, decision processes, team organization, etc.?

Feedback & Questions

?

Focus on 3 popular tests

Presentation of the MBTI, the Big Five and the Enneagram

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

#MBTI #Jung #Popular #16Types

MBTI

About

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) is one of the best-known and most widely used personality tests. It's based on the work of Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist who studied personality archetypes, and founded analytical psychology.

Katherine Briggs and her daughter, Isobel Briggs Myers, expanded on Jung's theory to identify a total of four pairs of opposing psychological elements. According to the theory, everyone has a preference for one of the characteristics within each pair, and we use that preferred approach most of the time.

More information: Official website, Wikipedia

Based on personal preferences

Favorite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I).

Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition (N).

Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).

Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).

Your Personality Type: When you decide on your preference in �each category, you have your own personality type, which can �be expressed as a code with four letters (ESTJ for instance).

Warning

About “preferences”

Everyone has all 8 differences and we all use them daily – we simply find some easier, more natural and more comfortable than others. As our preferences use less of our energy, they become our default when we are given choice or when we are put under pressure (‘resorting to type’). Working against preference costs us energy and can be stressful.

Preference doesn’t correlate to ability. Plenty of people have poor hand-writing with both the hand they prefer and the hand they seldom use. It is deliberate practice, training and feedback that increase our skill and ability. Just because you prefer something doesn’t make you good at it and just because you prefer something less doesn’t mean you can’t be good at it. It is for this reason the MBTI cannot be used for selection and assessment. It’s simply a discussion, awareness and development tool.

Outcome: 4-letter type

Pros and Cons of the MBTI

Despite being widely criticized, the MBTI is one of the most popular personality tests on the market. It can be used as a solid and common ground for team conversations on work styles and preferences.

Free testing resources^*

*Please note that these are free and non-official resources that might not reflect exactly your personality type. �To take the official test, we advise you to contact a certified trainer or organization.

Feedback & Questions

?

Big Five

#5Traits #Universal #Neutral

Big Five

About

The Big Five personality traits, also known as the Five Factor Model (FFM), is a model based on common descriptors of personality used by some psychologists to describe the human personality and psyche.

The five factors have been defined as openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism, often listed under�the acronym OCEAN.

Beneath each proposed global factor, there are a number of more specific primary factors. For example, extraversion is said to include such related qualities as gregariousness, assertiveness, excitement seeking, warmth, activity, and positive emotions.

More information: Wikipedia, Open research project

Based on universal personality traits

This test is based on the Five Factor model of personality, the most widely accepted theory of personality today. The Five Factor model scores people based on five broad dimensions of personality:

• Openness to Experience - How much do you�enjoy abstract ideas and artistic expression?
• Conscientiousness - How much do you put off immediate gratification in order to achieve long-term goals?
• Extraversion - How much do you turn to the �outside world for stimulation and excitement?
• Agreeableness - How much do you�put others ahead of yourself?
• Neuroticism - How likely are you �to bounce back from stressful events?

​

​

Extraversion

Agreeableness

Conscientiousness

Neuroticism

Openness to experience

Outcome: �5-scale positioning

Pros and Cons of the Big Five

The Big Five is a somewhat neutral test that can be useful to assess personal preferences and team culture. As it focuses on traits and not types, it can easily serve as common ground to explore working styles �and identify thinking patterns among your team members.

Free testing resources^*

*Please note that these are free and non-official resources that might not reflect exactly your personality type. �To take the official test, we advise you to contact a certified trainer or organization.

Feedback & Questions

?

Enneagram

#9Types #Development #Circle

Enneagram

About

The enneagram (from “ennea”, nine and “gram”, drawing) is a pretty simple personality framework. Its earliest origins are not completely clear – the circular symbol may have originated in ancient Sufi traditions, and was used by the esoteric teacher George Gurdjieff.

It is a self-observation tool that describes nine interconnected personality structures, called enneatypes. These can be seen as nine different �views through which reality is seen.

It has become particularly popular within the self-help and personal growth movements and is also used in professional contexts to identify behavioral patterns, communications and organization styles, etc.

More information: Wikipedia, Enneagram Institute

Based on inner motivations and drivers

The 9 profiles are based on personal motivations and preferences. Each of them relates to a specific vice—e.g. anger—and a corresponding virtue—e.g. serenity—that essentially drive different life paths and relational strategies.

The 9 types are subdivided into three main centers: head, body and heart. With each type comes a wing that alters the base profile and helps refine it.

Finally, the Enneagram also integrates nine levels of development. Depending on the person’s development stage, the personality type expresses itself differently and we will either see more of its qualities and virtues, or more of its vices.

​

Outcome: Type number and wing

Pros and Cons of the Enneagram

The Enneagram offers a lot of value regarding personal growth and self-understanding. It also helps build common ground and interpersonal understanding by spanning through universal drivers and values. Definitely a good basis to open team conversations!

Free testing resources^*

*Please note that these are free and non-official resources that might not reflect exactly your personality type. �To take the official test, we advise you to contact a certified trainer or organization.

Feedback & Questions

?

Visit this Personality wiki to get �free access to personality tests�and additional resources!

Other tests & Resources

Let us know if we are missing anything!

Other tests �& resources

Table of contents

• Belbin Team Roles
• Process Com
• Margerison-McCann Team Management Wheel

Belbin Team Roles

#9Roles #Behaviors #Contributions

Outcome:�Preferred roles

Learn more

Process Com

#6Types #Base #Phases

Outcome: Ordered preferences

Learn more

Margerison-McCann �Team Management Wheel

#4Types #Roles #Wheel

Outcome:�3 favorite roles

Learn more

Thank you for your attention!

By Philip Boisvieux 🌳

Workshop designer and facilitator, strategic communications and social innovation consultant

All content is shared under CC-BY-NC-SA license

​

👀 Feel free to visit the Personality wiki to get free access �to personality tests and additional resources.

📬 Don’t hesitate to get in touch via LinkedIn!