Every workplace has a mix of people, and it’s important to handle each personality type differently to get the best results.
Below are a few things to consider when managing different personality types:
Avoid Personality Tests
Many offices will employ personality tests to learn how employees should best be managed, but personality tests are often inaccurate and potentially harmful. The best thing you can do as a manager to find out how to handle a certain employee is to ask them.
Nobody knows the ideal conditions for a person to produce their best efforts better than that person. It also takes time working with other people to truly figure them out. You can’t rush progress.
Don’t Put Your People Into a Box
While it’s convenient to put someone in a box, the truth is that humans are always developing based on their life circumstances and many other variables, including changes in the work environment.
The best strategy to cope with these gradual changes is to build actual relationships with your workforce. And actually foster their growth. Just because Susan in accounting is shy, it doesn’t mean that regular practice delivering presentations won’t help her grow into a vocal leadership role one day.
Get to Know Your Staff Better
That’s why a collaborative mindset is most important. When you sit down with your staff to assess them, find out what they want out of their work life. Collaborate on worker goals.
What ways do they want to grow and what kind of career trajectory are they hoping for? Help them identify the skills they’ll need to learn to achieve those goals and find ways for them to attain those skills.
Contact SVS Group Today
The key to managing a mix of personality types is to treat each worker as an individual. Build a relationship with them and let them know you’re there to help them become their best selves—not just at work, but in life. If that seems like a tall order, then maybe you should rethink working in management.
If this is the type of leadership you promote and you’re looking for quality candidates to mentor, contact us today!