How can you work with team members who have different personality types?

1 Identify your own personality type

Before you can understand others, you need to understand yourself. What are your strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and motivations? How do you react to stress, feedback, and change? You can use various tools, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the DiSC assessment, to discover your personality type and learn more about your behavior and communication style. Knowing your own personality type can help you recognize your biases, blind spots, and areas of improvement.

2 Learn about other personality types

Once you have identified your own personality type, you can learn about other personality types and how they differ from yours. For example, if you are an introvert, you may prefer to work independently and quietly, while an extrovert may enjoy working in groups and talking out loud. If you are a thinker, you may value logic and facts, while a feeler may value emotions and values. By learning about other personality types, you can appreciate their perspectives, strengths, and needs.

3 Adapt your communication style

When you work with team members who have different personality types, you may need to adjust your communication style to suit their preferences and expectations. For example, if you are a sensor, you may like to focus on details and specifics, while an intuitive may prefer to see the big picture and the possibilities. To communicate effectively with an intuitive, you may need to provide more context and vision, rather than just facts and data. Similarly, if you are a judger, you may like to plan and organize, while a perceiver may prefer to be flexible and spontaneous. To communicate effectively with a perceiver, you may need to be more open and adaptable, rather than imposing deadlines and rules.

4 Respect individual differences

Working with different personality types does not mean that you have to agree with everything they say or do. However, it does mean that you have to respect their individual differences and avoid making assumptions or judgments. Instead of criticizing or dismissing their ideas or opinions, try to listen and understand where they are coming from. Instead of imposing your own standards or expectations, try to find common ground and compromise. Instead of avoiding or escalating conflicts, try to resolve them constructively and respectfully.

5 Leverage team diversity

Working with different personality types can also be an opportunity to leverage team diversity and enhance performance. By combining different strengths, skills, and perspectives, you can generate more creativity, innovation, and problem-solving. By balancing different weaknesses, gaps, and challenges, you can improve quality, efficiency, and productivity. By embracing different feedback, learning, and growth opportunities, you can develop professionally and personally. By working with different personality types, you can enrich your office administration experience and career.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?