by Kerry Tromanhauser
Any kind of test relating to work, your personality or intelligence is always interesting. Many of us enjoy a quiz, or those online Mensa-related intelligence tests; maybe because it can make us feel clever – or not, depending on the results. But there are many other tests available that are very useful at identifying certain personality traits and behaviours. This can be advantageous to leaders assembling their teams, to make sure they have a diverse mix of personality types and abilities. They can shine a light on strengths and weaknesses, and how an employee will interact with customers and their colleagues. As such, they’re a key tool for modern leaders.
Testing times
There are many different types of psychologically-linked tests that can be used by employers to provide insight in how to manage, support and get the best out of their staff. Of the many different types of psychometric tests available, ones like Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), DISC, 16 Personalities and the Holland Code career test are among the most familiar, and each one approaches personality from a slightly different perspective.
Insight into personas through personality tests
Personality tests can reveal a great deal in how people think and what motivates them – whether people are leaders or good team players, innovators with imagination, or followers who gel well with others. They may also identify if people have a ‘work persona’ that differs from their natural personality. It’s worth noting that people can test very differently at different stages in their lives. Some people testing may demonstrate a wider difference between their work and true personas. They may be trying to impress their workmates, or have aspirations to a role they haven’t quite yet attained. However, for others there may be a closer correlation – where their work persona and home persona are pretty much identical. This may come from maturity, acceptance, honesty or experience.
Identifying the various personality types is a useful arbiter for how well your team will work collectively. It also goes beyond core diversity elements to help create a truly varied team – not just giving you a balance of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background, qualifications, experience, etc but diversity of thought and approach. Key elements for a team to not just bond and work together as one, but to also be able to adapt to unforeseen challenges and be successful. The results are always informative– and often surprising.
At C.Co, we appreciate how important it is for your team to work well together. We can work with you to improve team cohesion. Contact us today to find out more.
