Whether we like it or not, there will come a day when we become a part of a team. Whether that is at school, work or even at home, the prospect of avoiding collaboration is slim to none. Teamwork, especially in the workplace, consists of multiple moving parts coming together to create a beautiful, intricate dance that cannot function properly without each person doing their part. Learning how to work efficiently in a team setting is a crucial asset to have in your back pocket.
The best way to enhance your ability to collaborate is to increase your self-awareness. Taking a personality test is a fantastic way to allow yourself to learn about how your brain ticks, all while understanding how your personality can affect the way you communicate and work with others. Using a personality test in the workplace allows you to discover ways to resolve conflict, work more efficiently, understand why that difficult person thinks the way they do, and so much more. There are so many different personality tests out there, but personally, I think the best tests to utilize in the workplace are Meyers Briggs, Enneagram, and DISC.
Meyers Briggs
The Meyers Briggs personality test is well regarded as one of the best personality tests out there. It focuses on asking questions based on human behavior principles that are divided into 4 distinct categories: Extraversion vs Introversion, Sensing vs Intuition, Thinking vs Feeling, and Judging vs Perceiving. Your results will come in the form of four letters called your type-code. I, myself, am an ENFJ, which stands for Extraverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging. ENFJs are commonly referred to as the “teacher personality” meaning I tend to excel in positions of leadership and feel motivated by helping others.
Enneagram
The Enneagram test, like the Meyer Briggs, categorizes you into personality groups. The Enneagram leans more into how emotions drive decision-making and will help you understand yourself and your coworkers. Based on your answers, you will be given a number type 1-9. I am a type 3 – AKA The Achiever. This means I am driven by success and can be charming but that I fear not being valued by others. What makes this such a valuable test to use in the workplace is because there is research that shares which numbers work best with each other. Type four- pairs with type three meaning I would work well with type fours “individualistic” style of working and they can make me make more aware and think more critically as I could help a type four be more confident and assertive.
DISC Assessment
The DISC test categorizes you as one of the personality traits of DISC. D stands for Drive, which relates to control, power, and confidence. I stand for Influence, which relates to communication, people, and interaction. S stands for Support, which refers to patience, thoughtfulness, and harmony. C stands for Clarity, which relates to structure, organization, and correctness. One thing about the DISC that is different than the other tests is you are more likely to be in multiple categories, for example my top trait is Influence and, but I have strong traits with both Influence and Drive. This personality test can help determine who is more of a go-getter or who likes to work alone, vs someone who wants to support other people and help others achieve.
Using Personality Tests at Work
Having a strong understanding of your personality type gives insight into why we are the way we are. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses when you work in a team will be beneficial to everyone. Being able to lean into each other's personality types and pair them appropriately will help reduce conflict and promote productivity. Supervisors can use these test results to understand their employees and learn how they would like to be talked to or what they value most. To make these personality tests work, it is important to make sure all the employees are taking it seriously and even discussing the test results after could be a fun team bonding experience.
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