You work in an organization, but do you know that different types of personalities exist within your staff, each having their distinct characteristics and persona influencing how they work? It can be challenging for an employer to manage different types of personalities. Being a manager, it is your job to ensure everyone in your team is as productive and efficient, even though it means going the extra mile to treat each one a bit differently.
Let us look at the common workplace personalities and the way to deal with them.
People Pleaser:
A character that emphasizes pleasing as many people as possible. At the workplace, they would like to help out others, irrespective of the amount of work that they have. On the one hand, it helps garner positive relationships, but can often lead to inconsistency in work and a lot of it piling up because of often ignoring their work. Also, when co-workers do not need any help, they become insistent on helping out, which can cause detrimental effects of being overbearing.
An organization needs to observe such people, as there is always a risk of potential problems that they might want to avoid bringing forth pressing issues for fear of upsetting other employees. Thus, the problem might get aggravated if not tackled at the beginning. The organization needs to monitor such people & tell them that they might be obtrusive by encroaching on other people’s comfort zones while the intent might be pure on their behalf.
The Perfectionist
These individuals always aim to deliver their best work at all times. This often indicates that they are meticulous and capable of producing impressive final products. However, since their focus is too much on perfection, there occurs a delay in delivery, especially if their time management is not better. High standards set by them cause the other staff members to feel slightly unsettled, especially if the perfectionist barges into their work domain.
It is equally important to monitor this kind of employee, as they might tend to exert pressure on themselves to excel in what they do and cascade it to their fellow workers as well, thus hampering their productivity as well. Often, positive reinforcement works positively to put perfectionists at ease. You may need to make them feel that the project does not need further input.
The Motivator
A motivator is an energetic individual who considers themselves a leader. They are found generally motivating other colleagues and their subordinates to get the work accomplished. Thus, they may overstep the boundaries and provide unsolicited motivation when it is not needed.
While they can be helpful for motivating employees, there is still a need to check if the other employees are not stressed about being over-motivated.
The Evaluator
An evaluator is an organized employee who loves to work within a pre-defined structure. They have developed their working style and love to maintain them. To an evaluator, consistency is paramount, and unannounced changes disrupt their working style and may cause conflicts.
It is essential to discuss their routine while working with an evaluator. An advanced notification might be needed before making any changes to the responsibilities so that the overall work is not disrupted.
Also read: https://www.enspirehr.com/blogs/tips-to-manage-diversity-in-the-workplace/
The Worrier
Your organizations may have individuals who worry about their work. You will often remember them as someone who frequently seems restless and anxious about the work they are doing. They need constant validation to ensure they are living up to the expectations and delivering expected results.
It is essential to work on boosting the confidence of any member of your staff who might be a worrier when you find them. Worriers may become more independent and produce higher-quality work without second-guessing their actions as they reduce their anxiety.
The Performer
This type of employee loves to be the center of attraction around their office employees. When discussing a project, they are frequently very talkative and quick to tout their contributions. They also often try to get people’s attention in conversations outside work. Due to their frequent gregariousness, the performer may be one of the staff’s most popular members; however, their personality and talkative nature may repel some employees.
The performer does not require specific instruction regarding their outgoing personality unless they foster positive relationships with other employees. You should talk to the performer about showing some restraint if the performer’s actions are causing tension among the other employees.
The Diplomat
The diplomat has dualistic behavior. They behave differently when interacting with employees who are below their rank, and act another way when they interact with employees higher up than them. Thus, in front of their superiors, they seem more like people pleasers, and in front of their subordinates, they behave like a motivator.
They can cause a significant dent in the morale of the staff. Often, their subordinates feel the pinch and think that they are being mistreated. Thus, it becomes vital for HR to discuss the matter with these kinds of workers to curtail their behavior, and corporate work culture is all about giving and getting respect.
The climber
A climber is an ambitious team member who is often eager to advance their career as quickly as possible. This can be beneficial around the office, as they are often willing to take on additional work to make a positive impression. It may be necessary to monitor other staff members’ reactions to a climber to ensure they are not generating discomfort from employees who may feel the climber is too self-interested.
While employing a climber can benefit the company when they pursue their advancement ethically, it is also important to monitor how the climber is attempting to go above and beyond expectations so that they don’t undercut other employees, which can lead to conflict that may harm overall productivity.
The illusionist
Identifying an illusionist requires you to be diligent and observant of your staff, as their goal is to portray themselves as a preferable personality type. An illusionist excels at making it appear that their contributions to a project are more prominent than is actually the case by giving their responsibilities to others and seeking shortcuts with their work, then claiming responsibility for the final product.
Having an illusionist on your staff can damage morale, as other employees may have to work harder to pick up the extra work. By tracking each employee’s work, you can identify when a staff member is not doing their fair share and attempt to shield that fact. By addressing this and improving their performance or removing them from the staff, you can maintain overall happiness for your team and raise performance levels.
The individualist
Individualists are at their best when given the freedom to pursue a project independently. Even if an individualist is working as a part of a team, they will often prefer to handle their specific responsibilities in their way. Individualists also often prefer a hands-off approach to management, allowing them to work how they like and you to judge them based on the results of their work.
An individualist who understands how they operate at their best can be a tremendous asset to a company, as they deliver high-quality work without requiring a great deal of management’s time. If an employee prefers working solo, but their results need to meet standards, you may offer closer oversight or time working alongside a more experienced staff member to help them develop their skills until they can meet your criteria with their preferred approach. When an individualist is given the freedom to pursue a project, they tend to deliver their best.
Conclusion:
Ultimately, we all find ourselves working with challenging personalities and people at some point in our careers. You can better navigate your work relationships and safeguard your interests and well-being if you have a solid understanding of personality and the typical personality traits that can be problematic in workplaces. We need to be diplomatic when dealing with various difficult co-workers.