I’m a big fan of quizzes and personality tests, so when I started working for a personality assessment provider in 2020 as a Content Manager, I was in my element. What I didn’t know at the time was the difference that a scientifically-based assessment would make in my understanding of myself.
Investing some time into learning about your personality type will put you on the right track in your workplace and allow you to excel in your career.
To set us up, I have a Steady and Outgoing behavioral style. This means I love structure, thrive with human contact, prefer a slower pace and I’m more people-oriented than task-oriented. Using the framework of the DISC assessment, I’m an I/S or a Relator. This helps in my position as a Content Manager, where I am responsible for crafting narratives, interviewing customers and our internal team and making connections.
If you want to know what your personality type is, take the free Working From Home Report!
Here are a few of the ways knowing my personality type put me on the track to success in my workplace:
I actually understand my weaknesses.
“What’s your greatest weakness?” We all dread that question in interviews. You don’t want to sound like you’re humble bragging, but also don’t want to reveal an actual shortcoming that could cost you the job.
The good news about using assessments is that they reveal true strengths and true weaknesses. When I first took the Engagement Report, I was shocked at how clearly both attributes were outlined. The “tips to work with me” section felt like everything I wanted to tell others in times of conflict, while the time traps and weaknesses hit close to home.
Nobody’s perfect. The irony is that as soon as you accept that, the better you become at fortifying those weak areas. I now can recognize when I’m getting bogged down in a project and have more options when it comes to how I handle my own shortcomings.
I deal with stress more effectively.
Stress is an inevitable part of any job, but this last year of work really put most of us to the test. It certainly taught me a valuable lesson; you need to know your true self in order to manage stress.
My behavioral style means I prefer a slower pace and lots of time to think through decisions. Admittedly, I’m not great at pivoting and want to be able to wrap my head around a concept fully before executing.
This style did not serve me well while working from home! A lot was changing, including our industry and the content our audience needed, and I had to be more agile and adaptable.
Instead of internalizing those concerns, I shared them with my boss and teammates and let them know what I needed when we communicated. (For me, that was clear deliverables, objectives outlined during meetings and a second pair of eyes when I edited.)
Stress is still a major part of dealing with the new world of work, but my personality type can handle it (despite what I used to think!) I just need the right tools.
I can adapt to my coworkers (and my boss).
Speaking of coworkers, knowing my personality type helps me figure out the best ways (and avoid the worst ways) to interact with others on my team.
Since we all know each other’s behavioral styles, we can all slightly adapt to each other in order to find our stride as a group. The key is to find the parts of your behavior that you’re comfortable shifting to adjust to others.
Maybe you love talking on the phone, but your team is more introverted. Compromise with communication channels like Slack to get the instant feedback you’re looking for without pulling anyone away from work. Or maybe you hate meetings and want them to be as direct as possible, but your boss needs to chat for a few minutes before you dive into business.
Taking the extra step of investing in the best interests of your coworkers will encourage them to do the same for you. That’s a win/win situation!
I know how to pick my battles.
It’s important to know when to stand your ground in your workplace since conflict is inevitable and clashes are just a part of working with different personalities. However, not every disagreement needs to be a battle!
This is where knowing yourself will help you understand others better. If you’re working with someone who thrives off of conflict and loves a rousing debate, you need to be ready to go toe-to-toe with them when collaborating. If conflict makes them uncomfortable, take a softer approach and frame disagreements as a mutual problem to solve together.
Your behavioral style will largely dictate how you approach conflict. I am focused on my relationships with people and want to make meaningful connections, which makes conflict distressing for me. However, now that I know myself better, picking up on clues in the behavior of my teammates is a lot easier. I also can understand more easily that conflict (well mostly resolving conflict) helps relationships become stronger.
Harness the power of personality to excel in your workplace.
It used to be understood that skills like communicating, emotional intelligence, and empathizing with others were “soft skills” in the workplace. Now, they’re essential to your success. Knowing my personality type, strengths, weaknesses and tendencies have allowed me to excel in my career faster than I thought imaginable.
Positions like mine are becoming increasingly prevalent as companies realize the importance of quality content in the digital space. A Content Manager needs to be extremely creative, adaptable, and aware of what’s going on in the world. Not all those qualities are my strengths, but knowing my personality allowed me to identify and improve my weaknesses, instead of letting them hold me back.
If you’re looking for a job that’s perfectly fit for your personality, you’re never going to find it. Every step in your career will challenge you and your style. The key to success is being aware of these challenges and finding ways to do the job to the best of your ability in a way that serves your behavior style.
TTI Success Insights is an industry-leading assessment provider based in Scottsdale, AZ that is dedicated to revealing human potential through assessment solutions and research. TTI SI has administered over 30 million assessments worldwide and holds a direct presence in 58 countries around the world. Find out what your personality type is and use that information to communicate clearly, turn weaknesses into opportunities, and fast track your career.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jaime Faulkner is the Content Manager at TTI Success Insights, the world’s leading source for research-based, validated assessment and coaching tools that enable organizations to effectively meet their talent management needs, using its patented solutions and products.