Key takeaways:

• Identifying differences in personalities: Examples of personality types at work include the go-getter, the know-it-all and the quiet one, which all have different behaviors at work
• How to manage personality differences:

1. Recognize everyone’s strengths
2. Hire for company culture
3. Start DiSC or other personality profiling
4. Meet with employees individually

The different personalities, backgrounds and approaches that people bring to work are what make it interesting. And, diversity in views and experiences can make a company more successful.

However, sometimes conflicting personalities can cause tense or even unhealthy dynamics between team members or employees and managers. This can happen when employees’ strengths aren’t being recognized or appreciated or when managers are disrespected.

So, how can you successfully manage different personality types at work? We’ll cover examples of worker personality types and four ways to improve how you deal with them.

Every office or team is going to be different, just like every person approaches work differently. While this diversity is a positive, it’s not always easy to know what to do when you’ve noticed some very different personalities in the mix.

Here are a few examples of the workplace personalities you may be dealing with:

• The go-getter: Go-getters can be extremely competitive, driven and charismatic. They are focused and logical and know how to get a team together behind a cause.
• The know-it-all: These workers may think they’re always right and they always have the best answers.
• The quiet one: Quiet employees may not feel comfortable sharing their opinions and they stay silent around groups.
• The cynic: More cynical employees may always be complaining about company decisions or finding issues with ideas that other people come up with.
• The team player: Team players may be engaged, smart and creative, but they’re likely to go along with everyone’s ideas, trying to keep the peace.

This is just a sampling of the many different personality types you may encounter on a team. Each has its strengths and difficulties to be managed.

How do you manage all of these very different characteristics in employees? Here are some steps you can take:

1. Recognize everyone’s strengths

First, it can be easy as a manager or company leader to get turned off by personalities that differ greatly from your own. Indeed, some people will never get along perfectly, and that’s fine. Recognize that every person on your team has their own unique strengths that they bring to the table. Start by brainstorming those positive attributes before you get into their weaknesses.

Recognizing strengths helps you identify where they might succeed, whether that’s part of a project or department. You can then give them assignments that will challenge them. This discovery process will help you see how everyone’s strengths can fit together more effectively.

2. Hire for company culture

Company culture is defined by several moving parts in the workplace, whether it’s the work environment, company values or employee engagement. Hiring employees who are cultural fits means they align with the company’s values, beliefs and behaviors.

Today’s workers prioritize company culture. A Glassdoor survey found that 77% of respondents would consider a company’s culture before applying for a job, and 73% wouldn’t apply for a job if the organization’s values didn’t match up with their own. Alignment with company culture can be a key factor in employee satisfaction.

You first have to know what your company’s culture is, which is driven by your company’s values, policies, practices, expectations and more. Make this information clear when you’re going through the hiring process, and talk to your existing teams about how to look for cultural fits when hiring.

3. Start DiSC or other personality profiling

Personality tests are often used to better understand team members. DiSC is one assessment program that evaluates people based on four core personality profiles:

• Dominance (D): Confident, results-driven, action-oriented
• Influence (i): Enthusiastic, persuasive, collaborative
• Steadiness (S): Dependable, cooperative, supportive
• Conscientiousness (C): Competent, expert, accurate

Employees or job candidates will take a personality assessment to see where they land within these four quadrants. You should be clear on what personality types you are recruiting for. You can profile successful employees in certain disciplines and positions to look for candidates that emulate similar strengths.

Personality tests like DiSC help you understand more about the way people on your team operate and how to best solve conflicts.

Knowing the results can lead to more meaningful conversations, opportunities for collaboration and acceptance of others among the group.

4. Meet with employees individually

Sometimes the most effective way to recognize and appreciate different personalities is to get to know people on a more individual level. Come up with questions that you can use in one-on-one meetings that will reveal more about who is on your team. These questions could range from what motivates them and what they think their strengths are, to what they’re lacking as far as resources and how they would feel more appreciated and understood.

People will feel like they’re part of a team and they’ll feel seen and heard when you take the time to get to know them. This helps you understand where they’re coming from, which can lead to a more cohesive, collaborative team of individuals.

Managing all the different personalities on your team can be a challenge, to say the least. But when you can understand where people are coming from and focus on their strengths, people will feel more empowered to use their strongest skills to improve team dynamics.

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