Studies show that having a variety of personalities in the workplace is an essential part of building a successful team, one that is productive in generating revenue for the company long-term. Having all of one type of personality would offer very little creative expression or introduction of new ideas. Without these things, a business will have a hard time progressing forward. How can you as an employee navigate these differences to help put your team in a position to win together?
Educate Yourself to Navigate Different Personalities in the Workplace
What are the different personalities on your team? How does each of them contribute toward your overall goal? What are the motivations of your coworkers? Educating yourself on why others are here is huge in getting anywhere in the business world. Is your boss gunning for the next promotion? Their current behavior of micro-managing your work could be explained by this.
Taking stock of who people are and why they act the way they do will help you have a better overall experience at work. This is because you will understand the people you work with at a deeper level. Knowing the mental health challenges of your coworkers is important as well. The difference between BPD vs bipolar could change how you approach someone’s anxiety or excitement about a certain situation.
Pick Your Battles
You may not like everything that your coworkers do, but commenting on it might not get you anywhere, either. Choosing your battles is key in the workplace. You don’t want to come off as the hothead that screams every time something doesn’t go their way. Your coworkers might become withdrawn, and will not be responsive, if this is the type of behavior that they come to expect from you daily. Taking time to think about what you are going to say and being slow to react to new events that occur can help you keep a level head in these situations.
Don’t Take Things Personally
You never know what someone else is going through. Someone could have lost their parent or best friend or dog last night, and their current behavior at work might be influenced by that. Not pushing them when they don’t want to discuss why they are upset or giving them space when they ask for it are good places to start. Never assume that because someone is not talking to you that they are mad at you. Many other explanations could be possible, simply based on what is going on in that person’s life.
Focus on the Common Goal
What is your common goal? What is the goal of the company? Why do you get up and go to work each day? Through good and bad times, the people you work with are all likely working toward many of the same things you are. Keeping this common goal in mind can help unite you and even introduce you to new team members you may not have spoken with otherwise.
Tailor Your Communication Style
While you should treat everyone within the company with respect, there are different communication styles that you use with different people. You may have to be super descriptive and specific in your conversations with the tech department when you need help, yet more conversational with the people that you share an office or cubicle with. Learning how your coworkers prefer to communicate and what they like and dislike can help your interactions with them be productive.
Put Yourself in Other’s Shoes
Why is your cubicle partner so competitive? Are they trying to get promoted? The concept of working toward advancement opportunities is common, and knowing where your coworkers stand on their future with the company can help you understand their day-to-day decision-making a little better.
Be Open-Minded
As you have read, there are going to be a variety of personalities that you will work with at your business, and being open-minded in this process can go a long way. People come from different work and personal backgrounds and converge together toward the common goal of a company or business. This can be smooth at times and bumpy at other times. Keeping the advice in this article in mind can help you see the situations in a different light.
