Tips for Working with Different Personality Types

As Andrew Carnegie once noted, teamwork “is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” Successful teamwork within the workplace increases efficiency, improves communication, cultivates innovation, and establishes a culture in which every employee feels a sense of self-worth and empowerment. However within every team, there are many personalities.

Working in a team means having to deal with a wide range of personalities. Sometimes getting along with everyone can prove to be challenging. Unfortunately, when team members can’t work together in a positive manner it can lead to slower productivity and missed deadlines.

Here are a few tips on how to deal with different personality types in the workplace.

Remember You’re on the Same Team

The best organisations include multiple personalities and opinions. However, when personalities clash, it’s easy to forget that everyone is working toward the same goals and objectives.

Remember that not every colleague will complete a task in the same manner that you would. Ultimately, there are many successful methods to approach a task. At the end of the day, you’re all working toward the same goal. Varying opinions are the sign of a passionate team. Be thankful you’re surrounded by people who care about their work as much as you do.

Trust and Be Trustworthy

When dealing with people interdependently at work, trust is the cornerstone of a functional team. Trust forms the foundation for positive interpersonal relationships, effective communication, and employee motivation. When trust exists in an organisation, almost every other aspect of daily actions are easier and more comfortable to achieve.

Be Open to Constructive Feedback

Part of working successfully in a team is understanding how others view you. Are you positive and approachable, or are you aggressive and standoffish? In order to understand how others in the team view working with you, you must make it easy for them to tell you. If they think you’ll be open to their feedback, they’ll be more likely to give it to you.

Feedback allows you to adjust your direction and course in dealing with challenges, situations, conflicts, and people at work. Your objective in engaging with team members and their feedback is to get as much feedback as possible. However, the key to feedback is how you accept it!

Show Appreciation and Remain Positive

One of the most effective ways to foster a great team environment is by showing your appreciation. This can be as simple as telling your colleagues, team members, and employees how much you value their hard work and their contributions to the organisation. Demonstrating appreciation in dealing with your team members is a meaningful way to interact with your teammates while showing them you care.

Overcome Your Fear of Conflict

No one really enjoys conflicts. However, meaningful confrontation is often necessary if you want to stick up for your rights at work. Whether the confrontation is over shared credit, or about how to keep a project on the right path, sometimes you need to have difficult conversations with your coworkers. When we avoid conflict the underlying issues can wreak havoc on the team dynamic.

It’s always best to deal with any concern or problem head-on. Remember to remain positive, and respect the other individuals taking part in the conversation. When handled properly, a conflict will help to build a team founded on open and honest communication.

Behind every great product or service is a great team. Like football players passing the ball to each other for the perfect shot, every team member plays a specific, meaningful role adding the success of an organization.