Article

The Power of Personality within Teams

December 3, 2024

By Kim Burmeister | VP of Operations |

Upon joining a leadership team, I was asked to take a test for the Kolbe Index. This was my first time taking a personality test that would be utilized in my professional world. While I love learning more about what makes me tick, I was a bit hesitant to jump in due to the fear of having my weaknesses front and center. 

Through this experience, I learned that a company that utilizes these assessments to highlight weaknesses, is doing it wrong. A healthy team should recognize these areas as spaces to offer support to their teammates. Not everyone is an imaginative visionary or an execution wizard. Rather, mapping strengths across the team can highlight where collaboration can be powerful.

As an example, my strengths lie within Execution and Follow Through. When working with someone who doesn’t have these strengths, the combined force of a Creative or Visionary with my skills can bring about a great team. 

Another thing to remember is that often our greatest weaknesses are born from our greatest strengths. Looking at the other side of our strengths can reveal ways that we can improve or things to avoid. As a person with a strength in Responsibility, I need to remember that I often pick up tasks that rob a teammate of an opportunity to grow. When I recognize I am picking things up, I have to ask myself a question. Just because I can, doesn’t mean I should. Could someone else grow from this task or opportunity?

With the New Year approaching, is it time for your team to take a look at how you can work together more effectively? This can drive employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction, and even impact the bottom line. 

Among the most commonly used personality tests are Kolbe Index, Enneagram, CliftonStrengths, DISC, 6 Types of Working Genius, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Let’s examine the pros and cons of these tests to help businesses decide which might work best for their teams.

Kolbe Index

Overview: The Kolbe Index measures a person’s natural instincts or “conative” abilities—how they approach problem-solving and tasks. It focuses on how people do things rather than what they do or why. It is a 36 question assessment and often is administered through a consultant.

Pros:

  1. Strength-based Insight: Kolbe emphasizes individuals’ strengths, avoiding labels of weakness or deficiency.
  2. Action-Oriented: It provides actionable insights into aligning team roles with natural problem-solving instincts.
  3. Enhances Team Dynamics: By understanding cognitive styles, businesses can minimize friction and assign tasks based on innate tendencies.

Cons:

  1. Narrow Focus: It doesn’t provide a comprehensive view of emotional intelligence or interpersonal skills.
  2. Relatively Niche: Less well-known than other tests, which might require additional training for interpretation.
  3. Cost Barrier: The test and associated consulting services can be expensive for smaller teams.

Enneagram

Overview: The Enneagram identifies nine personality types, focusing on motivations, fears, and desires. There is a quick version of this assessment, but a 40+ question survey will get the most accurate result.

Pros:

  1. Deep Emotional Insights: It helps teams understand core motivations and emotional drivers, fostering empathy.
  2. Promotes Personal Growth: Employees can use their type to explore self-development paths.
  3. Versatile Application: Its rich framework applies to leadership, conflict resolution, and personal coaching.

Cons:

  1. Complexity: The Enneagram system can feel overwhelming due to its depth and layered nuances.
  2. Subjectivity: Results can be influenced by the participant’s self-awareness and honesty.
  3. Not Work-Centric: It’s not specifically designed for business contexts, so translating insights to workplace scenarios requires effort.

CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder)

Overview: Developed by Gallup, CliftonStrengths identifies an individual’s top strengths from 34 talent themes, focusing on what people do best. The assessment includes 177 paired statements with each taking about 20 seconds to answer.

Pros:

  1. Strength-Focused Development: Encourages positive framing of abilities rather than focusing on weaknesses.
  2. Scalable: It’s widely used, with clear frameworks for teams and large organizations.
  3. Tailored Growth Plans: Offers actionable strategies for leveraging strengths in specific roles.

Cons:

  1. Neglects Weaknesses: While focusing on strengths is positive, it may overlook areas needing improvement.
  2. Limited Personality Scope: It evaluates only strengths, not interpersonal dynamics or motivations.
  3. Recurring Costs: To maximize its benefits, organizations often need ongoing access to Gallup’s resources.

DISC Personality Profile

Overview: DISC categorizes behavior into four main styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness, focusing on communication and behavioral tendencies. This assessment is usually about 80 questions and takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete. 

Pros:

  1. Simple and Accessible: Easy to understand and apply across teams.
  2. Workplace Relevance: Directly linked to communication and leadership styles.
  3. Customizable Frameworks: Insights are applicable for hiring, management, and conflict resolution.

Cons:

  1. Static Typing: Individuals are often pigeonholed into one type, overlooking behavioral adaptability.
  2. Limited Depth: Focuses on observable behaviors, not underlying motivations or emotional factors.
  3. Risk of Overuse: Over-reliance may lead to stereotyping, diminishing individual nuance.

6 Types of Working Genius

Overview: This model identifies six types of working “genius,” describing how people contribute to teamwork: Wonder, Invention, Discernment, Galvanizing, Enablement, and Tenacity. Developed by Patrick Lencioni, this assessment consists of around 42 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete.

Pros:

  1. Team Synergy: Highlights complementary roles within teams, optimizing collaboration.
  2. Practical: Designed specifically for workplace productivity and teamwork.
  3. Quick Insights: Simple framework that’s easy to grasp and apply.

Cons:

  1. Relatively New: Lacks the extensive research base of other tools.
  2. Over-Simplification: Risk of oversimplifying complex dynamics by focusing narrowly on workplace tasks.
  3. Paywall Restriction: Access to full resources requires purchase of proprietary materials.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Overview: MBTI classifies individuals into 16 personality types based on four dichotomies, such as Introversion vs. Extraversion and Thinking vs. Feeling. The assessment is typically 93 questions and takes about 20 minutes to complete.

Pros:

  1. Widely Recognized: Its ubiquity makes it a common language for understanding personality.
  2. Team Building: Helps teams appreciate different perspectives and communication styles.
  3. Broad Application: Used for career counseling, leadership training, and personal development.

Cons:

  1. Scientific Criticism: Critics argue MBTI lacks robust scientific validity and reliability.
  2. Overgeneralization: The binary nature of the test can oversimplify complex traits.
  3. Static Results: Personality isn’t fixed, but MBTI results may not reflect changes over time.

Key Takeaways

  1. Purpose Matters: Different tools excel in specific contexts. CliftonStrengths and DISC are great for immediate workplace applications, while Enneagram and MBTI can delve deeper into personal growth.
  2. Depth vs. Accessibility: While some tools like the Enneagram offer profound insights, others like DISC prioritize simplicity.
  3. Team-Centric vs. Individual Growth: Tools like 6 Types of Working Genius focus on team dynamics, while CliftonStrengths champions individual strengths.

When choosing a personality assessment for your business, consider the organization’s goals, the team’s needs, and the practicality of implementing insights. Whether you seek to optimize team synergy, improve communication, or foster personal growth, there’s likely a tool that fits your requirements.

No matter what assessment you choose to leverage, it will be most powerful when shared across the team with discussions around how to best leverage each team member’s strengths.