Have you ever paused to consider how your personality impacts your job performance? Consider how these attributes affect your productivity and your work environment.
Extroverts are energized by other people, feed off their energy and love the idea of working as a team. Introverts, on the other hand, have to muster energy to spend great deals of time with people. They prefer to work in a quiet corner by themselves. Their energy levels are determined by social interactions, rather than caffeine consumption.
In a work environment, extroverts are more likely to be productive if they can work on tasks with other people around. They tend to function less effectively in a cubicle or isolated office because they are constantly looking for somebody to talk to or brainstorm with. Extroverts are at their best when interacting with people, whether that is a group of co-workers or new clients.
Introverts at work are more likely to consider a day productive when they are able to stay at their desk without being bothered by other people. Their productivity is highest when they are alone, not having to exert their energy to manage a social interaction. It’s not that they are incapable or unfriendly; it just requires more effort.
However, if you need somebody to read over a proposal, perform research tasks or check inventory by themselves, they will not feel as though they are being punished like an extrovert might.
Researchers who study learning styles have determined that certain students are not morning people.
It’s not merely a preference, but it is something hardwired into our brains. And it doesn’t change when we become adults. Certain times of day are more productive for you than others.
So applying that research to your workday may mean you do the most difficult tasks of the day during your best time of day.
If you happen to be a morning person, don’t put off the most gruelling item on your to-do list until later. Use your mornings as a springboard to your success. If you’re an evening person, schedule meetings with clients over a drink after work or an evening meal.
Play to your strengths.
If you are sitting in a company meeting discussing future product ideas, do you get more excited while dreaming about the possibilities or while compiling the list of things to do?
Some people are dreamers by nature. They love to think about the “what if’s” and brainstorm new ideas. Others are doers. Their excitement peaks when the brainstorming is complete and it’s time to put a plan into motion.
Generally speaking, dreamers are not very good doers and doers are not very good dreamers. They need each other to maximize their potential.
If your company consists of all dreamers, nothing will get done. If it is made up solely of doers, you’ll struggle with innovation. Hire to your weakness.
Some people see the forest; others see the trees. Which person are you? In other words, do you primarily see the big picture or the details that make up the picture?
Someone who sees the big picture is most productive when dreaming or casting vision. Individuals who focus on the details that comprise the bigger picture are most productive when they are clear about the specific role they need to perform within the bigger picture.
Obviously, people don’t just fit into one of the two ends of the spectrum. There are varying degrees of each of these aspects of personality and a multitude of combinations.
You might be an introverted dreamer who functions best in the evening or an extroverted, big picture person who awakens with the sun.
The idea behind knowing your personality traits is to analyse how you could become more productive naturally… and to understand why your co-workers don’t always think or work in the same way.
As William Shakespeare wrote, “To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
So ask yourself: Where do you fit on the spectrum? Are you an introvert or an extrovert? A big picture person or a detail oriented person? You might be surprised by the insights the questions yield.