Understanding different personality types is key to better dealing with some of the more challenging individuals you might work with now or in the future.
Watch these five shorts to discover how different personality traits manifest in the workplace.
THE NARCISSIST
Dave isn’t the most experienced project manager in the team, but he exudes an air of thinking he’s the best. An extrovert, he’s very open about his belief that he should be given the highest profile projects to lead, and selfishly and shamelessly takes all the credit for team work.
Despite being quiet and shy, Rupa has a strong sense of entitlement. If she makes a mistakes, she believes she should be let off the hook, though she might be the first to point out the same mistake made by others. Perceived criticism is likely to make her feel threatened.
Both Dave and Rupa’s behaviours are evident of narcissistic personality disorder, something that affects up to 2% of the population. Narcissists are obsessed with their own image, attention seeking and prone to aggression when challenged.
Discover more: How to deal with the office narcissist (via Fast Company)
THE SUPER-PESSIMIST
Jane likes to look smart in front of her colleagues, so in a conversation about something outside her skillset, she keeps her head down and doesn’t let on she doesn’t know. She avoids taking on new challenges, preferring to stick to tried and tested processes. She’s prone to giving up at the first hurdle or demonstrating resistance to proposed changes.
John, on the other hand, likes to think of himself as a work in progress. He’s smart and likes people to know it, but when he’s in a conversation that takes him outside his comfort zone, he likes to soak up the learning by asking lots of questions and listening intently. He welcomes new challenges and likes to test his own limits. If something isn’t going well, it’s likely to motivate him to work harder.
What’s the difference between John and Jane? Jane has what psychologists call a ‘fixed mindset’. She believes that she’s as intelligent as she’s ever likely to get and there’s not much she can do about her own limitations. John, on the other hand, has a ‘growth mindset’. He believes his own intelligence can be developed, and, like a muscle, he flexes it at every opportunity.
Discover more: visit mindsetonline.com
THE DECEIVER
How can you become more adept at spotting ill-truths? When someone is lying they’re more likely to create distance between themselves and their statements (by using fewer pronouns, for example). Their story might appear over-simplified as their brains struggles to build complexity around their lie. But at the same time they might use convoluted vocabulary or sentence structures to attempt to throw you off the scent.
Discover more: watch Liespotting author Pamela Meyer’s TED talk How to spot a liar.
THE PERFECTIONIST
At their best, perfectionists are the sticklers for detail and highly motivated individuals you turn to when you want something executed to the highest possible standard. At their worst, their crippling fear of failure means they’re unwilling to compromise or take a necessary risk. Challenging such an individual’s need to dot every I and cross every T isn’t easy, but in this popular TED talk, a reformed perfectionist shows that it’s possible to come to terms with lower expectations and the benefits of doing so.
Discover more: Quiz: Are you a ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy’ perfectionist?
THE MICRO MANAGER
Nobody likes to be micro managed – to lack autonomy or feel controlled and mistrusted. Discover the various ways in which a micro manager reveals him or herself (or indeed whether you’re showing any of the signs of micromanagement yourself) in this short animation.
Discover more: New ways to think about delegation
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