Workplace Personalities

By Molly Knobbe

Do you really know who you work with every day? You may know about your colleagues’ family, their hobbies, or what they like to eat over their lunch break, but again, let me ask; do you REALLY know and understand who you work with? Do you know who will get along while working closely together? Have you noticed someone may prefer to have a conversation over a zoom call rather than an email chain? Maybe you’ve noticed colleagues who never seem stressed, but others who experience stress more often.

Although knowing your colleague’s lunch order may be helpful at times, understanding more about their personality can foster better working environments. This is especially true now that many workplaces are communicating more through electronic mediums rather than in person. Understanding the basis of someone’s personality in the workplace will aid in determining how to communicate, how to work together efficiently, to help people grow, and to provide their best work. One of the best ways to easily determine one’s personality is by using a prescribed personality metric.

There are countless metrics available to determine the basis for someone’s personality. Most of these metrics or personality tests are easily available online to not only gain a better understanding of ourselves, but also of those with whom we work. One of the most well-known metrics used by individuals and workplaces is the Meyers – Briggs metric. There are many free versions of this test online and this test will categorize you into one of 16 different personality types based on the following attributes:

  1. Mind: Are you Introverted versus Extraverted?
  2. Energy: Are you Intuitive versus Observant?
  3. Nature: Are you Thinking versus Feeling?
  4. Tactics: Are you Judging versus Prospecting?


Determining your personality or your colleagues’ personality through this metric may provide you with information on strengths, weaknesses, and how to best perform in the workplace individually and in a group setting. Although personality metrics are not always 100% accurate, learning the basis of one’s personality may provide you with insight as to why your colleagues approach the same tasks differently, react differently to feedback, or even manage the same people in a different manner, even though you are all trying to accomplish the same goal. Whether you complete this as a group activity in the workplace, or as an individual, there are many potential benefits in REALLY getting to know who you work with.

Sources used:
https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Molly Knobbe | Senior Auditor
MKnobbe@MHCScpa.com