Stop for a minute and think about the people that you supervise at work. There are nine different types of personalities commonly found in the workplace including bambies, believers, alphas, survivors, soldiers, pragmatists, naturals, heretics and toilers. The challenge comes in trying to get them all to work together.
Break Tasks Apart
If you do not want continual conflict in your workplace, then it is often best to break tasks apart and assign each person the part that they enjoy doing best. You may want to use a test like Strong Interest Inventory to determine which part each person may be best suited to perform. This test encompasses four main parts that help you understand each person on your team, and it will help you understand team members:
- Ability to grasp broad interest fields
- Interest in various subject matters
- Identify particular jobs that an individual can do
- Recognize work styles
Create Work Spaces
Different individuals work best in different work environments. Therefore, consider incorporating different workspaces into your overall layout. Collaborative rooms are small rooms where individual scan work together. Collaborative spaces are areas where individuals can meet informally without needing to set up formal meeting times. Small privacy rooms are designed to allow employees to make important phone calls without disturbing others. Finally, quiet spaces are designed to have as little noise as possible.
Appreciate Each Team Member
Team members will work harder when they know that they are appreciated. Spend some time thinking about how to praise each member of a team. Mini-gifts that are chosen based on each person’s personality and interests can go a long way to motivate employees to work harder. Do not forget to recognize team members who like to stay hidden from the spotlight. Alternatively, if you have an employee who shines when attention is drawn to them, then make your prise more public.
Teach Communication Skills
One of the reasons that conflicts occur on a work team is that not everyone communicates in the same way. New team members should take a course on the importance of effective communication in the workplace. Team-building exercises should revolve around using tools of good communication. People should be promoted based on their ability to communicate effectively. Finally, communication should be an important aspect of performance evaluations.
When people with different personalities are forced to work together on a team, it can sometimes lead to conflict. It is your job as a leader to minimize these conflicts before they cut into your team’s productivity. Use these ideas and your own ingenuity to build an effective conflict-free team.