Managing Workplace Schizophrenia: Successfully Dealing with Different Personality Types in a Team Environment
Good communication is known to be a key component of successful project management. Project managers are expected to have a broad set of communication skills: they must be interpersonal, amiable, tactful in their communications, and most importantly, they must be open minded. With open mindedness comes the expectation that project managers are tolerant of individuals of varying ethnicities, religious beliefs, knowledge levels, financial situations, personal characteristics, and temperament. The personality of an individual cannot be changed, however, the way in which a project manager communicates with stakeholder, can change.
An experienced project manager will have likely dealt with different personalities over the course of his or her career. Some people are introverts while other are extroverts. Some people say exactly what they’re thinking, while other people may be more soft spoken. Some individuals may always require detailed guidance and direction, while others may be more autonomous and do not prefer micro management. Regardless of the characteristics and experiences that make up a stakeholder’s disposition, their personality and personal experiences largely effect the way that they receive and respond to interpersonal communications in the workplace.
The primary golden rule when dealing with any interpersonal communication is respect. Despite an individual’s personality, it is human nature to expect respect, especially from peers. Treat all stakeholders with the same level of respect regardless of their position in the organization, their level of intelligence, or area of expertise. This is a great way to ensure that your stakeholders know that they are valued within the project, and that their contributions are important to the project’s success.
Golden rule number two is to understand project stakeholders – get to know them. If a project manager can understand how a stakeholder prefers to work, how they learn and communicate, and their expectations, it may become easy to adapt communication strategies based on that knowledge. This aids the establishment of professional relationships, builds trust, and gives the project manager an opportunity to learn behaviors of the stakeholder. A project manager may be better prepared knowing how a stakeholder may respond to a specific message or action. This ultimately can help mitigate some of the risks that are associated with conflicts, both personal and professional, during the duration of a project.
Golden rule number three is to be selective about conflict engagement. Although it is expected that a successful project manager should be empathetic and open-minded, the primary responsibility of the project manager is to ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, within the scope, and to the customer’s expectations. The project manager, even in the face of conflict, must determine what issues should be considered priority, and which issues should be let go. It is not the responsibility of the project manager to argue, but instead, to make decisions that are best for the project at large. Not all conflicts should become a battles since they generally create stress amongst the stakeholders and can potentially delay project progress. Instead, an effective project manager should learn to be tolerant and accepting of personality flaws, individual actions, and minor occurrences that may not impact the project. It is futile to be particular about issues that do not affect the team’s ability to perform work, that do not create a hazardous or hostile workplace environment, or create a poor reflection of the stakeholders perceived to be responsible for the outcome of the project.
After considering the overarching golden rules to dealing with different personalities in a professional environment, there have been several studies done to help determine how to respond to specific personality types. In an article titled “Dealing with Different Personality Types in the Workplace”, produced by Rachel (last name not identified) at Today Magazine, the author discusses her own overarching principals for dealing with personality differences and further diverges into dealing with specific personality types. Specifically, Rachel discusses a narrow range of personality types, and provides advice to professionals on how to effectively communicate with them.
Egomaniacs tend to have issues with authority. As a project manager, it is important that her or she identify these types of individuals early on in the project in order to avoid conflicts. Egomaniacs “think they always know what is best and they ignore even the nicest of advice or suggestions” (Rachel). When dealing with this type of personality, a project manager should be firm when delivering communication. It is necessary, to some extent, for the project manager to assert themselves and demand the respect of the individual, without appearing arrogant. With this, it is still important that the project manager display respect for the individual especially when providing constructive criticism. The egomaniac personality type may not take well to criticism, therefore the project manager should be prepared to provide solutions, recommendations, and processes towards improvement in small amounts and only as required.
Rachel goes on to discuss what she refers to as “The Grumpy Gus” personality type. The Grumpy Gus is the individual that frequently complains. This sort of personality can ultimately have a negative impact on the overall morale of the project team and other stakeholders. To communicate with this type of person, the project manager should first identify specific complaints that are being articulated. In this instance, the project manager must be willing to actively listen to the individual and provide constructive feedback. Recognizing specific complaints allows the project manager to better understand the issues that the individual may believe to currently exist, and provide possible solutions to resolve the grievance. The project manager may also give the Grumpy Gus an opportunity to provide solutions to their own complaints, which can ultimately help boost the individual’s confidence, and change their attitude towards specific actions and processes, and give them a sense of value added.
In a separate online article titled “Workplace Leadership: Dealing with Different Employee Personalities”, written by Lucy Harper of smallbusinessbranding.com, the author discusses six different personality types, and the most effective ways to communicate with them.
Harper begins the article by discussing introverts. Introverts tend to be “quiet, shy people” (Harper). Since introverts generally do not seek interpersonal interactions, the project manager should look use the most effective methods to send and receive communication and feedback from introverted stakeholders. When dealing with this personality type, the project manager should provide communication mediums that require minimal verbal communication, especially in front of multiple people. Instead, have one-on-one discussions with these individuals and use written communication when possible and appropriate. This will allow the individual to feel comfortable, while still providing the necessary feedback to ensure that communications are received and understood properly. By giving the introvert personality type an opportunity to comfortably communicate, this provides a chance for the individuals to share ideas, effectively perform project work, and be part of the team without having to force an uncomfortable interaction. Although it may be instinctive for the project manager to force the individual to be more interpersonal, it is important that the comfort level of the introverted stakeholder is considered. An uncomfortable stakeholder may become unproductive, frustrated, or resentful, resulting in an avoidable conflict and possibly interruptions in project progress.
Harper also discusses “The Competitor” personality type. “The competitive employee is always striving to do better than others or even his or her own personal accomplishments” (Harper). These individuals are highly driven by nature, and have a tendency to be extremely goal oriented. These individuals may not be difficult to identify, and they can be very positive assets as project stakeholders. These individuals often are willing to take on challenging tasks and provide quality output. A project manager dealing with The Competitor amongst a group of stakeholders should be mindful that the results may turn negative in the event that the competitor does not accomplish the intended goals and objectives, becomes hostile towards lower functioning stakeholders, or imposes workplace competition on those that have no desire to be involved. With this, the project manager should be prepared to provide constant encouragement to the competitor, and should be a good sport if a goal is not met, especially if it does not directly impact the project. Healthy, professional competition in the workplace is acceptable and can often times be used to motivate project teams, however, it is up to the project manager to regulate the competition. A project manager may effectively communicate with a competitive personality type by providing incentives when possible, and giving praise and constant feedback for quality results. The project manager could also assign more challenging work, with specific, measurable, goals and objectives to the competitive individual. Providing graphical representations of accomplishments can further motivate these individuals, and could ultimately spark higher productivity in the project team.
An effective project manager should accept differences in personalities as an opportunity. Different personalities amongst stakeholders creates an environment for innovation, new ideas, mentorship, and motivation. Although dissimilar personalities can sometimes create conflicts, it is the responsibility of the project manager to engage in effective conflict resolution and avoidance by being proactive, diplomatic, empathetic, and understanding of all stakeholders involved. The project manager should put a great deal of energy towards stakeholder satisfaction. This is not only limited to communication, however, communication is the largest component of project management. If project managers can successfully adapt stakeholder communications based on individual needs, characteristics, learning styles, preferences, and expectations, they will be able to effectively deal with personality differences in the workplace, and ultimately execute skillful communications management.
References
Harper, Lucy. Workplace Leadership: Dealing with Different Employee Personalities . 13 October 2013. Article. 09 October 2016. <http://www.smallbusinessbranding.com/5953/workplace-leadership-dealing-with-different-employee-personalities/>.
Rachel. Dealing with Different Personality Types in the Workplace. n.d. Article. 09 October 2016. <http://www.today-magazine.com/lifestyles/dealing-different-personality-types-workplace/>.
An experienced project manager will have likely dealt with different personalities over the course of his or her career. Some people are introverts while other are extroverts. Some people say exactly what they’re thinking, while other people may be more soft spoken. Some individuals may always require detailed guidance and direction, while others may be more autonomous and do not prefer micro management. Regardless of the characteristics and experiences that make up a stakeholder’s disposition, their personality and personal experiences largely effect the way that they receive and respond to interpersonal communications in the workplace.
The primary golden rule when dealing with any interpersonal communication is respect. Despite an individual’s personality, it is human nature to expect respect, especially from peers. Treat all stakeholders with the same level of respect regardless of their position in the organization, their level of intelligence, or area of expertise. This is a great way to ensure that your stakeholders know that they are valued within the project, and that their contributions are important to the project’s success.
Golden rule number two is to understand project stakeholders – get to know them. If a project manager can understand how a stakeholder prefers to work, how they learn and communicate, and their expectations, it may become easy to adapt communication strategies based on that knowledge. This aids the establishment of professional relationships, builds trust, and gives the project manager an opportunity to learn behaviors of the stakeholder. A project manager may be better prepared knowing how a stakeholder may respond to a specific message or action. This ultimately can help mitigate some of the risks that are associated with conflicts, both personal and professional, during the duration of a project.
Golden rule number three is to be selective about conflict engagement. Although it is expected that a successful project manager should be empathetic and open-minded, the primary responsibility of the project manager is to ensure that the project is completed on time, within budget, within the scope, and to the customer’s expectations. The project manager, even in the face of conflict, must determine what issues should be considered priority, and which issues should be let go. It is not the responsibility of the project manager to argue, but instead, to make decisions that are best for the project at large. Not all conflicts should become a battles since they generally create stress amongst the stakeholders and can potentially delay project progress. Instead, an effective project manager should learn to be tolerant and accepting of personality flaws, individual actions, and minor occurrences that may not impact the project. It is futile to be particular about issues that do not affect the team’s ability to perform work, that do not create a hazardous or hostile workplace environment, or create a poor reflection of the stakeholders perceived to be responsible for the outcome of the project.
After considering the overarching golden rules to dealing with different personalities in a professional environment, there have been several studies done to help determine how to respond to specific personality types. In an article titled “Dealing with Different Personality Types in the Workplace”, produced by Rachel (last name not identified) at Today Magazine, the author discusses her own overarching principals for dealing with personality differences and further diverges into dealing with specific personality types. Specifically, Rachel discusses a narrow range of personality types, and provides advice to professionals on how to effectively communicate with them.
Egomaniacs tend to have issues with authority. As a project manager, it is important that her or she identify these types of individuals early on in the project in order to avoid conflicts. Egomaniacs “think they always know what is best and they ignore even the nicest of advice or suggestions” (Rachel). When dealing with this type of personality, a project manager should be firm when delivering communication. It is necessary, to some extent, for the project manager to assert themselves and demand the respect of the individual, without appearing arrogant. With this, it is still important that the project manager display respect for the individual especially when providing constructive criticism. The egomaniac personality type may not take well to criticism, therefore the project manager should be prepared to provide solutions, recommendations, and processes towards improvement in small amounts and only as required.
Rachel goes on to discuss what she refers to as “The Grumpy Gus” personality type. The Grumpy Gus is the individual that frequently complains. This sort of personality can ultimately have a negative impact on the overall morale of the project team and other stakeholders. To communicate with this type of person, the project manager should first identify specific complaints that are being articulated. In this instance, the project manager must be willing to actively listen to the individual and provide constructive feedback. Recognizing specific complaints allows the project manager to better understand the issues that the individual may believe to currently exist, and provide possible solutions to resolve the grievance. The project manager may also give the Grumpy Gus an opportunity to provide solutions to their own complaints, which can ultimately help boost the individual’s confidence, and change their attitude towards specific actions and processes, and give them a sense of value added.
In a separate online article titled “Workplace Leadership: Dealing with Different Employee Personalities”, written by Lucy Harper of smallbusinessbranding.com, the author discusses six different personality types, and the most effective ways to communicate with them.
Harper begins the article by discussing introverts. Introverts tend to be “quiet, shy people” (Harper). Since introverts generally do not seek interpersonal interactions, the project manager should look use the most effective methods to send and receive communication and feedback from introverted stakeholders. When dealing with this personality type, the project manager should provide communication mediums that require minimal verbal communication, especially in front of multiple people. Instead, have one-on-one discussions with these individuals and use written communication when possible and appropriate. This will allow the individual to feel comfortable, while still providing the necessary feedback to ensure that communications are received and understood properly. By giving the introvert personality type an opportunity to comfortably communicate, this provides a chance for the individuals to share ideas, effectively perform project work, and be part of the team without having to force an uncomfortable interaction. Although it may be instinctive for the project manager to force the individual to be more interpersonal, it is important that the comfort level of the introverted stakeholder is considered. An uncomfortable stakeholder may become unproductive, frustrated, or resentful, resulting in an avoidable conflict and possibly interruptions in project progress.
Harper also discusses “The Competitor” personality type. “The competitive employee is always striving to do better than others or even his or her own personal accomplishments” (Harper). These individuals are highly driven by nature, and have a tendency to be extremely goal oriented. These individuals may not be difficult to identify, and they can be very positive assets as project stakeholders. These individuals often are willing to take on challenging tasks and provide quality output. A project manager dealing with The Competitor amongst a group of stakeholders should be mindful that the results may turn negative in the event that the competitor does not accomplish the intended goals and objectives, becomes hostile towards lower functioning stakeholders, or imposes workplace competition on those that have no desire to be involved. With this, the project manager should be prepared to provide constant encouragement to the competitor, and should be a good sport if a goal is not met, especially if it does not directly impact the project. Healthy, professional competition in the workplace is acceptable and can often times be used to motivate project teams, however, it is up to the project manager to regulate the competition. A project manager may effectively communicate with a competitive personality type by providing incentives when possible, and giving praise and constant feedback for quality results. The project manager could also assign more challenging work, with specific, measurable, goals and objectives to the competitive individual. Providing graphical representations of accomplishments can further motivate these individuals, and could ultimately spark higher productivity in the project team.
An effective project manager should accept differences in personalities as an opportunity. Different personalities amongst stakeholders creates an environment for innovation, new ideas, mentorship, and motivation. Although dissimilar personalities can sometimes create conflicts, it is the responsibility of the project manager to engage in effective conflict resolution and avoidance by being proactive, diplomatic, empathetic, and understanding of all stakeholders involved. The project manager should put a great deal of energy towards stakeholder satisfaction. This is not only limited to communication, however, communication is the largest component of project management. If project managers can successfully adapt stakeholder communications based on individual needs, characteristics, learning styles, preferences, and expectations, they will be able to effectively deal with personality differences in the workplace, and ultimately execute skillful communications management.
References
Harper, Lucy. Workplace Leadership: Dealing with Different Employee Personalities . 13 October 2013. Article. 09 October 2016. <http://www.smallbusinessbranding.com/5953/workplace-leadership-dealing-with-different-employee-personalities/>.
Rachel. Dealing with Different Personality Types in the Workplace. n.d. Article. 09 October 2016. <http://www.today-magazine.com/lifestyles/dealing-different-personality-types-workplace/>.
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