Have you ever taken a personality test? Most people have taken one form or another. When we did our BBB Team Retreat, we all did personality tests and did an exercise to go along with it. It was fun learning about our own personality types and those of each other. Let me tell you a little bit about the different personality types and why it is important to learn about your team members’ personalities (and your own!).
The Personality Test
The test that we used was called 16personalities and it was free online. I encourage you to try it out! This article will be more interesting to you if you take the test. When you do the test, it’s important to answer honestly, don’t worry – you won’t be graded. Have fun while you are taking it, it’s fun to learn the results as most of the time it seems like the test is spot on! The test will put you into one of four categories. We will discuss the categories and then the different personalities within them.
The test is based on the Myer- Briggs Personality Test. This test uses the aspects of Mind, Energy, Nature, Tactics, and Identity.
Mind – Shows how we interact with our surroundings. Introverted people prefer solitary activities and get exhausted by social interaction. Extraverted people prefer group activities and get energized by social interaction.
Energy – Determines how we see the world and process information. Observant individuals are highly practical and pragmatic, they tend to have strong habits. Intuitive people are imaginative, open-minded and curious, they focus on hidden meanings and future possibilities.
Nature – This aspect determines how we make decisions and cope with emotions. Feeling people are more sensitive and emotionally expressive. They are more empathetic and less competitive than thinking types, they tend to focus on social harmony and cooperation.
Tactics – This aspect reflects our approach to work, planning, and decision making. Judging people are decisive, thorough and highly organized. Prospecting people are very good at improvising and spotting opportunities, they are flexible and relaxed people who like keeping their options open.
Identity – The Identity aspect shows how confident we are in our abilities and decisions. Assertive people are self-assured, even-tempered and resistant to stress. They don’t worry too much or push themselves too hard when it comes to achieving goals. Turbulent people are self-conscious and sensitive to stress. They experience a wide range of emotions and be success-driven, perfectionistic and eager to improve.
The Categories
The four main categories are: Analysts – Embrace rationality and impartiality, they tend to excel in intellectual debates and scientific and tech fields. they are independent, open-minded and strong-willed.
Diplomats – Focus on empathy and cooperation. They are cooperative and imaginative often being the harmonizer in work or social settings. They are usually warm and empathetic.
Sentinels – Cooperative and highly practical, embracing and creating order, security, and stability wherever they go. They are usually hard working people, meticulous, and traditional and they do well in logistical or administrative fields.
Explorers – Most spontaneous of all the categories and they connect with their surroundings in a different way than other types. They are utilitarian and practical and they do well in situations that require quicking thinking. They do well in a crisis, with crafts, and in sales.
These are the four main types but there are 16 personality types in total. When you take the personality test, you get a personality type result and you can see which one you fit into. Of course, personality is made up of more than just a “type” but it can be interesting to find out your motivations, strengths, and weaknesses.
What to Do with Your Results
We had a lot of fun when we did the personality tests and finding out more about each other as well as ourselves. It has been good for us to understand each other and find ways that we can communicate with each other and work with each other’s strengths. Our team is mostly made up of Sentinels and Diplomats which is nice because these types tend to get along with others well. That’s something we can be proud of in our small team!
There are so many ways that you might use the personality test results and information. It can help you to get to know yourself more or get to know your team more. Whatever you do with the information is up to you, but be positive with the results and have fun doing it!