Achieving Business and Personal Success by Understanding Personality Types
No matter the company or situation, the relationship between sales and engineering is always strained. Despite their need to work together, the ability to find harmony among varying personality types is often a challenge. Similarly, tensions also exist between other team roles or departments such as project management and programmers, or marketing and product development. In each case, a compromise must be found between their opposing forces in order for business to thrive.
Although all the intentions are good and everyone is on the same team in pursuit of a collective goal, the ability to work together and see eye-to-eye remains a challenge for many who come from differing areas of strength or perspectives within an organization. What is important to understand is that all the roles within an organization are important to its success. Each has its place and could not function without the others (though some feel they are more critical and wish the others were non-existent).
Without sales and marketing generating opportunities, there would be no work to be done. Without engineers, programmers, and project managers, the deliverables could not be provided, commitments would not be met, and clients would not be satisfied. Additionally, it is the customer or technical support team that keeps clients happy, human resources that cares for the team members, and accounting that keeps the money flowing. With all of the various components working in harmony, the cycle of business runs fluidly resulting in growth and prosperity. Overcoming common challenges in communication, approach, pace, and level of detail are what make teams effective and businesses successful.
Finding Core Skills & Strengths
Why is it so difficult for some roles within an organization to get along despite being on the same team?
What it comes down to is that the types of people who traditionally excel at defined roles within an organization possess a common set of core skills and strengths. While these traits may be ideal for one role, they could be undesirable for another. For example, salespeople tend to be people-oriented, fast-moving, spontaneous and fearless. Whereas, engineers are typically deliberate, calculated, detail-oriented and risk-averse. Comparing these two sets of opposing traits, there is no wonder why two roles are prone to conflict.
Understanding personality types provides a great asset for those in all aspects of business and daily life. Whether from the perspective of employers and candidates seeking to fill a position, managers who need to lead multi-disciplinary teams, co-workers needing to work together productively, client/vendor relationships, or as an everyday lifehack, the ability to master and apply an understanding of personality types provides a true, recognizable advantage.
Personality types not only describe a person’s behavioral traits, tendencies, and actions, but also how they are perceived by others. While it is important to be comfortable with understanding your own personality type, it is also incredibly valuable to recognize and be able to interpret the personality types of others. Just as it is widely known that getting people to change significantly is a futile effort, making adjustments to one’s self and knowing how to effectively communicate and interact in a manner that is comfortable for those of differing personality types can be the key to successful engagement and the springboard for establishing valuable relationships.
Understanding Personality Types Session at Commercial Integrator & CEDIA Expo
How well do you know your personality type, the personality types with whom you work best, and how to work with personality types that you find difficult?
To learn more and understand how to apply hands-on knowledge of personality types to business and everyday life, be sure to register for our highly interactive and engaging sessions on Understanding Personality Types for Increased Productivity and Success at Commercial Integrator Expo on Thursday, September 7 at 2:30 p.m. or CEDIA Expo on Friday, September 8 at 11 a.m. Attendance at these sessions can also earn 1 AVIXA CTS RU.
The practical knowledge gained from this valuable professional development session promises to provide the greatest benefit in the least amount of time of anything you will learn this year!
