While personality tests for employees can provide valuable insights into unique traits and work styles, critics raise several concerns. Some argue that these tests may oversimplify complex human behavior, lack reliability, and validity, and suffer from self-report bias.
Additionally, there’s a concern Assigning individuals to personality types may encourage stereotyping, pigeonholing, limit growth, and lead to unfair treatment. Critics doubt the practicality of assessments, suggesting they may not offer actionable insights or benefits in the workplace.
Despite concerns, personality tests can improve workplace performance when used responsibly and alongside other tools. Plus, the way organizations use assessments is changing; assessment data can now be used dynamically rather than remaining a one-time, static transfer of information.
Ever since their inception, assessments have been a static, one-time experience. Meaning users complete a list of predefined questions that translate into a final score that lives on in perpetuity… Thanks to automation, asking additional assessment questions over time is becoming feasible. Assessments can be refined as users engage in additional contexts, such as interactions with specific colleagues or while dealing with certain challenges. – Scott Dust, Forbes Council Member
A balanced approach to tests, while considering their limitations, provides valuable insights into employees’ strengths, motivations, and preferences. And understanding your employee’s personality inventory can help ensure they are in roles that are an ideal job fit.
For example, a more introverted person who doesn’t like speaking in public will most likely not get a job that requires them to do so. Having the right personality for the job or organization will result in a better job fit and bring many benefits—including reduced turnover. – peopledynamics.co
By tapping into the power of these assessments, managers and coworkers can enhance understanding, strengthen collaboration, and reduce conflicts. Embracing assessment tools in the workplace can ultimately lead to a more successful organization and unlock your team’s full potential.
Key Takeaways:
Assessment tools can enhance understanding, strengthen collaboration, reduce conflicts, and unlock team potential for a more successful organization.
Consider relevance, validity, ease of use, and actionable insights when selecting assessment tools for employees.
A balanced approach to personality tests can provide valuable insights into employees’ strengths, motivations, and preferences, helping to ensure an ideal job fit.
Learning how to “treat others how they want to be treated” can improve communication, relationships, and team effectiveness.
The Purpose of Personality Tests For Employees
Ideally, personality tests help organizations provide a common language, improve communication, reduce tension, reveal strengths/weaknesses, and identify growth opportunities.
When employees understand their personality traits and those of their colleagues, they can approach each other more effectively. This can transform potentially tense situations into constructive conversations.
Assessments can also be used as tools for personal and professional development. They help individuals understand themselves, manage their behavior, and learn how to adjust their communication style according to their teammates’ preferences.
8 Benefits of Personality Assessments in the Workplace
Increase Communication: By gaining insights into their and others’ personality traits, team members can effectively express their needs and better understand how to work toward shared goals.”
Encourage Collaboration: By helping teammates understand the unique strengths, motivations, and communication styles of each other, you can create a more collaborative and harmonious culture.
Personal and professional development: Self-awareness can catalyze personal and professional growth.
Psychological safety: When individuals feel understood and can communicate in their most natural state, they experience a higher level of psychological safety, which is essential for a successful workplace.
Strengthen Trust: When teammates understand each other’s personalities and motivations, they can build stronger relationships and trust, fostering a more supportive and cohesive environment.
Boost Productivity: You can enhance team productivity and performance by leveraging each person’s strengths and adapting your communication style to their needs.
Employee Satisfaction: When individuals are encouraged to utilize their strengths and align their work with their passions, they are more likely to be satisfied and engaged with their jobs, leading to increased retention and a more positive work atmosphere.
Team Building: Understanding each person’s motivations and strengths can help you create more balanced and effective teams. Managers can assign tasks that align with each member’s skills by recognizing and leveraging individual talents.
It turns out the golden rule of “treat others how you want to be treated” can be taken a step further in the workplace. Instead, strive to “treat others how they want to be treated” to improve communication, strengthen relationships, and increase team effectiveness.
Enhancing Collaboration and Personal Development through Situation Awareness
Understanding your situation is crucial in moving from self-awareness to successfully collaborating with others. By recognizing that there are different ways you can behave regardless of your natural tendencies, and considering factors such as urgency in communication, asking more questions, or being mindful of the words you use when giving critical feedback, you can significantly improve the collaboration within your team.
Operating with minor adjustments, where you invest a little extra energy to behave differently according to your teammates’ needs or the situation, is called personal development and self-management. This is the ultimate goal of providing personality tests for employees – to comprehend yourself, your team, and your situation and to manage your behaviors, expectations, and actions accordingly. This ensures the most positive, fruitful, and forward-moving outcomes for your team and yourself.
Recognizing what makes you exceptional and choosing to act differently out of kindness, generosity, collaboration, and the desire to achieve more can make you more effective and thrive at work and in your personal life.
Assessments are tools for understanding all your options, enabling you to make the best choices and achieve the desired outcomes. By increasing emotional intelligence, you can unlock your full potential and become a more effective leader, teammate, and individual.
4 Keys To Selecting the Right Personality Tests for the Workplace
When choosing assessment tools for your employees, consider the following factors:
Relevance to the workplace: Ensure the test focuses on traits directly impacting work performance and collaboration.
Validity and reliability: Select tests with strong scientific backing, as they are more likely to provide accurate and consistent results.
Ease of use and interpretation: A good test should be easy to administer and understand. This helps individuals quickly apply the insights they gain to their everyday work interactions.
Actionable insights: The best test results provide practical recommendations for improving communication, collaboration, and team performance.
Top 5 Workplace Personality Assessments to Optimize Team Performance
The top five assessments that can significantly enhance collaboration and performance in the workplace are:
16 Types
DISC
Enneagram
StrengthsFinder
VIA
16 Types
The 16 Types assessment, based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), measures mental habits and decision-making engines. It’s invaluable for understanding how individuals consume information, learn, and reach conclusions. By recognizing these habits, you can foster buy-in, minimize miscommunication, and build trust within your team.
Disc
DISC is a quick and easy-to-remember assessment that measures four traits: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness. By observing your team’s communication styles and level of activity in conversations, you can better understand their needs and motivations. Adjusting your approach based on their DISC profile can improve collaboration and productivity.
enneagram
The Enneagram is a versatile assessment that can serve as a lens for understanding socio-emotional motivators. By identifying these drivers, you can comprehend why individuals behave differently when pursuing the same goals or facing the same challenges. The Enneagram also provides insights into group dynamics, decision-making environments, and conflict resolution, making it a powerful tool for promoting teamwork.
strengthsfinder
Strengths-based assessments, such as StrengthsFinder, Strengthscope, or VIA, help individuals tap into their innate talents and abilities. Employees can become more passionate and energized about their work by activating and developing these strengths. Leveraging the strengths of your entire team can create a synergistic environment that fosters a high-performing and engaged workforce.
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The VIA (Values in Action) Strengths assessment is a tool that measures an individual’s character strengths. It focuses on 24 character strengths, organized under six virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence.
You can create a more positive and strengths-based team by identifying and leveraging individual character strengths by supporting employees in using their unique qualities to contribute to the organization’s success.
When teammates understand and appreciate their colleagues’ unique abilities, they are more likely to support and complement one another. In addition, this understanding can encourage a growth mindset, as team members can learn from each other’s strengths and work on their weaknesses.
Personality tests for employees are essential tools in the workplace, as they can reveal diverse aspects of an individual’s character, work preferences, and motivations.
What Insights Do Different Personality Assessments Reveal About Employees?
16 Types (MBTI): Offers insight into how employees process information, learn, and make decisions. Managers can effectively assign tasks and optimize workplace dynamics by understanding how an individual’s brain works.
DISC Assessment: Focused on observable behavior, DISC identifies distinct work styles, making it an invaluable tool for managers to understand and support their employees. It’s beneficial when time is limited, and a quick evaluation is needed.
Enneagram: This assessment delves into the underlying motivations that drive an individual’s behavior. By comprehending these driving forces, managers can tap into their employees’ strengths and provide tailored support, leading to improved performance and job satisfaction.
Strengths Assessments: These identify employees’ unique talents that, when developed, result in exceptional performance. Recognizing and leveraging these strengths can help employees excel with less effort, ultimately benefiting the entire team.
Leveraging personality tests for employees is a powerful way to unlock your team’s full potential and create a thriving culture. By understanding each team member’s unique strengths, motivations, and work preferences, you can foster collaboration, minimize conflicts, and ensure that tasks are assigned in a way that maximizes performance and job satisfaction.
Cloverleaf offers a range of assessments, including free options. We recommend starting with 16 types, DISC, Enneagram, and strengths assessments. These can provide valuable insights into team strengths and opportunities for growth. Click here to start a free trial or take a test.
Have you ever wondered why some colleagues seem to have a different approach to work than others? Or why do certain team members communicate differently or prioritize tasks in a particular way? Using DISC in the workplace can help teams understand one another’s behaviors and actions.
The DISC profile can help you understand yourself and your teammates because it identifies common patterns of behavior and motivation. The assessment is easy to comprehend, with only four parts: D, I, S, and C. Each letter represents a specific work style and describes the interests of each quadrant.
This post will explore using the DISC in the workplace to improve your team’s communication, collaboration, and productivity. You’ll also discover practical tips and strategies for working effectively with each type.
How Does The DISC Assessment Differ From Other Assessments?
The DISC assessment is unique in that it provides a simple, accessible way to understand and categorize behavioral tendencies, which can improve communication, teamwork, and leadership in various contexts. Other assessments may focus on different aspects of an individual’s personality or behavior, such as emotional intelligence, cognitive abilities, values, and motivating factors.
The DISC profile differs from other assessments in focusing specifically on an individual’s response to favorable and unfavorable situations. It measures their tendency toward four behavioral traits: dominance, influence, steadiness, and compliance. DISC provides insight into individual interactions and responses to stress and conflict.
Why Is DISC Important In The Workplace?
Incorporating DISC into the workplace can improve communication and conflict resolution to enhance team performance and productivity. Managers can create a more cohesive and effective team by understanding each person’s motivational tendencies, communication styles, and cognitive diversity.
Understanding Motivational Tendencies
One of the primary benefits of using DISC in the workplace is its ability to provide information about the motivational tendencies of individuals. For example, individuals with high Steadiness scores may value cooperation and sincerity, while those with higher Dominance scores may prioritize pushing towards goals and outcomes. Understanding these tendencies can help managers better motivate and engage members of the team.
Enhancing Communication
DISC scores can also provide insights into effectively communicating with others. For instance, a team with a disproportionate number of high Dominance scores may create an environment where those with higher Steadiness or Compliance scores do not feel comfortable contributing ideas. Managers can create a more inclusive and productive environment by understanding different communication styles.
Depersonalizing Conflict
DISC can also help depersonalize conflict by providing a common communication language for a team. For example, using a team dashboard to display aggregate DISC results can help team members better understand each other’s conflict management styles and triggers. This can lead to developing a “conflict contract” that establishes group norms for dealing with conflict and helps generate team buy-in.
Capitalizing on Cognitive Diversity
Studies have shown that teams with higher cognitive diversity produce better outcomes. DISC can help teams understand their level of cognitive diversity and how to harness it to improve outcomes. Using the team DISC wheel, managers can see where the team lacks certain styles or where a member may play a critical role in achieving team goals.
Defining the Right Roles
DISC can help managers better understand how team members fit into their roles. Managers can create a more productive and engaged team using DISC to match individuals with roles that align with their behavioral patterns. Assigning tasks that conflict with their natural style may lead to burnout or turnover.
The D Type Personality In The Workplace
Dominance: Balancing Drive with Team Dynamics
The D in DISC stands for Dominance, which characterizes driven, goal-oriented, and assertive individuals. They are natural leaders who seek control and authority, viewing them as positive qualities. However, in their quest for success, D types may prioritize tasks and outcomes over the well-being and contributions of their co-workers.
High-D individuals must balance their drive for achievement with understanding how their actions affect their team dynamics. Overly focusing on tasks can dismiss the importance of building relationships and collaborating. This can ultimately hinder team success and create a hostile work environment.
Leaders with high-D traits can motivate their team towards a shared goal while creating a culture of openness, respect, and trust. By balancing their dominant nature with empathy and consideration for others, they can harness their strengths to achieve success for the team.
The I Type Personality In The Workplace
Influence: Harnessing Energy for Collaborative Success
“I” stands for Influence in the DISC model, representing individuals prioritizing social interaction and relationship-building. I types are energized by being around people and are drawn to change, seeing it as a positive force that can bring about new opportunities. They excel at connecting with others, using their charisma and personal skills to generate enthusiasm and excitement.
One potential downside of the I style is that their enthusiasm and love of variety can sometimes lead to impulsiveness and distractibility. They may lose sight of the end goal or become disorganized in pursuing new experiences. As a result, it can be helpful for Is to work with someone who can provide structure and help keep them focused on the task at hand.
Influencing types bring a valuable perspective to teams, and their ability to build relationships and generate excitement can help keep teams motivated and engaged. By understanding their strengths and potential pitfalls, Is can use their skills to benefit their team and the organization.
The S Type Personality In The Workplace
Steadiness: Fostering Team Harmony and Collaboration
These individuals are team players who prioritize a harmonious and inclusive team culture. They value stability and seek to create that for their team.
Others often consider them to be great listeners and have supportive teammates. They don’t like change or conflict and rarely initiate it, even if it costs them. It’s also essential to include them in any team decisions, give them ample notice if any changes need to be made, and seek their opinions.
S-Types like to ensure everyone is heard and foster a strong sense of connection among teammates. By understanding and leveraging the strengths of the S style, you can create a positive and supportive team environment.
The C Type Personality In The Workplace
Conscientiousness: Leveraging Attention to Detail for Team Success
The letter C represents traits that value a high focus on details and a desire for excellence. Individuals with this personality type are motivated to deliver quality work and are experts in their area of work. They hold themselves and their team to high standards and seek feedback to ensure their work meets expectations.
While conscientious individuals bring value to a team, they can find it stressful when faced with last-minute changes or rushed schedules. It’s important to give them adequate notice and allow them to work independently. They appreciate regular feedback but must be presented with kindness, as they can be sensitive to criticism.
These individuals thrive when given tasks that require attention to detail and expertise. They don’t need much collaboration or social interaction and may prefer to work from a private office or home. You can maximize their contribution to the team’s success by recognizing and leveraging their strengths.
How To Use The DISC Assessment With Teams?
The DISC circle illustrates how individuals with different personality types respond to change differently.
Responses to Change Based on DISC Types
The top of the circle represents the Ds and Is, who are drawn to change and view it as a positive force that can help them achieve their goals. In contrast, the Ss and Cs at the bottom of the circle are change-averse and can perceive change as an opposing force that may impede their effectiveness. They fear that chaos may arise in the team due to change.
People vs. Task Orientation
The DISC model further categorizes individuals into two groups based on their preference for people or task-oriented work. Those on the I and S side are drawn to people, collaboration, and service, and those on the D and C sides are attracted to tasks, execution, and accomplishment.
Effective Communication Strategies For Each DISC Type
The way people communicate also varies based on their place in the circle. Ds prioritize clarity over diplomacy and may come across as blunt, while Is focus on building relationships and connection.
Ss prioritize harmony and use soft-spoken, affirming communication, making direct communication difficult. Cs prioritize clear communication based on data and have a black-and-white approach to good and bad.
It’s helpful to slow down and use a measured approach when speaking to Ss and Cs, especially when giving feedback or asking for information. Providing notice and time to synthesize information is crucial for Ss and Cs.
Providing advanced notice about impending changes or project deadlines can help gain buy-in from Cs and Ss. Communicating how changes will benefit the organization or team can help achieve their support.
D and I personality types respond well to direct, confident, and energetic communication. They appreciate clear goals, objectives, and deadlines. When communicating with a D, it’s essential to be clear and concise, avoiding too much detail or ambiguity.
When communicating with an I, it’s important to be enthusiastic and engaging, using stories and anecdotes to keep their attention. They appreciate a more conversational tone and love to be recognized for their contributions.
D and I personality types appreciate a sense of urgency and enthusiasm in communication, and giving them space to express their ideas and opinions is important. They also respond well to visual aids and are more likely to be motivated by positive feedback and recognition than criticism.
Using DISC To Improve Communication During Team Meetings
During meetings, it’s important to be aware of communication patterns that can reveal someone’s DISC style. The Ds and Is tend to speak up first and express their opinions, while the Ss and Cs may reserve their comments. To ensure all members contribute, set aside time for Ss and Cs to provide feedback and opinions. For example, dedicating the last 15 minutes of the meeting can be effective. Creating a cadence for participation can also encourage involvement.
When Ds and Is lead meetings, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard is essential. They may assume that others will speak up if they have an idea, but encouraging participation is important. Awareness of each DISC type can help create routines that allow for informed decisions and ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
Using Cloverleaf's DISC Personality Test To Nuance Unique Personality Characteristics In The Workplace
DISC results often include a spectrum that reflects where individuals fall on each of the four quadrants. It’s possible for individuals to strongly prefer one quadrant or be more balanced, meaning they won’t have a dominant trait.
One of the unique features of the Cloverleaf DISC test is that it reveals some conflicting values that individuals may possess. For instance, individuals with a strong I and C may experience conflicting values because they enjoy a fast-paced environment with people and frequent changes from the I. Still, from the C, they also desire consistency.
Some characteristics may present less in individuals because they are self-regulating, which is a superpower. Balancing opposing values is a unique strength, as it allows one to see both sides of an issue.
Those with strengths in opposing quadrants, like IC and DS, have complementary strengths that can benefit a team without a partner or collaborator. This ability to see both sides of the picture can drive external collaboration and build consensus while maintaining attention to detail and striving for excellence.
In contrast, a traditional influence strength may become exhausted with detailed work. Still, someone with a balanced profile can have the energy to dig into the data and make new discoveries.
The rare combination of a high S and D result is present in only 2% of Cloverleaf users. These individuals possess a strong pioneering driver while valuing connection and being highly supportive of their team. They love change, power, and authority but also desire stability and harmony with others.
While some people with this combination may focus their drive inward rather than solely on achieving goals, it’s important to note that there is still a strong desire to move forward.
Conclusion
Each quadrant in the DISC profile is driven by particular questions that they find most important.
Ds are goal-oriented and prioritize understanding where they’re going and how to get there.
Influencers prioritize collaboration, resourcefulness, and the enjoyment of the task.
Steadiness drivers want to know how they will execute a task and how it will impact the team’s well-being.
Conscientious individuals want to understand the task, including its standards, expectations, and boundaries (such as time, resources, and commitments).
By using DISC in the workplace, you can tailor your communication and approach to meet their unique needs and preferences.
Understanding DISC results and the communication styles of each quadrant can significantly improve your team’s dynamics and productivity. By knowing the questions that each quadrant is interested in, you can communicate more effectively, meet everyone’s needs, and gain their buy-in faster.
Taking the DISC assessment and inviting your team to do the same can help you leverage everyone’s talents and gifts to achieve better results. Visit cloverleaf.me to start your profile and begin your journey towards better teamwork.
Emotional intelligence in the workplace can greatly impact the success and productivity of a team. It involves understanding and managing your own emotions, being aware of other’s emotions, and adapting to new situations.
Traditional leadership models have primarily focused on technical skills rather than soft skills like emotional intelligence. Some leaders may not understand the impact of emotions on workplace performance and decision-making. At the same time, others may believe emotions are personal and have no place in the workplace.
Plus, developing emotional intelligence skills can be time-consuming and may not be seen as a priority for leaders focused on meeting short-term goals and targets. However, as awareness of the importance of emotional intelligence continues to grow, it is becoming increasingly clear that leaders who invest in developing their emotional intelligence and that of their teams can reap significant benefits for their organizations.
In this post, we will explore why emotional intelligence is so important in the workplace, provide examples of self-awareness, and share strategies for increasing emotional intelligence among teammates.
Why Is Emotional Intelligence In The Workplace So Valuable?
Individuals with high EQ tend to be better leaders, have stronger interpersonal skills, and are more effective in handling workplace stress and conflict.
For example, a study by TalentSmart found that 90% of top performers have high EQ. Another study by Hay Group found that leaders with high EQ have teams that are more engaged, more productive, and experience less turnover.
Research in the Journal of Organizational Behavior outlines that individuals with high emotional intelligence are better equipped to overcome one of the most significant obstacles in their work-life: employment gaps. These gaps can be involuntary, such as a termination, or voluntary, like taking time off to care for family. The higher an employee’s emotional intelligence, the more likely they are to navigate interruptions in their employment successfully.
It’s no surprise that high EQ is linked to increased job satisfaction, improved job performance, better relationships with coworkers and leaders, and employee retention.
And soft skills aren’t just great for creating a fulfilling and pleasant work environment. The link between profit and leaders with high emotional intelligence is clear. In one study, CEOs whose employees rated them high in character had an average return of 9.35% over a two-year period, nearly five times as much as companies with CEOs who had low character ratings.
Prioritizing emotional intelligence in the workplace can drive significant improvements to an organization’s bottom line. If high EQ among teammates can affect job satisfaction, performance, and employee retention, investing in EQ development within teams can be a wise business decision for leaders.
IF EQ In The Workplace Is So Important, Why Do Top-Level Leaders Resist Prioritizing It?
It’s not uncommon for leaders to push off emotional intelligence initiatives because they are familiar and comfortable with traditional measures of job performance. Things like technical skills and intelligence seem easier to quantify and measure.
A Wall Street Journal survey of 900 executives found that 92% said soft skills were equally important or more important than technical skills. But 89% of those surveyed said they have a “very or somewhat difficult time finding people with the requisite attributes.”
Additionally, they may not realize the impact of soft skills in achieving long-term success. Further, the lack of an established or standardized method for measuring EQ could also lead to it being overlooked as a valuable metric for success.
For decades scholars have debated the relative importance of cognitive intelligence (IQ) versus emotional intelligence (EQ) to workplace performance. Research shows both are helpful. However, in the era of COVID-19, my bet is on emotional intelligence playing a much stronger role. –fastcompany.com
Remote work and other factors shaping the future workplace experience require stronger levels of communication and collaboration. As traditional workplace dynamics and routines have been disrupted, EQ becomes even more crucial in helping teammates navigate workload, well-being, conflicts, and fulfillment to create a place to thrive in their work.
We define emotional intelligence (EQ) as the power to identify, handle, and express emotions and to comprehend and empathize with the emotions of others. When it comes to the workplace, having a high EQ is crucial for building trust and managing conflict to be an effective team.
Self-awareness emerges from two places:
Internally: Understanding one’s desires, strengths, weaknesses, and impact on others.
Externally: Realizing how others interpret and experience you.
When it comes to internal and external self-awareness, it’s tempting to value one over the other. But leaders must actively work on both seeing themselves clearly and getting feedback to understand how others see them. The most highly self-aware people are actively focused on balancing the scale. – Harvard Business Review
Teams that exercise emotional intelligence do more with less drama. They are tuned into their internal emotional life, can manage those feelings, and transition that energy into positive team momentum.
What Does Self-Awareness In The Workplace Look Like?
Self-awareness is crucial to emotional intelligence, starting with understanding your emotions, behaviors, and thoughts. In the workplace, having a strong sense of self-awareness can take many shapes and forms, such as:
Acknowledging when you’re feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or angry and taking proactive measures to manage those emotions
Being mindful of how your actions and words can impact others around you
Taking a step back and reflecting on your behavior to pinpoint areas that need improvement
Seeking feedback from your coworkers and superiors to understand yourself better.
Emotional intelligence is being able to understand your own emotions and manage them. It’s also the ability to observe others’ emotions, understand a situation, and adapt to remain productive at that moment.
By taking the time to understand your emotions, behavior, and thoughts and being proactive in managing them, teams can foster a positive productive work environment.
Examples Of Self-Awareness In The Workplace
Have you ever had one of those mornings where everything seems to go wrong? You arrive at work feeling overwhelmed. Every person can relate. Maybe you lost your dog, became angry in traffic, or experienced a disagreement with a family member before leaving the house. But, what if you could process those emotions and release them, allowing you to start your work day feeling recentered and in control?
Emotional intelligence can help you acknowledge and understand your emotions to prevent them from dictating your experience at work. Recentering your feelings to ensure they do not influence how you treat your teammates or drive you to make decisions because of things outside of work.
As a leader or coworker, it’s important to not only manage your own emotions but also be aware of the emotions of those around you. If you notice a colleague coming in with a negative demeanor or a bit huffy, take a moment to ask how they’re doing and if everything is okay. By simply asking questions, you can help them process their emotions and release any tension they might be feeling.
8 Questions To Help Teammates Process Their Emotions And Refocus On Work
How are you feeling right now?
Is there anything that you need to vent about or share?
Can you walk me through what has been bothering you?
What steps can we take to resolve the situation?
How can I support you at this moment?
Is there any specific task or goal you need help with?
Can you tell me more about your experience and how it has impacted you?
How do you see yourself moving forward from this situation?
By actively listening to team members verbalize their feelings, you can help them become more aware of their own emotions to help them feel more centered and able to move forward. This small act of empathy can go a long way in creating a positive work environment and improving overall workplace relationships.
How To Increase Emotional Intelligence Among Teammates
The best way to increase emotional intelligence in the workplace is to help improve self-awareness within each team member. Self-awareness enables individuals to identify areas for improvement, manage their emotions, and make more mindful decisions, which is foundational to increasing emotional intelligence.
Teams can proactively support EQ-based initiatives by implementing strategic efforts to help members feel, recognize, regulate, and communicate their emotions.
Utilize Automated Coaching™: Cloverleaf provides personalized, ongoing coaching tips to help employees develop self-awareness and powerful insight about teammates.
Celebrate Feedback And Reviews: Encourage employees to give and receive feedback in a safe by creating the structure to do so with performance management platforms.
Empower Learning and Development: Offer training programs that hone in on emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and personal growth.
Cultivate Open Communication: Work with your team leaders to establish consistent 1-on-1 meetings with direct reports to establish clear initiatives, trust, collaboration, and relationships.
Leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the culture and dynamics of the workplace. That’s why leaders must make emotional intelligence a priority. If not, the rest of the organization may not value developing their EQ or fully supporting initiatives.
And that’s where things can start to unravel. Even further, teams may lose their best talent as many seek places of employment that recognize the importance of emotional intelligence in the workplace.
Talent turnover is an expensive problem and, therefore, must be solved. Thankfully, it’s a problem that can be solved. For the most part, employees leave for reasons that are within the control of employers:
Culture
Work Environment
Growth Opportunities
Leadership Disconnect
By prioritizing emotional intelligence and creating an environment where employees feel valued and challenged, organizations can retain top talent and even attract it.
Conclusion
The next time you encounter an emotionally charged situation, consider using a simple checklist to guide your response. Ask yourself, “How am I feeling?” and “What can I do about it?”
Encourage others to share their emotions by asking, “How are you feeling today?” and “How do you want to show up for this?”
Starting a meeting with these questions can help team members process their emotions and be more present in the moment. Consider offering support by actively listening, responding, or taking action when addressing a situation. This approach can help increase emotional intelligence and create a more supportive and effective work environment.
If you’re looking for additional ways to enhance emotional intelligence in the workplace, visit the post that details an Employee Engagement Strategy For A Human-Centered Workplace.
A chronotype quiz helps you understand the biological clock that controls your body’s rhythms. Your Chronotype may be why you feel grumpy in the morning or at your best at 5 am. It may be why you feel exhausted in the evening or focused by 8 pm. This genetic, biological clock affects more than your sleep pattern. It affects when your optimal times to work, perform, eat, plan, exercise, and more.
Are you a Starter, Pacer, or Anchor? Take this quiz to find out. Discover your Chronotype today by taking the Energy Rhythm Assessment.
What Does Chronotype Mean?
Unlike a standard clock, not every person’s biological clock keeps the same time or pace. Of course, there’s a reason why people say they’re not a ‘morning person.’
Some individuals are more productive in the morning than others, while some function better in the evening. Everyone has an individual sleep schedule that affects their day-to-day performance.
Your body is programmed to wake, sleep, and function much better at certain times of the day than others. People fall into different ‘Chronotypes’ based on general awake and sleep preferences or needs. Your Chronotype reveals what rhythms are optimal for you to work positively with your body, not against it.
A chronotype quiz can help you understand your biological programming better and discover which Chronotype you relate to the most.
What Are The Three Chronotypes?
There are three primary Chronotypes – Starter, Pacer, and Anchor. These Chronotypes correspond with your unique biological clock.
In the workplace, Chronotype matters because it affects the times of day an individual will feel most alert, focus on tasks the best, and what jobs they do best during certain times of the day.
Having varied chronotypes on a team can benefit the team’s productivity and creativity if every team member knows their differences. Teams can get knowledge of their differences, use it to their advantage, and understand how they will feel through healthy collaboration.
The Cloverleaf Chronotype quiz can reveal a lot about a person concerning their energy patterns over a typical 9-5 workday, what tasks are most manageable for them to excel at during specific times of the day, and what their team’s flow may look like daily.
Using the Cloverleaf Chronotype Quiz, you can discover your Chronotype in just 90 seconds. The quiz includes questions to better understand your biological programming to reveal your Chronotype.
Cloverleaf’s Energy Rhythm Assessment draws from research about circadian rhythm and circadian typology. Circadian rhythm refers to the internal processes which regulate the sleep/wake cycle and affect people’s biological and psychological functioning in everyday life, health, and disease (Adan et al., 2012).
Your chronotype is one of three types:
- Morning type (the Starter)
- Midday type (the Pacer)
- Evening type (the Anchor)
The Starter Chronotype is about 15-25 percent of the population.
Starters are morning-type people. The Starter is an individual who enjoys an early sleep schedule and early wake time. Their peak happens in the early morning, and they experience their trough in the middle of the afternoon. This is around 12-1 pm time (lunch hours). Their recovery tends to occur in the late afternoon to early evening, around the end of their 9-5 workday.
The Pacer Chronotype is about 50 percent of the population.
Pacers are most productive during mid-morning. Pacers have a similar energy rhythm to Starters, but their peak happens in the mid-morning portion of the day. Pacers get up early and have their trough mid-afternoon, with a recovery period from late afternoon to early evening towards the end of their 9-5 workday.
The Anchor Chronotype is about 15-25 percent of the population.
Anchors are commonly known as the ‘Night Owl.’ The Anchor will often sleep in and be ready to sleep late in the evening. Their energy rhythm is similar to those that are considered Starters. Anchors experience their peak in the late afternoon to early evening at the end of a typical 9-5 day.
Anchors may have more variability during their trough than Starters or Pacers, but that trough may also be longer. Their trough happens early to mid-afternoon, with a recovery period in the morning (beginning of a typical 9-5 workday). The Anchor will often go to bed late into the night.
Pacers are the most common type among adults. And it’s important to remember that all Starters, Pacers, and Anchors experience a peak, trough, and recovery period in their day.
Understanding Your Chronotype Quiz Results
Knowing your Energy Rhythm can help you determine the amount of sleep and energy you need to excel. Learning more about your team member’s assessment results can help improve collaborative efforts.
Peak time is best for analyzing tasks, requiring lots of analytical and strategic brainpower.
A Trough is best for maintenance tasks – those low-brainpower, straightforward tasks like adding to your calendar or answering emails.
Recovery is best for Creating Tasks.
People experience a rise in energy, mood, and vigilance during their peak. People typically experience a dip in energy, mood, sleep performance, and care during their trough. During recovery, energy and mood take a sharp rise. The peak, trough, and recovery periods occur at different times for people, depending on their Chronotype.
Discover your Chronotype today with Cloverleaf. Take the Chronotype quiz to find out which Chronotype you are to start maximizing your effort and better utilizing your energy.
Enneagram 3’s are called The Achiever. They are motivated by the need to be productive, achieve success, and avoid failure. Three’s can also be playful, giving, responsible, and well-regarded by others in the community.
Type threes are often hardworking, goal-oriented, organized, and decisive. Threes can radiate confidence that others find assurance and inspiring. They like their work to convey their competency.
Type threes are efficient at getting things done. They aim to achieve personal goals and have a keen ability to size up tasks and understand the dynamics within teams.
Enneagram 3 Strengths
Drive
Efficiency
Optimism
Pragmatic
Confidence
Adaptable
Focused
Charisma
Threes enjoy motivating others to greater heights of success and are appreciated for their many successes. They enjoy finding ways to make it possible for others to get ahead. Their growth direction helps them to embrace honesty, commitment, and loyalty to others.
Development Opportunities For Enneagram Type 3s
Threes may need to monitor their willingness to be charitable and cooperative in their relationships. One way they can do this is by taking time to pause during a busy day to connect with an individual to learn more about their goals, cares, or desires.
Type threes may struggle with taking a break. Their strong drive for achievement can lead them to exhaustion with a relentless pursuit of their goals. Ambition and self-development are
good qualities, but threes must temper their drive with rest. Something as simple as taking a few deep breaths is enough to recharge their batteries and improve their outlook.
Another way type threes can transcend their personal interests is by working cooperatively with others toward goals. This effort can be a powerful way of finding their true value and identity.
Threes can also grow by being mindful of how often a desire for acceptance drives their actions.
Enneagram 3 Blindspots
Impatience
Scheming
Image-Driven
Lacking Transparency
Self-Promoting
Insensitive
Unhealthy threes are very self-conscious. They want to be admired and accepted according to social norms. In stress, threes become performance-driven to receive praise and attention.
The temptation of a three is efficiency at all costs. While type threes are often perceived as being highly relational, relationships can be in service of their need to be successful and drive for achievement.
An unhealthy three is mechanical, calculating, impatient, chameleon-like, scheming, image-conscious, self-promoting, success-driven, slick, political, and ignores feelings.
Identifying your type is not an excuse for specific behaviors. Such as, “I can’t restrain my drive for success; I’m a three.” Instead, threes can consider, “Perhaps I am allowing a need for recognition to get the best of me. Am I reacting to this to feel safe?”
Enneagram 3 Wings
A three can have a two or a four wing.
Threes with a two wing tend to be more people-oriented. They can be helpful, socially adept, and tuned in to others while using their charm. In stressful situations, they can become possessive, flattering, and manipulative.
Threes with a four wing tend to have a strong imagination. They are creative, introspective, and more subdued. Under stress, they can be moody, arrogant, and pretentious.
Enneagram Type 3 At Work
Threes bring excellence and adaptability to teams. Often extremely polished, threes can excel in roles that require selling, marketing, or going above and beyond to help and serve the target audience.
Threes work best in teams when given a role where their impressive results are valued. However, team members may find type threes challenging if they become too possessive of the work rather than exercising collaboration or delegation.
Did you know that Cloverleaf can help you use your Enneagram results to sharpen your professional development and work environment?
Click here to learn more about how to apply assessment insights to help your team thrive.
A Coaching Tip to Help Enneagram 3s On A Team
In groups or teams, threes may experience frustration if others don’t automatically get on board with their proposed goals or plans. Threes need to recognize the differing perspectives or ideas that team members have for getting to the end goal.
As a practical tip, threes can consider using questions rather than statements when they don’t understand or disagree with a team member’s approach. For example, “Can you share more about the rationale behind that approach so I can better understand it?”
Threes can be a valuable asset to their team, realizing that not everyone will share in my drivenness but that everyone has a unique talent to contribute.
Type threes can also attend to the needs of others with energy, recognizing that interruptions may be a way of gaining new insight to reach a goal collaboratively.
Continue To Grow As An Enneagram 3
The Enneagram is helpful because it identifies fears and challenges related to each personality type. The goal is to recognize and use the insights to experience transformational growth.
A healthy three learns to balance their drive for efficiency and success with compassion and transparency. Threes can experience transformation by letting go of the belief that their value is dependent on the positive regard of others.
In some cases, a three will need to risk losing the approval of others to follow their own heart and to live truthfully. Healthy threes value genuineness above accomplishment and believe they are valuable for who they are, not what they have, produce, or achieve.
Are you unsure of your type or want to validate your number? Take our free Enneagram Test to help clarify your specific type. You’ll also receive an in-depth, accurate report to help you understand your number.
Want to learn about the rest of the Enneagram Types? Read more about the Enneagram: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9!
Enneagram 4’s are called The Originalist. They are motivated by a longing to avoid seeming ordinary. Fours like to search for deeper meaning, experience authentic feelings, and to be understood.
Type fours are typically empathetic in relationships, supportive, gentle, playful, passionate, and witty. They can form bonds quickly and prefer to be transparent. Fours strive to find novel and unexpected solutions to problems that others might overlook.
Fours like to use their talents to help awaken a sense of harmony within their surroundings. They have a gift for helping others develop an appreciation for beauty.
Enneagram 4 Strengths
Expressive
Authentic
Warm
Compassionate
Introspective
Creative
Intuitive
Supportive
Type fours are artistic and have a heightened sense of the moods and feelings of others with precision and profundity. Their growth direction helps them to act on their ideals, be more objective and organized, and be less self-absorbed.
Development Opportunities for Enneagram Type 4s
Fours can work to be proactive rather than putting off things until they are “in the right mood.” They can commit to being productive and finding ways to make meaningful contributions for their own good and that of others, no matter how small the tasks or effort may be.
Type fours may struggle with feeling ready to take on a challenge and argue that they need more time. However, small steps can help strengthen their resolve and bring out their best work.
Fours can also benefit from establishing self-discipline, such as setting a sleeping routine, maintaining an exercise schedule, and working regular hours.
Enneagram 4 Blindspots
Possessive
Sensitive
Melancholy
Eccentric
Detachment
Self-Absorbed
An unhealthy four can be moody, dramatic, or exaggerated. They may also become possessive, high-strung, and clingy if they feel misunderstood or to garner attention.
In stress, fours can hold grudges, fluctuate between hyperactivity and being overly sedentary, and go to extreme measures to avoid feeling mundane or ordinary.
Identifying your type is not an excuse for specific behaviors. Such as, “I can’t help being dramatic; I’m a four.” Instead, fours can consider, “Perhaps I am allowing my emotions to get the best of me. Am I reacting to this to feel safe?”
Enneagram 4 Wings
A four can have a three or a five wing.
Fours with a three wing tend to be more lively, ambitious, and outgoing. They may become attention-seeking and elitist in stressful situations.
A four with a five wing tend to be more contemplative, objective, quiet, and unconventional. Under stress, they can alienate themself and be withdrawn or pessimistic.
Enneagram Type 4 At Work
Fours bring creativity and a greater sense of awareness to teams because they are naturally oriented toward feelings and aesthetics. Type fours can help ensure goals are created and executed in a manner that aligns with the vision and culture of the team.
Team members may find a type four challenging to work with if they become self-absorbed or isolate themselves from fully participating in the group.
Fours work best in teams when given the opportunity to share their creative abilities and unique perspective concerning projects.
Did you know that Cloverleaf can help you use your Enneagram results to sharpen your professional development and work environment?
Click here to learn more about how to apply assessment insights to help your team thrive.
A Coaching Tip to Help Enneagram 4s On A Team
Within a team, fours may detach themselves from situations that don’t particularly move or inspire them or if difficult team dynamics are not being addressed. It’s important for fours to remain tuned into their team and recognize when they have the tendency to break away.
As a practical tip, in group settings, when fours notice themselves getting distracted or feel ready to disengage, they may consider sharing a thought, idea, or question with the team to help stay focused.
Fours can help others solve problems by offering their creative ideas or providing aesthetic suggestions that can enrich others, realizing that one of their gifts is making the ‘small’ things feel special.
At work, their style is expressing themselves through creativity. Whether that is through art or helping to problem solve a difficult situation. Fours can bring a new, alternative approach to the work setting that is fresh and otherwise may have never been represented.
Continue To Grow As An Enneagram 4
The Enneagram is helpful because it identifies fears and challenges related to each personality type. The goal is to recognize and use the insights to experience transformational growth.
Fours can fall prey to feeling envious of others, especially if they deem them to have a unique perspective, quality, or talent. Because type fours fear being perceived as ordinary, they are susceptible to feelings of discontentment.
The way of personal transformation for a type four is to practice self-regulating their emotions and thoughts. Fours must realize that everyone has flaws and they have much to appreciate concerning their own experiences.
Fours can move beyond being entangled in their emotions by embracing their capacity to exercise self-discipline and use their creativity to serve others. It is a sign of health when a four can experience what they feel without allowing their emotions to overwhelm them or sabotage their goals.
Are you unsure of your type or want to validate your number? Take our free Enneagram Test to help clarify your specific type. You’ll also receive an in-depth, accurate report to help you understand your number.
Want to learn about the rest of the Enneagram Types? Read more about the Enneagram:1,2,3,5,6,7, 8, and 9!
