If you have three qualified job candidates with equal experience who interviewed well, how do you choose? Ask yourself how the new hire will fit in — will they enhance or disrupt your current team? The culture is critical anytime there is a personnel change, whether hiring, promoting or planning for succession.
“If you put a tiger in a group of lambs, what’s going to happen?” says Ricci M. Victorio, CSP, CPCC, ACC, managing partner at Mosaic Family Business Center. “Tigers need to prowl on their own. They aren’t usually good team players.”
Smart Business spoke with Victorio about the importance of “casting” people in the right roles to magnify their strengths.
What’s key to know about personality traits?
There are five basic traits most personality assessment tools use to define how people naturally perform. Each trait has two opposite styles with a midline where people are more flexible or adaptable. They are:
- Dominance. Is the person more control-oriented, competitive and ambitious; or a team player who prefers collaboration?
- Communication. Is the person more persuasive and energized by people; or reserved, preferring one-on-one conversation?
- Procedural. Is the person more process-driven, organized and a good listener who needs time to make decisions; or flexible, creative and enjoys spontaneity?
- Organization. Is the person more detail-oriented, wanting things done correctly; or strategic, big picture and concept-oriented?
- Logic. Is the person more analytical, or intuitive when making decisions?
It’s interesting to note that leadership styles are determined by whichever trait is the highest. Many corporations recast CEOs depending on the stage of growth. A start-up could need an innovative, confident leader to make swift decisions and take calculated risks, while a more mature company might need a road builder or process-oriented leader to maintain the business.
How useful are personality assessments?
The surveys measure self-perception — how people see themselves and how they perceive the expectations of others. When hiring, you can’t rely solely on this feedback; it’s just one part of your vetting process. Also, results are dynamic and change as people evolve and their environment changes.
Personality assessments help create a baseline for understanding who we are and what we are experiencing. For example, in a demanding sales environment, you can increase success by looking for high communicators who are energized by personal interaction and adaptable. They need to be go-getters who can think on their feet and close the deal. Most assessments provide questions that offer greater insight during the interview.
What are signs your workforce isn’t gelling?
If you hire a high-dominant, low-extrovert manager to lead a collaborative team that is accustomed to brainstorming, the indirect ‘teller’ style of the new manager will be perceived as unfriendly and bossy. Team members will feel less valued, become disenfranchised and frustrated, leading to increased tension, absences or resignations. It is important to consider the desired behavioral attributes each position requires for optimum results, such as having outgoing, creative problem-solvers in people-oriented positions, and detail and process-orientated caretakers for more analytical roles.
How can you better understand your own behavior and management style?
Self-awareness is the first step in self-management. If you know you tend to make decisions hastily, never make an important decision without sleeping on it.
You also might struggle without knowing why you are feeling drained, stressed or anxious. In one case, an executive was proud of her open-door policy, but was feeling unsatisfied. She learned that it was causing her significant energy drain. She discovered that as a process-oriented, reserved communicator, it was more energizing to limit open-door interruptions to certain times.
Every personality is valuable and dynamic. It’s a matter of finding the right role that suits who you are and being able to adapt successfully to the world around you. ●
Ricci M. Victorio, CSP, CPCC, ACC, is a managing partner at Mosaic Family Business Center. Reach her at (415) 788-1952 or [email protected].
Insights Wealth Management & Finance is brought to you by Mosaic Financial Partners Inc.
