InTouch : Harness Personality Differences For Business Success

Effective business leaders must nurture differences in their staff if they want to develop high-performing teams and cut staff turnover, says author and public speaker Allison Mooney.
Personality clashes are behind many resignations, but by harnessing the different personalities and playing to their strengths business leaders can build successful teams of motivated employers, she told Robert Half Business Breakfast in Auckland.
“If you cannot connect with your staff, your colleagues, your customers, you are not doing very well as leader,” Mooney said, adding that different personality types behave differently, have different strengths and weaknesses and need different environments and tools to work with.
• ‘Playfuls’ are the social life and soul of any environment – they thrive on fun and interaction with other people and bring life to lifeless situations.
• ‘Precises’ are orderly, deep thinkers who revel in detail and analysis, and tend to be perfectionists.
• ‘Peacefuls’ are diplomatic observers who work quietly at their own pace, are good listeners and non-confrontational.
• ‘Powerfuls’ are action-oriented “doers” who focus on bottom-line results and the big picture – and want things done now.
“Nobody is better, just different,” Mooney said. “If you are building team, you need each type on your team.”
Playful people energise team, powerful people inspire vision and action, precise people ensure the job was done properly, and peaceful people act as great mediators, bringing the team together.
Megan Alexander, senior manager with Robert Half, said job seekers frequently put inspirational leadership on their wish-list when asked what they wanted in their next job.
“Indeed, 33 percent of the employees who took part in this year’s Robert Half Auckland salary survey said they would accept lower salary in return for the chance to work with an inspirational leader.
“That just shows how important it is to truly understand what motivates your employees. Different personality types require different motivation, and by understanding that you can become one of those inspirational leaders skilled staff are looking for.”