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Here are some words you’ve
probably never heard or uttered: “You have got a great
personality. You
should be an accountant – (or engineer or programmer or
dentist or one of those other technical professions).”
Based on this logic, great
personalities must be reserved for salespeople, entertainers,
motivational speakers. On the other hand, individuals
with “zero
personality” should be locked away in Dilbert-like cubicles
far away from customers and clients and the rest of the
world.
Okay, so we know we have
great personalities and zero personalities and even the right
personalities.
There must be other personalities out there, too. If there is a great
one, there must be the horrible counterpart. And if someone is a
zero, where is the lucky person who has all the
personality?
Each of you likely
recognizes a boss, co-worker, friend or even a family member
who fits each of these personalities. But are
these descriptions accurate? If you're not sure, just
reflect back to that blind date with the "great personality"
or the time you were accused of having the "problem
personality".
What does it mean anyway
when people talk about personality?
Personality is typically
defined as the unique bundle of motivations, attitudes and
behaviors that make each of us who we are. One individual’s
bundle may be outgoing, creative, and excitable and another is
reserved, organized, and calm. But when the quiet
speak and the assertive are tamed, do aliens suddenly take
over their bodies to do these weird things? Can people actually
change their personalities so easily?
No, not really. When
you observe changes like these, you typically are observing
behaviors. Behaviors describe how individuals react to
specific situations like problems, people, pace of environment
and procedures.
People, when willing and able, can adapt and modify
their behavior easily but can personalities be changed?
Do personalities keep us stuck in our ways?
Overwhelmingly, the
consensus is that personalities rarely change after
adolescence and when change does happen it happens
slowly. For example. Your salesperson refuses to
work your database and call prospects and clients. He
has been "diagnosed" as having call reluctance. You invest
thousands in training, provide coaching and phone scripts, and
add sales incentives. Maybe, just maybe his behavior
will change. But will this change stick? Not
likely. If it does, how long will it be until the core
personality shows through again or the individual burns
out?
When it comes to the
workplace, behaviors are like the
wrapping on the gift. Sometimes the shape of the box and
the design of the paper give away hints to what is
inside. Many times the gift inside turns out to be
something totally unexpected.
What is happening as a
result of many of today's hiring and succession decisions is
that managers are making decisions based on the "gift wrap" or
behaviors. After the gift is unwrapped and the
proverbial honeymoon is over, all that is left is what's
inside - the personality. And many managers are wishing
they kept the receipts because they are now stuck with very
expensive unwanted gifts.
Personality testing is
saving managers the enormous expense, heartache and
embarrassment of hiring a "great personality" only to find out
who they really hired was a "zero" or worse, the infamous
"problem personality". Tests based on the
five-factor model are becoming widely accepted due to their
usefulness in finding out who a person really is and how they
will fit an environment, a team, or a job.
One five factor test
TotalView helps separate the achievers from the do-ers,
the risk-takers from the risk averse, the outgoing from the
reserved, and the relaxed from the easily excitable. It
helps predict if an individual will adapt or even lead change,
display leadership or sales ability, and benefit from coaching
and development.
When looking to build an
organization of people with the "right stuff", think
personality. Breakthroughs in technologies and volumes
of empirical research are beginning to crack the code for
identifying and developing peak performers.
CriteriaOne is the blueprint that
is helping organizations to acquire an unfair
share of the best talent in the labor market.
For more information about CriteriaOne, click here.
Success Performance Solutions
works with small businesses as well as the Fortune
500 to provide convenient, cost-effective solutions
that quickly and effortlessly sifts out unqualified
candidates and matches, manages and motivates
employees.For more information about building your managerial
and sales bench strength, .
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