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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 personality mean
anyway? Personality is
typically defined as the 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 of dollars in
training, provide coaching and phone scripts, and add sales
incentives. Maybe, just maybe you hope 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?
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 even 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 before hiring or
promotion.
One five-factor test
called 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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