Human Resources Articles - Personality Types:
What is Your Company's DNA?
The discovery of the human genome recently was big news. But discovering your company's DNA (the human makeup of your company), like that of an individual can also have far-reaching possibilities in terms of the relational dynamics within your corporate genome. As a leader, you do not build a company. You build people who build your company. Examining your employees' strengths and weaknesses, not only in skill sets but also in mental and behavioral aptitudes, and matching them to the job best suited to them, can benefit your company in productivity, teamwork, resolution of conflicts and positive motivation.
In order to accurately measure your company's DNA, personnel should go through a quick and simple, yet very informative, assessment of their job related attributes. The most successful personnel assessment system is made up of two components: 1) the behavioral style or temperament concept which is measured by such assessment tools as the DISC profile and 2) a personality test that combines mental aptitudes and personality dimensions (discussed in part 2). These two types of tests have been successfully used for more than forty years and are revalidated on an ongoing basis. These two types of tests have been around for more than forty years, and continue to get refined and improved every year. Temperaments, as used here, has nothing to do with a person's character or level of maturity. Temperaments are inborn traits that causes people to do what they do.
Fundamental Differences in People - The Basic Temperaments
Most people do not consider the fundamental differences in people. That is why this type of education (personnel assessment) is so crucial to companies in understanding their DNA makeup. All individuals are a blend of the four basic temperaments, with each person functioning primarily out of a combination of two.
1. The Dominant type (choleric)
Driven to get results, the dominant is aggressive and assertive in their approach to problems - people like Ross Perot, Margaret Thatcher, or Colin Powell, who are strategic in their thinking, have the end in mind when approaching a problem or negotiation. If you have ever met a Choleric who has learned to be patient with people while impatient for results, you have met a winner.
2) The Influencer type (sanguine)
Driven by the need to influence people, these expressive social-types are enthusiastic, approachable and at times impulsive. In negotiations, their goal is to move a person from one position to another. Influencers' are persuasive, friendly and effervescent. Their weakness is follow through and inconsistency. They want freedom from details and need to develop organizational skills. As most salespeople fall within this category, is it any wonder salespeople typically detest paperwork? Find one that has learned to control the weakness of disorganization and lack of follow- through, and you will find a winner. Once in control of the details, watch out!
3) The Steady type (phlegmatic)
Driven by the need to accommodate and get along, the steady type enjoys harmony. If they have achieved the opportunity to accommodate and serve, they are happy people. Their strength is stability, and their weakness can be inflexibility and a resistance to change, and they can have a hard time saying "no". Show me a phlegmatic that has gone through assertiveness training and has incorporated this into their daily lives, and you will find a winner.
4) The Conscientious type (melancholy)
Driven by the need to maintain standards, the melancholy often is cautious and tentative when responding to a problem. Many accountants fall into this category. They view things in regard to what is right or wrong. Strengths include organization and accuracy. Their weakness is in decision-making and delegation. They suffer from paralysis of analysis.
Part 2: Avoid Hiring Mistakes and Personality Types
Read more about the Mr. Hamm and how to contact him for more information. Article by
Leroy Hamm, President, Int'l. Human Development Corp., Bedford, Texas.
To see Mr. Hamm's website, go to Pre Employment Screening and Testing at IHDCorp.com
