Team Work & Personality

Agenda Team Work Personality Your O.C.E.A.N Fun (hopefully) Activity

Team Work Important at Sandburg

What is Personality and Why is it Important? Personality is Technical: “Sets of traits that influence patterns of thought and behavior that are consistent through life.” Non-technical: How you view and interact with the world, people, yourself. Influences How much we want to interact with others How well we get along with others How often and how intensely we feel emotions The technical definition of personality is pretty open. This definition simply states that personality is a set of patterns in behavior and thought that are consistent throughout time. It’s a really open definition. My non-technical definition is even more open. Essentially, almost everything that makes you “You” can be attributed to personality. Personality is important because it influences almost everything that we do. Psychologist have looked at extroversion and happiness and repeatedly found that more extroverted individuals are generally just happier than introverted individuals

O.C.E.A.N. Openness to Experience Inventive and Curious vs Consistent and Cautious Openness to experience reflects the degree of curiosity, creativity, and imagination. Individuals that score highly on Openness are creative and curious. These people like new and novel experiences. They don’t like routine very much. However, the downside is that high levels of this might cause someone to be perceived as unpredictable or lacking focus. Low levels of Openness are associated with closed-mindedness and data-driven (the ho-hum not-creative or fun people). Conscientiousness This trait reflects one’s tendency to be organized, self-disciplined, and dutiful. Individuals that score really high on this trait (like me) tend to lack spontaneity, be really stubborn, and sometimes obsessive. Once I start something I finish it. I can’t not finish it. It actually physically bothers me to leave a task unfinished. Low levels of Conscientiousness are associated with being easy-going. These people are relaxed, flexible, spontaneous, and adapt to new situations really well. Extraversion This trait is concerned with sociability and general levels of energy (sort of). Individuals with high levels of extraversion are energized by social interaction. These people are characterized by being talkative, assertive, and tend to seek stimulation in the company of others. Really high levels of extraversion are perceived as attention-seeking and domineering. Low levels of extraversion causes a person to be reserved and reflective. These individuals require less stimulation from outside sources and more time alone. These people can be perceived as aloof or self-absorbed. Agreeableness This is associated with social harmony. Agreeable individuals value cooperating with others. They are generally kind, considerate, trusting, helpful, and willing to compromise. It is also associated with feelings of sympathy/ empathy. These individuals are sometimes seen as naive. Low levels agreeableness are often associated with being analytical and detached. Really low levels can be perceived as being competitive or argumentative. These individuals can be seen as calloused or skeptical of other’s motivations. Neuroticism Neuroticism generally refers to emotional stability. Individuals that score high on neuroticism have a tendency to experience unpleasant emotions more easily and for longer periods of time than other individuals. Low neuroticism is often associated with high levels of stability. These individuals are not upset easily. Sometimes they are perceived as showing very little emotion though.

O.C.E.A.N. Conscientiousness Efficient and Organized vs Easy-Going and Careless

O.C.E.A.N. Extraversion Outgoing and Energetic vs Solitary and Reserved

O.C.E.A.N. Agreeableness Friendly and Compassionate vs Skeptical and Antagonistic

O.C.E.A.N. Neuroticism Sensitive and Nervous vs Secure and Confident

Let’s Assess Our Personalities www.outofservice.com Your results will look like this http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/results/?oR=0.475&cR=0.833&eR=0.2 81&aR=0.583&nR=0.344

Team Activity Break into groups based on Highest Trait If you have a tie, use the one you feel best describes you As a Group, Plan a Vacation (It doesn’t need to be realistic) Where Will Your Group Go? What Will You Pack? Who Will You Bring? What Will You Do While You’re There? Is There Anything Else the Group Thinks is Important?

How Does This Relate to Team Work? Openness to experience Flexible Conscientiousness Completion Extraversion Groups Agreeableness Cooperation Neuroticism Relaxed So remember that individuals that are open to experience tend to be original, imaginative, and daring. In a team setting these individuals could be considered “Idea People”. Not only that, but these individuals tend to be very flexible in teams. They can adjust and accommodate to new situations rapidly. Individuals low on Openness to experience can come off as stiff or rigid. However, they do follow procedures very well. Both of these qualities can be good for teams depending upon the situation. High Openness can be useful in new or complex situations where what needs to be done changes often. Low Openness can be useful in situations where there is already an established procedure. Conscientious individuals tend to be goal oriented. Unsurprisingly, there is a very strong connection between being Conscientious and completing tasks. Teams where everyone is high on conscientiousness tend to perform very well. However, there are disadvantages to really high levels of conscientiousness. These individuals can be almost obsessive about getting things done. Team member extraversion is related to working in teams. This is not necessarily how well the individuals get along with each, but more like how much they want to work in a group. Remember that extraverts are energized by social interaction. Extraverts are naturally drawn to team work. Extraverts can benefit a teams communication. Really extraverted individuals are talkative, so it may appear as though little is getting done. Introverts on the hand, may not communicate enough. Agreeable people are generally considerate, trusting, and friendly. Teams benefit from agreeableness because these individuals facilitate social harmony and cooperation. These people help keep the group together and not fighting itself. People low on agreeableness may be more argumentative, because these individuals tend to be more skeptical other’s motives. Individuals that are low on Neuroticism are good for teams. This is because individuals that are high on neuroticism tend to have difficulty regulating their emotions, look at minor frustrations as very difficult, and tend to be pessimistic about work. People that are low on neuroticism can create a relaxed atmosphere that promotes cooperation.

Team Work Self Knowledge is Power