Recognising your own office personality can be incredibly helpful in taking control of your own career and your development within your field, says Kim Connor Streich
The office is home to a wide variety of personalities, with people mixing with others from all walks of life. We can even slip into personas that we save solely for work, whether we put on a more professional front or try to fit in with other members of our teams.
Whether we cultivate our own working personas intentionally or present ourselves just as we are in the office, our personalities can make a huge difference to the way we work, and the way others interact with us.
So, what do some of these work personalities entail and how do they impact our working life?
The monitor evaluator
This individual deals with the facts in front of them, making data-led decisions and implementing a sense of realism.
The monitor evaluator might not seem like the most creative worker but they can be essential, particularly within creative teams, making sure that creativity and aspiration don’t get in the way of the real-life challenges of the day-to-day running of the company or team.
While they are an essential part of the team, these individuals should be careful to not stifle creativity or to get in the way of innovation. It can be easy for monitor evaluators to fall into the habit of saying no when they could find solutions with a little more imagination.
The specialist
The specialist is someone who knows a lot about a specific subject. They are that person in the office that you know if you have an issue with something in a particular area, they will be able to help.
Whether their knowledge is related to a particular product or service you offer, or even a process or tool you use, their expertise is indispensable. These personalities are often introverted but they will always be able to offer valuable input on matters related to their area of expertise.
These individuals should make sure that they keep a good, well-rounded knowledge on a broad range of topics in their chosen field if they want to progress within their current company or when moving on in their careers.
The plant
Every company needs people who can come up with innovative ideas and think of the big picture, and the plant is precisely one of those people.
These are the people who are always full of great ideas, so companies should make sure to encourage and develop these workers. They may often prefer to work alone, so they can sometimes be overlooked in companies full of extroverts, but don’t underestimate the creativity of these individuals.
It’s important for plants to regularly check in with themselves. Continually coming up with fresh ideas can quickly lead to burnout, so they’ll need to discover their own methods for self-care as well as advocating for themselves to ask for the support they need when they need it.
The shaper
You’ll often find these office personalities in senior and management positions as they are particularly skilled at driving projects and plans forward, ensuring they are seen through to the end.
The shaper is essential as someone who can take the ideas of the plant and ensure that they are turned into a reality. These individuals are particularly essential in creative fields where there are plenty of creative minds who need a little structure to follow through with ideas.
This personality type will need to push themselves to come up with innovative solutions so will need to embrace a little creativity rather than relying solely on their practical skills.
The implementer
Like the shaper, the implementer is focused on practicalities and moves things forwards smoothly.
Their ability to keep things organised and their attention to detail make them extremely valuable in any company. They often have their own ways of working and they are concerned with consistency. These reliable team members make sure that things get done in a timely manner so they make excellent project managers.
Implementers can sometimes find it difficult to deal with change, especially if they are happy with the way they have always done things, so it’s important for them to keep an open mind about changes to processes and procedures.
The completer/finisher
These individuals like to make sure that work is completed to a high standard every time, and often have a good eye for detail.
The completer or finisher is a great person to cast their eye over any work being produced to ensure it is up to scratch, spotting any issues and driving through any changes or solutions that are necessary.
While having these high standards is a positive thing in the workplace, these individuals may need to be aware of how they handle situations in which a piece of work is not to their standard, ensuring that they deliver feedback in a constructive and helpful manner.
The coordinator
The coordinator has the skills and personality type that lends itself to people management. They tend to be in tune with the needs of others and are prepared to meet those needs to cultivate a happy and fulfilled workforce.
These individuals are often well-suited to senior positions, taking care of the day-to-day needs of staff in order to create a positive and productive work environment. While they may not always be as concerned with strategy, they are an essential part of the balance that attracts staff and leads to good staff retention.
Coordinators are usually people-focused, but they should make sure that they are prepared for tough conversations and for keeping staff focused on productivity if they want to succeed in management.
The team worker
The team worker has many similar traits to the coordinator but may not be interested in management roles. They get stuck into team activities both in the professional setting and outside of the office.
These are the people who others just seem to gravitate towards, so make sure to introduce your new starters to them as they’re sure to make them feel welcome. While they may not seek out management positions, they can make excellent team leads as they’re always happy to lend a hand and support their teammates.
Team workers are some of the best staff to have, but they need to check in on their own work and development to make sure that they’re not letting their own workload or career trajectory suffer for the sake of supporting others.
The resource investigator
The resource investigator is a sociable, extroverted member of the team who often works best within sales and account management roles.
They tend to thrive at networking events and can be extremely valuable in making connections with other businesses as well as potential clients and customers. These individuals are essential in business and can become a driving force in the development and growth of a company.
It is important for resource investigators to remember that they are part of a wider team and to appreciate the skills and resources within their own office, rather than always looking to outside sources.
Of course, there are countless variations on these work personas, and you may find that you or members of your team are a mixture of two or more personas in one. However, recognising your own office personality can be incredibly helpful in taking control of your own career and your development within your field.
Each persona has positives and negatives, so it is essential to identify your potential challenges or weaknesses in order to grow. Perhaps you need to work on your people skills in order to work better within a team, or maybe you need to balance your creativity with a little more realism in order to come up with valuable ideas that can actually become a reality.
Whatever it is that you need to address within your own career, having a greater understanding of the way you work best can offer you greater autonomy within your working life.
Kim Connor Streich is the Marketing Director of Debut, the place to get graduate jobs where the employers find you.
