Productivity Tips for any Personality Type

Linda Gilmore, editorDepartment of Agricultural

Communications and EducationKansas State University

ACE 2016, Memphis, Tennessee

Introduction• What do your past job

experiences tell you about your work style?

• Do you prefer a regular set of tasks or do you like variety?

• Do you need someone telling you what to do next, or do you prefer more self-direction?

• Do you thrive in an open office setting or do you (like WKRP in Cincinnati’s Les Nessman) need walls?

Introduction• What have you learned about your

personality?– Are you task oriented or people oriented?– Do you function best with a clear plan or do you

prefer to wing it?– How do you feel about spreadsheets?– Do you thrive in a crowd or do you need more

alone time to be most effective?• Personality tests can help you gather this

knowledge and use it in the workplace.

One Approach to PersonalityExtraversion• Focused on the outer world of people and activities.

Where you focus your

attention and get energy

Introversion• Focused on the inner world of ideas and experiences.

Sensing• Focus on

information based on specific facts and what is actually happening.

How you prefer to perceive information

INtuition• Preference for the

“big picture.” Focused on relationships and connections between facts.

Thinking• Prefer decisions

based on the logical consequences of choice or action.

How you prefer to make decisions

Feeling• Decide based on

what is important to self and others.

Judging• Prefers a

planned, orderly approach to life.

How you orient yourself

to the outer world

Perceiving• Prefers a flexible

approach.

Other Personality Tests• The Big Five • DiSC• The Enneagram (9 personality traits)• Gallup’s EP10/Clifton Strengths Finder• Carson Tate’s Productivity Styles

Each of these tests can help you understand more about yourself and

how you work with others.

My desk:

The Point• No matter what your personality type, you can

be effective and productive at your job.• My example:

– Keep a flexible to-do list (on paper) by my computer

– Use my calendar and reminders– Keep current project in front of me on my desk– Keep running project notes in Evernote– Close my door to shut out distractions sometimes– I switch tasks when what I’m doing gets boring

• Now – what about you?

Working with Others• But what about those people you work with?

– Recognize that different work styles make a stronger team

– Take advantage of your colleagues’ strengths• Your logical, analytical colleague can help with reaching

goals and analyzing data.• The organized, detail-oriented person on your team will

help keep everyone on deadline.• The supportive, expressive colleague will be good at

building relationships and communicating with others.• The big-picture visionary on your team can help you

stay energized and encourage new ways of looking at problems.

Differences at Work• Your team completes a significant project and

some of the team wants to go out after work to celebrate. You kind of want to, but you know at the end of the day you’re usually ready for some alone time. What do you do?

• You have a great idea and can’t wait to share it at your next team meeting. But some people in your group always focus on why your ideas won’t work. How can you get the naysayers to listen and be on your side?

• Have questions, want resources? You can email me at lindagi@ksu.edu or call me (after ACE) at 785-532-1153.