Managing staff is definitely not a one size fits all.  Knowing how to manage different personalities is a skill managers need to grasp if their business is to really flourish.

You may have pulled together an amazing team, recruiting individuals that suit their specific role to a tee, but unless you know how to draw the best out of each one of them, and get the different personalities working together, it can still be a recipe for disaster.

What motivates one person may have another running for the hills, and asking two clashing personalities to work together can disrupt your whole operation!

This is why it’s so important to understand what makes your staff tick, and work that to your advantage so the mix of personalities benefit, not bankrupt the company.

Take the two opposing ends of the scale, extroverts and introverts, for example.

An extrovert might be comfortable expressing their views and offering suggestions in an open forum or meeting, but an introvert certainly wouldn’t.  So, if this is the only means staff have to put forward opinions and ideas, you could be missing out on some really important input from the less outspoken members of the team.

An extrovert would probably thrive on being centre of attention if acknowledged publically for some great work, but this could negatively impact an introvert’s confidence and productivity.  They may give a little less, for fear of being embarrassed again with a public commendation.

Can you see how, on a daily basis, the way you interact with and manage staff can have a huge impact on morale and productivity?

It’s a tricky area.  People are complex beings.  Even their different moods can alter how they might react to a situation from day to day.

Whether you use formal profiling, or just pay close attention to your team members as you work together, to successfully manage you need to be aware of personalities and know how to act and react appropriately with them.

If you fail to correctly tailor your management practices with individual personalities in mind, you may find yourself struggling with a high staff turnover, or a disgruntled and under-performing team.

ETC’s business growth and mentoring programmes include expert advice and training on all aspects of leadership and management. For further advice and guidance on getting the most out of your workforce, call Doug on 01384 355444 and book a free business review.