Know Yourself - are you playing to your strengths?

Morning, friend! Got your coffee yet? Let's walk and talk...

What do you think about psychometric tests?

A gimmicky interview burden, or a swiss army knife of personal feedback?

I've taken a few over the years, and they've been eye-openers for me - I really believe they helped me grow and evolve into a better manager over time.

Today, I wanted to share some insights from the ones I have done:

1. how they helped me understand my strengths and weaknesses.

2. how they influenced my management style, and could influence yours.

1.Understanding My Strengths and Weaknesses

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” - Albert Einstein (attributed)

Psychometric tests give you a scarily clear picture of you.

Your personality, cognitive abilities, and behavior.

They lay bare your strengths.

Your weaknesses.

The trick is to use this information to your advantage.

Before we get into my assessments, check out this (fun) comparison of Tyrion and Tywin’s DISC profiles in my LinkedIn post:

And now, here’s actual excerpts from 4 of my assessments, and my take-aways:

A. Hogan Assessment

(understand your personality traits, values, and potential derailers)

• My Strengths: "Driven and competitive, seeking challenges but restless without career advancement". "Curious and big-picture oriented, easily bored with routine tasks."

• Seems that I thrive in dynamic environments and enjoy big challenges. Routine is a killer for me.

• My Weaknesses: "Outgoing and talkative, making strong first impressions but preferring to talk rather than listen." “maintaining focus on routine tasks.”

• Fine, I need to work on my listening skills, to “improve team communication and collaboration”. I also need to be engaged even in less exciting work, even though I might not like it.

B. Myers Briggs Type Indicator - ENFJ

(understand your personality type by identifying your preferences in how you perceive the world and make decisions)

• My Strengths: "Energized by interacting with people and taking action" and "decisions based on personal values and empathy." "Prefer organized and planned approaches." 

• I like roles that require empathy and working with others. I also like to have a plan of action and goal.

• My Weaknesses: Balancing my empathetic nature with logical decision-making. Balancing organization with flexibility.

• I need balance in my decision-making approach, and flexibility in planning.

C. DISC Profile

(reveals your behavior style by assessing your levels of Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness)

• Strengths: Dominance (63%) and Influence (57%), "assertive, bold, and decisive" as well as "sociable, dynamic, and enthusiastic." 

• I am more driven, creative and expressive and hence good with leading teams.

• Weaknesses: Steadiness (35%) and Conscientousness (11%), “may struggle with consistency and attention to detail”.

• I need to be wary of shiny object syndrome and consciously work on reliability and focus on the big picture as well as fine details.

D. Enneagram (Type 7 - Enthusiastic Visionary)

(categorizes you into one of nine types, revealing core motivations and behaviors)

“The Enneagram doesn’t put you in a box. It shows you the box you’re already in and how to get out of it.” 

-Ian morgan cron

• Strengths: "Optimistic and future-oriented" and "adaptable and eager to explore new experiences." 

• I am able to mobilize a team towards a shared vision.

• Weaknesses: "Can be impulsive and unfocused." 

• I need to be wary of shiny object syndrome to ensure projects are completed successfully.

  

  Enneagram type 7: The Adventurer/Enthusiatic Visionary. Image Credit: mirabellecreations.com

2. How this influenced my career and management style

Play to my strengths

In his book StrengthsFinder 2.0, Tom Rath emphasizes that you can benefit more from focusing on your strengths rather than your weaknesses.

I have used the assessments to choose roles where I am doing exactly that.

When I am in a role where I’m playing to my weaknesses, I am aware and double-down to manage accordingly until I can adapt the role so I’m again playing to my strengths.

I also try to build teams to complement my weaknesses and balance out the various styles - this maximizes diversity of thought and minimizes group-think.

Build a great working environment

I enjoy building an environment where people can thrive and I can get the best performance out of them.

Understanding my own personality helped me understand and appreciate the difference of others’ profiles. This helps me empathize with others, and tailor my communication and management style.

The result?

A more inclusive, psychologically safe and effective work environment.

In Summary

I find psychometric assessments to be a great tool for personal development and career growth.

They give you a deep dive into your personality, highlighting your strengths and areas where you can grow.

Knowledge is power, and by understanding what makes you tick, you can tailor your management style to play to your natural strengths.

You can lead with inner confidence, create a more productive team, and achieve better results.

Well, back to work. Thanks for joining me, and I hope you enjoyed today’s chat.

See you next month! ☕️