The Perfect Personality Components of a Great Team

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 In any workplace, teams are the critical component in getting things done. Tasks are completed through cooperation and communication among individuals who are best suited for particular roles within the team. Selecting a good team is not a simple matter and doesn’t happen spontaneously. Good teams are composed of key personality types that mesh in a way that makes high-level communication and synergistic collaboration much easier than with other personality mixtures.

Central to any great team is the leader ; someone who thrives on taking charge and possesses a driven and focused personality. While leaders must exist as the compass and manager of a group of people, they must also have a good attitude and be a highly developed team player. The best leaders are able to keep their egos under control and ensure that credit is given where it is due.

Every successful team needs a high-energy cheerleader who injects team spirit and a sense of pride in the work. Often the most outwardly positive member of the team, cheerleaders always want the team to succeed and keep other members on their toes through introducing out-of-the-box ideas. Cheerleaders smile and encourage no matter how chaotic or uncertain the situation becomes.

For every go-getting cheerleader, great teams need an excellent listener among the ranks. Listeners can take the most objective stance on any number of potentially contentious points can work to patch up sour feelings that are bound to occur during long-term projects. Good listeners not only listen to what every team member has to say with interest and enthusiasm but also mediate between members when opposing ideas arise. Listeners keep the team on track towards the end goal as they have an excellent grasp of where everyone stands on each issue and how to keep each member working smoothly with the others.

Finally, each team stays organized through the services of a Type A personality. Type As ensure that everyone stays on track by scheduling meetings and driving people to keep deadlines. Rather than exhibiting cheerleader traits such as high spiritedness and out-of-the-box thinking, Type A personality types are driven by data and my even lack traits such as creativity and high energy. But what they lack in imagination and vigor, they make up for with an infectious motivation to get the project done.

Even as each team must have the appropriate constituent personalities, each member must also possess the “team player” mindset in order to create the ideal environment for successful collaboration. No member should be out to win over any other and should group behavior should remain predictable and steady. Team members must be loyal to the greater cause and prepared to sacrifice personal ambition for the priorities of the greater group. Above all, team players put all of their effort to performing their jobs and ensuring that everyone participates, and receives due credit for, the success of the team.

 

By Joshua Bjerke