Understanding different workplace personalities

Jolly, kind, caring, loving, hardworking, reserved, rude, arrogant, lazy, proud, sadist among others are some of the words one can use to describe different personalities at workplaces.
Since we are born different, everyone has his or her personality, which can hardly be changed. To work peacefully, we need to learn to respect one another.
Understanding personalities of the people you work with will make communication clear therefore ease work.
Margaret Tumusiime, a counselling phycologist, gives the following as the common personalities at workplaces.

Introverts
They are normally quiet and talk only when it’s necessary, they won’t jump or shout in case something comes up even when they are excited. They are always on their own and sometimes may not add a word on an ongoing conversation. They won’t tell you when you annoy them even when they are deeply hurt.

Extroverts
These are the jolly type. They will start up a talks, move around and will have moments at office. They will get happy about anything that comes up and will show the excitement by clapping, jumping, singing among others. They are very social and can spend time off work to discuss something that excited them. They will talk about people and events and anything that interests them.

Perceivers
These work at their own pace, they will come to office late and leave early. They will deliver after deadline and remain unbothered. They are sometimes messy. They get excited about things but lose interest with time. They will miss an assignment that they seemed very interested in. This group normally slows down productivity.

Authoritative /perfectionist
These are very strict and are sometimes taken as arrogant. They will come to office early, and leave late, they will spend time on a project to make sure it is done perfectly well.
Their things are always in order and will get furious in case they are tampered with. They are sometimes quarrelsome but because they want to perfect things. They will submit their work on deadline and will need others to do the same.
Philosophers
These are the scholars and interesting to deal with. They believe in theory and books, they are very inquisitive and will always look for the truth.
They are always equipped with a variety of knowledge and ideas. They are highly creative and intelligent since they read a lot. These people will sometimes engage in or start up long debates over a matter.

How to deal with different personalities
Tumusiime notes that everyone has an advantage and a disadvantage therefore employers and workers need to understand each other to be productive.

Know who you are
Lucy Asiimwe, a human resource manager, notes that before trying to understand others, first know the kind of a person you are.
She says after knowing yourself then learn others and interact or work with them in the most accurate way.
“We are sometimes annoying yet we think we are making fun, it’s also important to learn the mood of our colleagues before interacting with them,” says Asiimwe.
Create a good environment
Dorothy Nabatanzi, the director Rota interiors, says employers and workers should provide good working environment for each other,
“Don’t tamper with someone’s things when you know they are perfectionists, when telling stories, keep a low tone because there are introverts and perfectionists who want to do their work peacefully. In all you do, make sure you don’t hurt another’s emotions,” she adds.

Avoid conflict
Tumusiime adds that understanding someone and giving them a good working environment will reduce conflict.
Office conflict is normally caused by unnecessary gossip normally caused by people who neglect work and resort to other things. It’s important that when discussing, avoid discussing people or going to personal as different personalities will respond to matters different.

Engage them in planning
The perceivers could be the hardest to work with because they do not take their wok seriously. For these, Nabatanzi advises that you engage them in daily work. For example, ask them to set their own deadlines and punishment in case they don’t deliver. She adds that you can as well make them leaders of certain projects so that they have no way of escaping.
“Employers or team leaders should set daily targets so that no one leaves office before hitting them, this will reduce laziness and late coming at office” she adds.