Okay, let’s face it. Sometimes, our opposite personality types can drive us nuts.
They do things differently than we do. Their styles may clash with ours. The way they work can lead us to feel anxious. If we like to get pieces done early, we can feel nervous when a coworker is delaying to the last second to start. If we like to know just the big picture, someone diving deep into the weeds can be irritating and seem irrelevant.
So what do we do?
We first need to understand that our opposite personality types are probably not trying to annoy us. They are doing things in their own default way, just like we do things in our own default way.
It’s important to remember that each personality type has their own strengths and weaknesses and that all types are equal. If we stop comparing and condemning those who are different than us, we can start to value them more.
One of the cool things about working with an opposite type is that you guys can cover each other’s blindspots. That means less mistakes are made, more innovation takes place, and eventually, you guys will be cranking out much better work than each of you could do alone. Celebrate that the differences lead you to succeed.
See if you can create a barter system. If there is something you do much better than they do (e.g. details), offer to do that work for them in exchange for something they do better than you (e.g. big picture). The barter will help each of you to get way more done in less time.
When you are around your opposite type, get curious and observe. See how they do things and learn a new way to do it. You may never master their way of doing it, but it could make the way you do things better.
Studies show that the more diverse a team is, the more likely they are to succeed. Accept the challenge of working with someone whose personality type is different than yours and figure out how to work better together. For example, if you are a J and want work done early and you are paired with a P who wants to be inspired near the deadline, break down the task into meaningful milestones with hard deadlines for each piece. The hard deadlines will help the P’s get inspired more, and the deadlines will ensure that you, as a J, are not getting anxious as the deadline is approaching. If you fight for win-wins rather than engaging in deadlock, you’ll find them, and your team will benefit from it.
Chew On This:
When have you seen opposite personality types succeeding together?
How can you build a relationship with a person who is different from you so you can really get them?
What needs to happen for you to enjoy the differences between you and your opposite type?
Ryan C. Bailey & Associates is an organizational effectiveness firm focused on equipping leaders to develop in-demand high-performing teams to increase the health and effectiveness of the greater organization.
*This blog is an amalgamation of a few different clients. No client is being singled out.