Our World / Which work "character" best describes you?
Jo Rapley
January 25, 2017
Within every group of employees - from nursery groups to multinational organisations -'characters' can be clearly defined.
There are many therories on different character profiles but we wanted to review the character traits personal to our organisation. We have identified the 7 main characters within our organisation and how the mix and interaction between them makes for a successful work place. Typically, most people are a combination of one or two of these characters while other characters will be their opposite. Can you identify these characters within your organisation?
1: The Leader
A dominant person who always gets results, the decision maker who others follow. This person gives guidance, direction and support to their colleagues. They are fair minded and have a practical approach to a situation.
2: The Motivator
Optimistic and popular, the motivator is a good communicator and is influential over other people's ideas and decisions. This person provides good advice and understanding to their fellow colleagues.
3: The Team Player
This person is caring and enjoys security in their role. They are a good listener and like to solve other's problems, even if they are not always work related. They are happy to help out a colleague and take on more than their share of responsibility. The Team Player is sensitive to others feelings and will always do their best to support them in and out of the work place.
4: The Expert
The Expert is highly knowledgeable in their field, they enjoy hours of research and analysing many different possible outcomes. They are most comfortable dealing with facts and figures and are relied upon for the correct information.
5: The Risk Taker
Charismatic and confident, the risk taker does not self-doubt or worry. They always believe the outcome of any situation will be positive and if it's not, they simply move onto the next situation. Previous failure will not hold them back. The risk taker always gives positive energy to his team.
6: The Planner
This person is strategic, organised and procedure orientated. They enjoy attention to detail and dislike unexpected change. They are reliable and methodical in their work, their steady nature offers reassurance to others.
7: The Creative
Spontaneous and artistic, The Creative is brimming with good ideas and will always follow through on them. They are lively and enjoyable to be around, while they may sometimes be sensitive to how their ideas are perceived they are also adaptable and cope well with (last minute) changes.
Variety is the spice of life; it is healthy to have a blend of characters in the workplace - and even within specific teams - because they all bring different skills and qualities. Being able to identify the characters in your team can prove to be an extremely useful tool as it enables you to play to people’s strengths. It also means that you can adapt recruitment practices accordingly. Each successful team tends to have one of each of the seven characters present. This does not mean that each team needs to have seven people in it, since individuals can perform more than one character role.
Have you identified which character best describes you?
For further information please contact Jo Rapley on 01628 565768 or jo.rapley@bps-world.com
