The Impact of Personality

The company I work for likes to offer "Employee Development" classes.  last year I signed up for a series of leadership classes.  It's a 7 part series, 2 hours each.  That's 14 hours of corporate structure, personality tests, supervisory skills and communication methods.  *barf*

 

I was looking for something in my desk and found the packet of papers they gave out.

 

Class #2 was The Impact of Personality.  First thing we did in this class was take the Keirsey temperament test.  The majority of the U.S. population falls into the SJ - Guardian type.  MOST people may have this as their 'strong suit', but still demonstrate qualities of the other temperaments.  Some people demonstrate their strong suit to a higher degree than others.  

 

Having never given a particular co-worker this test, I can tell he is definitely an SJ.  Not because most of the population is, but because he exhibits the traits to such a degree that you can't miss it!

 

SJ - Guardian

The SJ temperament is also very observant of their surroundings - but for a different reason.  Guardians are concerned with scheduling activities, tasks, and duties (their own, and those of others) so all needs are met, and all rules followed.  the primary concern of this temperament is that things are accomplished properly, by the rules and on time.  

 

(During this particular class, the instructor told a story of an employee that was so concerned about what time their co-workers arrived and departed work that they kept a spreadsheet of in/out times.  The rest of the class was incredulous that such behavior existed.  I believed.)   

 

From the SJ communication style:  " If reminded of something interesting, no matter how unrelated to the current subject, is it the SJ style to mention it.  

 

Confrontation and conflict:  "Guardians react with anger if they feel they are treated unfairly; they expect appreciation for their efforts and are resentful if taken for granted.  Their tendency to internalize conflict can lead to feelings of worry and ongoing anxiety.  "They may not always excel at building morale, but Guardians prize personal gratitude and recognition.  Appreciation of their effort by other team members means a great deal."

 

Leadership:  The SJ attitude toward change can create roadblocks to organizational growth.  SJ leaders tend to have difficulty giving praise."

 

Obviously, I'm focusing on the negative.  SJ types have many positive qualities, but that isn't as entertaining.