A healthy team is the foundation of a successful business. One of the most important characteristics of a strong team is diversity. Each member brings in their unique skills and abilities, and some tasks are more suitable for certain personality types than others.
Depending on their approach to work and relationships with other team members, employees can be classified into three categories:
- Solo Players
- Team Players
- Efficiency Experts
So are you a team player, a solo player or an efficiency expert? We will describe each of the three types below but first let’s take the test!
Career-wise, my goal is
Working toward the same goal with people I like
Leadership and/or financial success
Doing what I love
I prefer leaders who
Allow their subordinates to grow and advance
Are direct and effective
Encourage good relationships and communication
My ideal workplace is the one that
Provides the greatest amount of autonomy
Provides opportunities for career and financial growth
Includes me in decision making
I can be described as being
Supportive
Competitive
Independent
My greatest professional satisfaction comes from
Job well done
My accomplishments
Being a part of a group
During my leisure time, I enjoy
Reading / writing / researching / single-player games
Competitive sports / professional seminars and workshops
Team sports / board games / online games that require more than one player
I am interested in connecting with
Ambitious people who have big ideas and plans
Friendly and caring people
Intelligent and hard-working people
I will not work
A dead-end job
An isolated job
A job that requires too much communication
My motivation comes from
Proving myself to others
Being held accountable by other team members
Being genuinely interested in what I do
I get upset
During the times of conflict
When somebody criticizes me
When I can’t accomplish what I planned
Important: The test calculates your score for each type on the scale of 1 to 10. Your type is where you score the highest.
THE SOLO PLAYER: One of the main characteristics of Solo Players is their competitiveness and ambitiousness. They possess a strong internal drive for success and are motivated by personal rewards, such as money, power, fame and recognition. They aren’t necessarily indifferent to the company and the team, but their own interests always come first. Solo Players make strong leaders and often eventually build companies of their own.
From an employer’s perspective, Solo Players are a good catch, however, there are some downsides as well:
- Solo Players are more likely to switch jobs: If they find a better offer, they will not hesitate about leaving.
- Solo Players may sometimes appear bossy and irritable.
- Solo Players may be inflexible: They will not sacrifice anything for the sake of the company or the team.
On the positive side, if you have an open leadership position, a Solo Player may be a good choice. Highly paid positions with a lot of autonomy and/or power are exactly what Solo Players are after, and if their needs are satisfied, there is no reason why they won’t perform.
THE TEAM PLAYER: Team Players are some of the most sought-after employees. They are enthusiastic, supportive, flexible and reliable. Team Players are excited to be a part of a group; they love the idea of sharing the same goals with other members and working towards their accomplishment together. Team Players can be very effective employees because they hold one another accountable for making things happen.
Unlike Solo Players, Team Players value the social aspect of working. While money may be important to them, they place the same or even more importance on being able to be around other people and being able to connect with them. If they like the team, they will be extremely loyal and will not abandon the company for a better offer.
On the negative side, some Team Players may have a tendency to waste time at work. They may socialize excessively, take long lunch breaks and get too involved in workplace relationships drama. This may lead to poor performance, procrastination and a general waste of time. If group dynamics change and the members aren’t happy anymore, they may leave in search for a more friendly environment.
THE EFFICIENCY EXPERT: The Efficiency Expert is by far the rarest type of employees out there. These people are not particularly ambitious when it comes to money or power; and at the same time, they are not into socializing and building relationships either. They focus on one and only one thing — the task at hand!
The Efficiency Expert is an independent thinker who doesn’t hesitate to express his or her point of view even when it doesn’t agree with that of the group. The Efficiency Expert’s greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that the job has been done right. These people will not cater to other team members and they will not waste time socializing or taking long coffee breaks. Instead, they will develop strategies to hit their targets and work in that direction.
Efficiency Experts may be naturally introverted or they may intentionally avoid forming close relationships with co-workers as a result of negative past experiences. Because they don’t share much of their personal life, they may sometimes come across as withdrawn and unfriendly. However, they don’t usually succumb to the pressure of the group and if they choose to socialize at all, they pick someone similar to themselves.
Suggested downloads:
- Be more competitive without being combative
- Build your confidence in meetings
- Enjoy work
- Increase your productivity when working from home
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