They value possibilities and they spark energy and imagination.They tend to be creative thinkers who believe taking big risks can produce great outcomes. They are outgoing, spontaneous and adaptable.

Pioneers

They favor stability, order and rigor.Likely to stick with the status quo, they are deliberate decision-makers who are practical, focused on detail and reserved.

Guardians

They value change and they generate momentum.Direct in the approach to people and problems, they are technical, quantitative and logical.

Drivers

They value connection and tend to draw teams together.They are empathetic, diplomatic and focused on relationships. They acknowledge nuances and tend to see things in shades of grey rather than black and white.

Integrators

While the benefits of diversity are real, they're far from automatic. They must be activated.Nobody fits neatly into each slot of the four basic working styles (Pioneers, guardians, drivers, integrators), but having an understanding of how different types of people think and are likely to work, managers can develop more effective teams and build on this diversity.

Fitting into a working style

<div>
Businesses have long used personality tests in recruitment and in training and development. Indeed, it is a rare manager who has not been through some sort of personality assessment. But, with workforces becoming more diverse in terms of race, gender and age, it is arguable that leaders need to have a much better understanding of what makes their colleagues tick and how they can encourage them to work together effectively.
It is in an effort to aid this process, Suzanne Johnson Vickberg and Kim Christfort of the international professional services firm Deloitte have published <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Business+Chemistry%3A+Practical+Magic+for+Crafting+Powerful+Work+Relationships-p-9781119501565">Business Chemistry</a> (Wiley). Sub-titled "Practical Magic for Crafting Powerful Work Relationships," it is, as the authors point out, an attempt to build a better mousetrap. Acknowledging that attempting to divide people - especially in the workplace - into different personality types is hardly new, they nevertheless point out that people who have gone through personality assessments tend not to remember what they learned about themselves let alone what they discovered about their workmates. Moreover, they either do not know or cannot remember how to apply that knowledge in order to make their work relationships better.
The new system - developed through the <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/operations/solutions/deloitte-greenhouse-experience.html">Deloitte Greenhouse Experience</a> group, which helps executives deal with business challenges through immersive laboratory-style experiences - is "built for business" and "purposely designed to be practical and sticky, distilling and often murky subject down to the essence of what really matters for people in a work environment."Although there are clearly nuances to the approach, the system is built around four basic types.

<ul>
	<li>
Pioneers value possibilities and they spark energy and imagination. They tend to be creative thinkers who believe taking big risks can produce great outcomes. They are outgoing, spontaneous and adaptable.</li>
	<li>
Guardians favor stability, order and rigor. Likely to stick with the status quo, they are deliberate decision-makers who are practical, focused on detail and reserved.</li>
	<li>
Drivers value change and they generate momentum. Direct in the approach to people and problems, they are technical, quantitative and logical.</li>
	<li>
Integrators value connection and tend to draw teams together. They are empathetic, diplomatic and focused on relationships. They acknowledge nuances and tend to see things in shades of grey rather than black and white.</li>
</ul>

Vickberg and Christfort point out, of course, that nobody fits neatly into each slot. But the idea is that by having a more business-focused understanding of how different types of people think and are likely to work, managers can develop more effective teams and build on the diversity that so many organizations these days profess to value. As Vickberg and Christfort write: "While the benefits of diversity are real, they're far from automatic. They must be activated."
There are several ways in which leaders can use the shorthand provided by Business Chemistry, they say. Among them areexplaining challenges a team may be facing, highlighting the value each type brings to the team, helping team members to adapt their own styles to work better with those of different types. Above all, it provides an easy-to-use common language and system for understanding and talking about differences.
One business leader who is open about the importance of personality types is Karen Nicholson, who with her husband, Iain, has recently founded <a href="https://www.wishlockr.com/">wishLockr</a>, an online service designed to make it easier for people to let family and friends know how they want their affairs handled should they die. They can use the website to set out everything from what sort of funeral they want to how they want their assets divided up. Originally inspired by the couple's experience of dealing with the aftermath of the death of Mr. Nicholson's father where they had no idea of his final wishes, the business was launched when Iain and their daughter were involved in a serious motorcycle accident. The couple decided to use the insurance settlement to bring the idea to the market.
But this is a long way from a one-off idea. Mrs. Nicholson explains that the couple - who have both worked in a range of roles - talked business right from the start of their relationship. Inspired in part by the late-1990s bestselling motivational book <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Moved_My_Cheese%3F">Who Moved My Cheese?</a>, the couple has set up businesses together whenever they have seen opportunities. Going through personality tests - in their case, the <a href="https://www.16personalities.com/personality-types">16 Personalities</a> - helped them understand that they brought "different things to the table." Iain is in what this approach calls the Commander category - "bold, imaginative and strong-willed" while she is a Consul - "caring, social and popular and always eager to help." In practice, says, Mrs. Nicholson, she deals with technical things, regulation and intellectual property and Iain handles PR and legal matters.
In an echo of Christfort and Vickberg's belief in the necessity of different types "flexing" their personalities to accommodate others, Karen says she is inclined to take a different role when with her husband than when doing business on her own. She is, she says, more of a chameleon.
Clearly, running a business with a spouse is not for everybody. But Mrs. Nicholson points to one advantage - calling a board meeting is much easier than in most businesses. "Often, it's just a walk," she says. As for who is in charge, she insists that changes with the circumstances. The important thing, she adds, is to "treat each other with respect." Which also applies to different personality types in any business.
</div>

Businesses have long used personality tests in recruitment and in training and development. Indeed, it is a rare manager who has not been through some sort of personality assessment. But, with workforces becoming more diverse in terms of race, gender and age, it is arguable that leaders need to have a much better understanding of what makes their colleagues tick and how they can encourage them to work together effectively.

How Different Personalities Can Work Together

Pioneers

Guardians

Drivers

Integrators

Fitting into a working style

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