Understanding Personalities

Written By Allison Pollard

Photo by Thomas Hawk

Think about a strong team you know.  Were the team members all the same?  Probably not.  Different personalities can motivate one another, while similar personalities may actually prove to be detrimental in a workplace environment.  Teams and organizations need a variety of personalities in order to be effective because the right mixture of personalities helps to balance analysis and creativity and boosts employee morale.

There are lots of different models for understanding personalities, and each provides different insight.  Myers-Briggs, DISC, and Tetramaps are just a few examples that I've encountered at various organizations, and they've each helped me to better recognize what sets me apart from others.  They've also been useful in better understanding how to interact with others.  It's easy to blame others for our frustrations or label them negatively, but the problem lies in our reaction.  Learning more about yourself and others can help change your reactions.

Allison Pollard

Allison Pollard is a coach, consultant, and trainer who brings the power of relationship systems intelligence to go beyond tasks, roles, and frameworks to create energy for change. She engages with people and teams in a down-to-earth way to build trust and listen for signals to help them learn more and improve. Allison focuses on creating alignment and connection for people to solve business problems together. Her experience includes working with teams and leaders in energy, retail, financial, real estate, and transportation industries to help improve their project/product delivery and culture. Allison currently volunteers as program director for Women in Agile’s mentorship program. Her agile community focus is championing new voices and amplifying women as mentors and sponsors for the next generation of leaders. Allison earned her bachelor’s degrees in computer science, mathematics, and English from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX. She is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC), a foodie, and proud glasses wearer. Allison is a prolific speaker at professional groups and international conferences, including Scrum Gatherings and the Agile Alliance Agile20xx conferences. Allison is co-owner of Helping Improve LLC.

http://www.allisonpollard.com
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