Working better as a team: Start with understanding yourself and others

In this article, I want to share with you the eye-opening experience of embarking on the journey of understanding yourself and your team members.

I was lucky enough to attend a workshop run by a former colleague of mine who works in the field of learning and development. As we were going through another phase of restructuring and facing changing team dynamics, we were trying to find new ways of working. This included developing our knowledge in different areas and, ultimately, about ourselves as individuals and as a team.

Even though I already knew about some of my personality traits as I had taken some personality tests in the past, this session opened my eyes to some of my coping mechanisms and why I sometimes didn't understand the way others worked. It really opened my eyes to what the different communication preferences are and why.

Below I'll take a quick look at the general benefits of learning more about yourself and understanding your teammates. I see this as a powerful foundation for shaping the way your team works to better achieve common goals. But more importantly, in my view, it is the foundation of a safe team and working environment when you can appreciate and work with each other's differences to build on each other's strengths.

6 Benefits of understanding your teammates

6 benefits of understanding your team

Understanding yourself is not just about self-awareness; it’s about recognising the underlying patterns in how you communicate, make decisions, and respond to challenges. When you know what drives you, what frustrates you, and how you cope in high-pressure situations, you’re better equipped to handle work dynamics with clarity and confidence.

On the other hand, understanding your teammates goes beyond merely knowing their roles or strengths. It’s about recognising their unique perspectives, motivations, and work preferences. When you develop this understanding, several benefits unfold:

1. Enhanced communication

   By knowing each other's preferences, like whether someone prefers concise emails or face-to-face discussions, misunderstandings are minimised. This leads to smoother and more efficient collaboration.

   
   

2. Improved conflict resolution

   Teams inevitably face disagreements. With a deeper understanding of how others think and react, conflicts become opportunities for growth rather than barriers to progress.

   
   

3. Stronger collaboration

   Recognising each person’s strengths and challenges helps teams distribute tasks in a way that maximises efficiency and leverages everyone’s talents.

   
   

4. Increased empathy

   When you understand what drives or stresses your teammates, you’re more likely to approach situations with compassion, fostering a more supportive environment.

   
   

5. Boosted team morale

   A team that understands and appreciates its differences feels more connected, leading to higher engagement and job satisfaction.

   
   

6. Fostering psychological safety

   Perhaps the most critical benefit is creating a space where team members feel comfortable being themselves, sharing ideas, and taking risks without fear of judgment.

Useful and common personality tests

If you’re looking for tools to kickstart this journey of understanding, several widely used assessments can help:

1. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

   This test explores personality types based on preferences like introversion/extroversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. It’s a great way to uncover communication and decision-making styles.

   
   

2. 16 Personalities Test

   Based on the MBTI framework, this test provides a modern, approachable version of personality types while including an additional focus on identity, such as assertive or turbulent traits. It categorizes individuals into 16 archetypes, such as "Advocate," "Entrepreneur," or "Defender," offering practical insights into how you relate to others and manage challenges.

   
   

3. DISC Assessment 

   Focused on behaviour styles, DISC helps teams understand how they respond to challenges, influence others, and approach tasks.

   
   

4. StrengthsFinder

   This test highlights your top talents, making it easier to focus on what you naturally excel at rather than trying to fit into areas that feel less intuitive.

   
   

5. The Enneagram

   A more in-depth personality framework that explores motivations, fears, and growth paths, helping teams better understand the "why" behind behaviours.

   
   

6. Emotional Intelligence (EQ-i)

   Understanding how well you perceive, express, and manage emotions—both yours and others’—can significantly improve workplace dynamics.

   
   

7. Belbin Team Roles

   This test looks at the roles team members naturally take on, such as coordinator, implementer, or innovator, helping create balanced teams.

   
   

8. Big Five Personality Traits

   A research-backed framework focusing on five dimensions of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

   
   

Incorporating one or more of these tools into your team’s development process can lead to new insights and transformative changes in how you work together.

This is only a starting point and the lists are probably beyond exhaustive. But maybe this article intrigued you to firstly being curious about your underlying patterns and those of your team mates. In any case, enjoy the journey- it’s only the beginning!

Further book recommendations

• “surrounded by idiots”, Thomas Erikson (2019)

• “The 5 Personality Patterns”, Steven Kessler (2015)