This is the last in a series of episodes dedicated to building trust in your team. Last week in Episode 21, we looked into building team trust by being vulnerable. Today, we answer the question “Are you my type?” and give you more tools for building team trust.
Three tools you can start using today to build team trust:
- Behavioral profiling tools
- 360º Feedback©
- Johari Window© technique
The first tool is one that you will hear many leadership experts talk about. Personality assessment instruments are super popular and the Internet has made them easily accessible. In some respects, they are often a default or “go-to” and even portrayed as a “silver bullet” – they aren’t cure-alls for trust deficiencies in your team, but they are informative. Find links below for some great resources you start using today.
Some of the most popular personality assessment tools are the DiSC© behavior assessment tool (Dominance, inducement, Submission, and Compliance), the Gallup Strengths Finder©, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)©, the Enneagram©, and many more like the Hogan Assessments, Social Styles©, and True Colors©.
Make sure to go to Dr. Lucille Maddalena’s website because she does a great job of indicating when you might want to use some of these instruments. No matter which assessment you choose, you have to consider things like how your organization has dealt with assessments in the past, your company culture including who should participate (all employees? certain levels of management? executives only?), what you want to achieve, how the info will be used/shared, etc… and ultimately, how this will help your team, the organization, and each individual participant.
Patrick Lencioni says that the way an instrument is administered is critical to its success, so pick a good tool and do it well. Every profiling tool says not to over-analyze. Go quickly and go with your gut reactions. Do it in the context of applying it to work. You want team members to build trust at work.
Benefits of using the profiling instruments:
- Your team wants to understand themselves better, so there isn’t a lot of resistance
- They increase the likelihood that your team members will share strengths and weaknesses with each other
- The assessments create a common vocabulary for describing differences and similarities between individuals
- Opens the door for feedback that isn’t accusatory or generalized
No tool is entirely objective. If you lie or are dishonest or answer the survey questions like someone you WISH you were, they won’t work right. Be honest!
Benefits of 360º Feedback©:
- Provides an opportunity for constructive criticism
- Can be helpful as your team and others see things about you that you don’t see yourself
- If you are open, it will lead to growth
Benefits of the Johari Window© technique:
- Adjectives used to identify what’s open, blind, hidden and unknown
- Allows for relatively instant feedback for the subject
- Challenges the subject to evaluate what they know about themselves and address whether what they believe about themselves is accurate
Don’t forget, the leader sets the tone. Sincerity is key – your team smells fake and self-serving from a mile away. If you won’t risk being vulnerable through the use of these tools, none of your team will either. Make sure your team feels safe when using these tools!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Free Myers-Briggs Type Indicator© assessment
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator© website
The Enneagram© Institute website
The Gallup StrengthsFrinder© website
The DiSC© profile website
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Now, go lead like someone you would want to follow!
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