How to Manage Different Personality Types at Work

In my 20+ years as a sales leader and manager, I’ve learned a few really important lessons in #talentmanagement. As we enter mid-year review season here at KKR, I thought it’d be helpful to share one of those lessons that could be helpful for anyone managing a team, big or small. Years ago, I was working with a manager struggling with a management problem on his sales team. Newer to sales leadership, he was spending an inordinate amount of time trying to motivate one of his sales professionals to be more organized in her prospecting efforts. He told me that this regional executive was creative, a strong relationship builder, and highly client focused, but she lacked a systematic focus on optimizing her territory. Can you guess what the problem was? It wasn’t the sales professional… it was the sales manager. This manager had the right person in the right seat, but he wasn't maximizing her “spikes.” The ROI on honing and leveraging your team’s superpowers is MUCH higher than spending a disproportionate amount time trying to turn someone’s weaknesses into strengths or changing ingrained character traits and behavior. So what can managers do better? You can either move people into different roles or restructure your team to bring complimentary skillsets together. In the above case, I suggested to the sales manager that he spend less time trying to change the organizational behavior of his regional sales executive, but instead, pair her with a highly organized and structured internal sales associate. And even more importantly, find opportunities for that sales professional to share some of her strengths, such as the creative ways she works with her clients, with the other sales execs on the team. 

Every company is different. Every team is different. Every leader is different. Every team member is different. So...leaders, when you bring a new person on to your team, do yourself, the new hire, and existing team members a favor and have everyone , (including yourself), create and share a "How to Work Best With Me" document or email. Having been a people leader several times, I have done this every time a new person joined the team. And it is so important. Let's break down the key elements for both existing team members and new hires to include in their "How to work best with me" comms. For existing team members: 1. Communication preferences: - Preferred communication channels (e.g., email, Slack, in-person) - Best times for meetings or quick chats - How they like to receive feedback 2. Work style: - Whether they prefer collaborative or independent work - Their approach to problem-solving (e.g., analytical, creative) - How they handle deadlines and pressure 3. Strengths and expertise: - Areas where they excel and can offer support to others - Specific skills or knowledge they're willing to share 4. Growth areas: - Skills they're currently developing - Areas where they appreciate extra support or patience 5. Personal quirks or habits: - Any particular work habits that others should be aware of - How they tend to react under stress 6. Project management: - How they like to organize tasks and track progress - Their preferred level of autonomy vs. guidance 7. Decision-making style: - How they approach making choices (e.g., data-driven, intuitive) - Their comfort level with risk For new hires: 1. Previous work experience: - Brief overview of their background and how it relates to the current role - Any significant differences between their previous and current work environments 2. Learning style: - How they best absorb new information (e.g., visual, hands-on, reading) - Their preferred onboarding pace 3. Initial goals: - What they hope to achieve in their first few months - Areas where they'd like to contribute or learn quickly 4. Support needs: - Types of resources or guidance they find most helpful when starting a new role - Any concerns or uncertainties about the new position 5. Cultural adaptation: - Any cultural differences they're navigating - How the team can help them integrate smoothly 6. Motivations: - What drew them to this role or company - What keeps them engaged and excited about work 7. Potential challenges: - Any anticipated difficulties in adjusting to the new role - How colleagues can best support them during the transition By including this information, leaders, existing team members, and new hires can foster better understanding, collaboration, and integration within the team. Also, these documents should be living documents, updated as people grow and change in their roles. #Leadership #Teams

You can’t lead everyone the same way. Different people need different kinds of support. If you expect everyone to think, act, and respond the same... you’ll lose engagement fast. That’s why I always keep this simple reminder in mind: "Different types of employees need different types of enablement." Here’s how to support each type 👇 1. The Newcomer Still learning the ropes, unsure how to contribute. → Assign a buddy for mentoring and onboarding. 2. The Silent Doer Gets things done but avoids attention or discussion. → Recognize quietly in 1:1s or messages. 3. The Overthinker Worries about making the wrong move, slows down. → Give them decision frameworks to move faster. 4. The Skeptic Doubts new processes and resists change. → Invite them to pilot new ideas, not just adopt. 5. The Innovator Full of ideas, easily bored with routines. → Let them lead small improvement projects. 6. The Complainer Points out issues constantly, may seem negative. → Ask for solutions, not just problems. 7. The Overloaded Wears too many hats, always “busy”. → Help them prioritize and automate repetitive work. 8. The Lone Wolf Prefers working solo, avoids group tasks. → Respect their flow, but slowly bring in collaboration. 9. The Fast Climber Ambitious, looking for next step already. → Involve them in CI or leadership shadowing. 10. The Rule Follower Needs structure and clarity to feel safe. → Use SOPs and visual guides for comfort. 11. The Disengaged Checked out, doing bare minimum. → Ask for feedback honestly: “What’s missing for you?” 12. The Culture Keeper Naturally uplifts others, keeps morale high. → Celebrate and empower them as informal leaders. You don’t build strong teams by managing everyone the same way. You build them by enabling people in the way they need most. *** Liked this? Repost ♻️ and follow me Angad S. for more!