Chemistry can have many meanings.
- Chemistry class. The cool class you took in school where you blew stuff up, but also had to sit through learning equations to understand how to blow the stuff up.
- Romantic chemistry. That “gotta have you, want to be around you all the time, goo-goo, ga-ga, puppy love” feeling.
- Chemistry with your coworkers. The platonic way that you mesh together in a working environment.
If you want to talk about blowing stuff up, then you may want to look into a potential anger issue. If you want to talk about love, go watch “You’ve Got Mail.” Tom Hanks has got it down. Today, we are going to focus on the chemistry between team members. After all, we each spend about a third of our lives in the office. So, getting along with our coworkers is essential and can greatly impact our productivity.
Chemistry in the Workplace
We are all wired differently. You can’t change how people think, feel or react (this also applies to dating and is the only dating tip you will see in this post). Having a thorough understanding of how your coworkers approach situations and new projects will create a more productive working environment. Without this understanding, going to work can become a challenge in and of itself.
An effective way to create better harmony in the workplace is by having the team take a Business Chemistry personality test. This test or a similar one can uncover the assets that each team member brings to the table and can help your team identify the skills it might be missing. This information will make planning new projects easier and more seamless. You’ll be able to quickly assign roles based on identified strengths and can eliminate the potential pitfalls of having someone in a role where they’re uncomfortable.
Another example of a test that many take to compare personalities is The Myers & Briggs personality test. At Hinge, we use these tests as new teams form and new people are hired. As the company grows, we strive to place people on teams that will work well together, creating a more cohesive and productive work environment.
Personally, the thought of taking this test with my team a few weeks back didn’t sit well with me. I am not one to want to talk about feelings in the work environment. I want to be known as the sarcastic, go-getter, OCD, blunt, and honest person. I love office pranks and I like to burst some people’s bubbles (sometimes).
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But taking the test gave me valuable insight into how my personality and work style could affect team members’ productivity. As an Account Executive, I have an orderly process, assigned team, and allotted budget and hours to complete a project. I want it done on time, under budget and to exceed the client’s expectations. And while my blunt and direct nature contributes to accomplishing these goals, the Business Chemistry personality test helped me understand that this can come across as offensive to others. This awareness has helped me to become more careful in how I manage projects and how I approach team members.
Juggling Personalities and Emotions
The Business Chemistry personality test not only provided self-awareness, but it also gave guidance on how to interact with the other types of personalities on my team. Some of the characteristics of these types include being spontaneous, competitive, disliking structure and process, and are generally more of the “rules were made to be broken” type of people. Because I work on multiple teams, it has helped me to better communicate with coworkers that may not fit the same profile as me.
You took the test. Now what?
Take the results to heart and have an open review of them with your team. Discuss how to leverage each person’s strengths and see how you can supplement the skills others may be lacking. This will allow your team to be more productive, effective, and strategic. Check these tests out and consider taking them with your team. The results may surprise you and will help your firm move towards creating a more harmonious work environment.
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