Whether we’re fans of it or not, working from home has become a reality that’s here to stay—with or without a crisis. While some personalities lend themselves well to working from home, others have a more difficult time adjusting to remote conditions. Regardless of all the questions surrounding the work from home trend, such as, “Will this become the new norm,” one fact remains clear—remote work requires increased communication, connection, clarity, and understanding.
Working from home also means flexing outside of our comfort zones. It might, at times, require more empathy towards our colleagues, different ways of interacting, more frequent check-ins, and finding new ways to meet our daily needs.
For some personality types, working from home is probably like winning the jackpot. Certain folks might enjoy working by themselves, making decisions independently, and setting their own pace. For others, that may not be the case. These individuals might need others around to bring out their best, set the pace, or assist with making decisions. What works for one person might not work for another. That’s where understanding your personality traits—and those of others—becomes critical while working remotely.
So, how do we learn more about our personality style in a way that allows us to be effective while working remotely? We can turn to talent assessments, such as PXT Select™.
Developed to help organizations learn more about their people, the PXT Select assessment provides personalized, objective, reliable, and accurate data about how people think (by measuring Cognitive ability) and how they work (by measuring Behavioral Traits and Motivational Interests). The PXT Select assessment measures nine Behavioral Traits that determine how we function in the workplace.
We listed three important Behavioral Traits to take into consideration when working remotely:
- Sociability: is the desire for interaction with others. If you fall to the right on the sociability scale, this indicates an outgoing personality. In this case, you tend to be more extroverted and people-oriented. You may find that working in a remote environment leaves you lacking the social interaction that you need to thrive. To make up for this lack of interaction, try scheduling a virtual happy hour with your colleagues, friends, or family so that you can see each other and socialize. If you fall on the left side of the Sociability scale, you tend to be more reserved and introverted, which means you may find it comfortable or enjoyable to work from home. Even then, remember to check in with your colleagues every so often. Maintaining relationships is important, no matter how social you are.
- Independence: is the level of preference for instruction and guidance. If you fall to the left on the Independence scale, you may find that you crave more direction from your leader. When possible, write your questions and concerns down and save them for when you meet with your manager. If this is not enough to keep things moving for you, collaborate with a person on your team that may be able to provide you with some answers. If you fall on the right of the Independence scale, you may find that you thrive in a remote environment. Just make sure you keep your manager and colleagues in the loop so that nobody feels left out.
- Decisiveness: This considers the use of speed and caution while making decisions. For the highly decisive folks who score on the left of the decisiveness scale, you may find yourself making decisions without input from your colleagues. Before making a big decision, pause and schedule a short meeting or send an email with your choices to your coworkers so that they can align with your decisions and provide necessary feedback. If you fall on the right end of the Decisiveness scale, you tend to collaborate well with your colleagues while making decisions—no matter where you’re located.
Knowing how we function in our natural state can help us see our obstacles before they become significant challenges or problems. Sharing this insight with our colleagues and teammates can help us make it through good times and challenging times with a greater sense of self and community.
To learn more about how PXT Select can help the members of your organization work effectively from home, connect today with the team at Laura A. Davis and Associates, Inc., an Authorized Partner.
