How do you unlock the full potential of your team?
Image a team where every member’s strengths are leveraged, and every weakness supported, where the team communicates flawlessly, always meeting deadlines and tackles challenges that come along in an innovative and collective manner.
Does this sound impossible? Or, is it an aspiration for your team to work better and to achieve more?
Originally developed in the late 1900s, the Big Five personality traits is a theory that was developed to try to understand personality. Later studies in the 20th century resulted in refinement of the model , and it is still used today by organisational psychologists to help teams develop and prosper.
At the core of every successful team lies a deep understanding of its component parts; the personalities of each member and, more importantly, how those personalities contribute to success, or failure.
The Big Five model suggests that each team member has five ‘traits’ in various amounts. The traits are: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.
Openness are your teams creative powerhouse. They thrive on innovation and are always on the look out for new ways to solve a problem.
Conscientiousness is the trait of reliability and discipline. Team members who score high in this area are your planners and doers. They set the pace for deadlines and they help to maintain high standards in quality.
Extraversion shines through in those who are sociable, energetic and outgoing. They are great at communicating and fantastic at building rapport.
Agreeableness is the trait of compassion and cooperation. They are the bond that holds the team together, particularly during challenging times.
Neuroticism relates to emotional stability and sensitivity. High levels of this trait can mean vulnerability to stress, but it can also be a very powerful trait to have in your team because they can often be the individuals who sense stress in others.
Put those traits together and you have the OCEAN model. How does it work in practice.
The Big Five personality traits can help self-awareness among team members. It can help individuals learn about themselves and about other people within the team. This mutual understanding can foster respect and more effective collaboration.
By understanding the personality traits of the team, leaders can strategically compose teams that have a balance across all five traits. Strengths can be acknowledged and fostered while weaknesses can be identified and improved.
Insights from the Big Five can help with communication strategies to match personal preferences, and it can help reduce and manage potential conflicts within the team.
Of course, it should be remembered that there are lots of dynamics in play when people are working in teams, and the Big Five is only one aspect of a successful and high-performing team. But it can be incredibly helpful.
The Big Five offers a powerful tool to help understand the real make-up of a team. When used wisely, it can enhance understanding, communication and performance. By using the Big Five as a starting point, teams can develop greater respect, adapt to change and exhibit continuous improvement.
If you would like to learn more about the OCEAN way, please get in contact.