So What Makes You Tick?

This is what all potential employers really want to know. What is it like to work with you? How can we get the best out of you? The truth of the matter is that most of us have a general idea of what drives us, but how much time have you really spent thinking about this question? A little bit of effort on self discovery could go a long way when it comes to focusing your job search, choosing a new career, improving your workplace performance or even strengthening your business relationships, not to mention a whole host of personal reasons like plain old happiness. Here a couple things you might try:

Complete a learning assessment. Today, our economy is driven by the knowledge worker, individuals who are valued for their ability to develop or use knowledge. Simple learning assessments are available on the Internet and will give you valuable insight on how you take in information. Are you a visual, auditory or tactile/kinesthetic learner or some combination of the three? With a clear understanding on how you best take in information, you can make better use of your time by utilizing techniques that fit your particular style. Maybe you should start drawing graphs and pictures during the next team meeting or reading that operations manual aloud or pacing when you are on conference calls. We all want to succeed in our job and have a limited amount of time, so make the best of it.

Take a personality profile. This will give you a better idea about how you perceive the world and make decisions. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a very common assessment based on the theories of Carl Jung. The assessment looks at four different indicators and determines that an individual is one of sixteen different personalities. Here are the four areas:
Extroversion/Introversion – Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or your own inner world?
Sensing/Intuition – Do you prefer to focus on the basic information that you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning?
Thinking/Feeling – When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic or look at the people and special circumstances?
Judging/Perceiving – In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new ideas and options?

Often times, personality assessments will list potential careers that match well with certain personality types.

Spend some time reflecting on what you have learned about yourself. Use this information as you consider your next career moves. Do your best to understand what makes your co workers or potential next employer tick. This will lead to a more cohesive team and in the long run, a happier you.