The Dangers of Comparing Personality Types to The New World of Work

This summer I read an article in Business Week which asked the question: "Is There a Virtual Worker Personality?"  What a great question I pondered.  The article points out that when Pearn Kandola began studied hundreds of workers at Cisco as well as other employees at global client companies around the world, they discovered the opposite to what they expected to find.

It turns out it's the gregarious types who thrive in virtual work setups, since they connect nonetheless. It's the shy types who feel isolated.

I have no desire to take exception with the study or some of the recommendations - which make sense for any virtual off site employee regardless of personality.  I am concerned about the stereo typing that is bound to occur.  I raised a similar issue in the Spring: The introvert / extrovert perefernce in MBTI and networking  We have to be careful not to draw conclusions or make assumptions. 

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Brad Cope has a rather lengthy and humourous look at this issue in Southwest Airlines' magazine: "I'll Be Switched".  This is in response to whether you should or could try to change your personality for your career advancement.  Apparently if you are into the MBTI, studies from CPP Inc suggest that the ESTJ type is the most coveted in senior management. (i.e. there are more ESTJ's in executive and management positions than any other for the 16 types.)  In Canada I would suggest it might be ISTJ and coming from a research industry maybe even INTJ's.  In Europe I believe that "introverts" are also more valued.  Perhaps this is my own bias as a gregarious introvert myself.

The whole discussion raises the old debate - are you drawn to a career based on your "personality" or are you more successful because of said "personality"?  I am of the view that it is irrelevant.  We need to have variety in all roles to ensure innovation and prevent cloning.  And children need to stop being told that they can't do something because they don't have the right makeup for it. Besides . . . the times they are a changing.

The work place is shifitng in ways that we really can't predict.  We are told that emotional intelligence will be more necessary but if it is true that we will become more virtual and isolated - will we?  I believe so as the old norms of understanding are replaced the skill of reading people and responding based on their perspective will be in greater demand.  As the world of work diversifies and becomes even more global, the cues will become more confusing and complex.  It is not a question of which personality is better suited to these changes.  We are all capable of adjusting as long as we understand our own tendencies and preferences.  Then and only then will we be in a position to identify what we can do that fits with our own integrity and makes up happy and successful in our lives.  For these reasons taking a reputable assessment (be it MBTI, DISC, EQ or a myriad of others) is a great starting point - not a death sentence on our journey.