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Personalities and Teams
Individual Personality Characteristics
Enhancing / Hindering High Performance Teams
By Yousuf Zahid
yousuf.zahid@live.com
January 2012
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Contents
Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... 3
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4
What Makes a Team Perform High? .............................................................................................. 5
Individual Personality Characteristics Hindering High Performance Teams ................................. 8
The Case of HBL......................................................................................................................... 8
The Case of the Ministry of Food, Government of Baluchistan ................................................. 9
The Case of MCB ...................................................................................................................... 10
Individual Personality Characteristics Enhancing High Performance Teams .............................. 11
The Case of Karachi Golf City .................................................................................................. 11
Which is the Better Team? Individuals with Similar or Dissimilar Traits ................................... 12
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 13
References ..................................................................................................................................... 14
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Abstract
The report makes an attempt to identify individual personality characteristics that may either
enhance or hinder the performance of a team.
Rowing a boat together is not easy because of diversity in personalities. The elements required
making a team perform effectively and the generally accepted characteristics of a high
performance team have been discussed with examples both from experiential perception of the
authors and through exclusive cases from the authors’ workplace. The Big Five Personality
Model (Big Five) and the personality types identified in the assigned course book and material
have been used as a reference to learn about individual behavior in the examples.
The answer to the core question of the assigned project is clear. Teams should comprise of
individuals with dissimilar personality traits. The report explores other aspects as well that lead
to the behavior of an individual in teams; the factors that trigger such behavior and how teams
may be controlled in the long run for the organization’s benefit.
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Introduction
In almost every organization and in every industry, teams are established not only within a
department but also at inter-departmental levels to ensure effective and efficient accomplishment
of tasks.
These two very words – team work – have attained the status of a cliché and people often take its
significant essence for granted that undermines the remarkable results that could be achieved
through a high performance team effort.
In light of organizational behavior, teams dwell on the personality of its members. The success
or failure of a team depends on the individuals who constitute it. This fact is the foundation of
the group project assigned to the authors.
The report makes an attempt to answer questions on the issue of ‘individual personality
characteristics enhance or might hinder team performance’.
1. To identify personality characteristics that are associated with high performance teams.
2. To discover the personality characteristics that hinder high performance teams.
3. To resolve whether it is better to have teams composed of individuals with similar or
dissimilar traits.
Both real world and personal examples will be elucidated by the authors; that will establish the
relationship between teams and personalities.
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What Makes a Team Perform High?
Different authorities focus on different characteristics that define a high performance team but
there are some common elements in every theory. These theories have been time-tested by
organizations and have proved right repeatedly.
The effectiveness of a team is determined by three important factors1.
1. The right mix of skills.
2. The right motivation.
3. The ability to solve the conflict without compromising the quality of the project.
It has been established that the ideal team size hovers around ten to twelve individuals. Beyond
this figure, a team may lose it efficiency. Assuming that a team of ten individuals has been
formed for a specific event management project then it’s imperative that the team members bring
in diverse skills so that each person is assigned a role that corresponds to the skill. This measure
ensures synergy with in the team operations. If however, every member or the majority of them
have similar skills then it kills-off the very purpose of the team and sometimes it’s a recipe for
disaster due to difference in expert opinions powered by personality differences.
A leader, appointed by the management, may motivate the team members as deemed appropriate
but the task bestowed upon the team for accomplishment has to be challenging enough in order
to bring out the best from each team member. Besides, the challenge faced by the team has to
have some interest for the members otherwise motivation levels may go down. Additionally, the
reward towards the end has to have a mix of extrinsic and intrinsic value because that is the
personal goal of the individuals, balanced out with those of the organization.
Absence of trust leads to a fear of conflict. Subsequently, a lack of commitment settles in.
Accordingly, accountability is avoided and the focus is lost2. Positive conflict is inherent to high
performance teams. It increases team effectiveness without compromising the larger picture.
1 http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-team-effectiveness.htm
2 Patrick Lencioni, Five Dysfunctions of a Team
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But a high performance team will only be effective if the thumb-rule characteristics are observed
and implemented. These rules define the quality of the team3. These characteristics are the
benchmarks to look for at the time of selection of individuals4 who will form the team.
1. Proper distribution of tasks through job descriptions.
2. Clear and open communication.
3. High levels of integrity.
4. Proper focus and a clear vision of what needs to be achieved together with precise
direction.
5. Sincere dedication and passion for work and to excel.
6. Empowerment to take decisions at the right time.
Every team has a personality and these characteristics vary from organization-to-organization but
the basic idea is the same everywhere. Trust, respect and support remain the key words5 for high
performance teams.
Consider the pictures which now follow.
3 Kashmira Lad, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/characteristics-of-a-good-team.html
4 Associates for Professional Development, http://www.slideshare.net/beverlybradstock/Characteristics-of-High-
Performance-Teams 5 Donald J. Bodwell, http://highperformanceteams.org/hpt_bldg.htm
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Whether it’s the pit stop of a formula-one team or the deck of an aircraft carrier, highly skilled
teams are involved that work in unison towards the fulfillment of a common goal. Each player
knows what job is to be performed and which in return complements the team effort. It’s a game
of trust, respect and support all the way. The dedicated passion is there in both the examples.
Integrity is at all time high vis-à-vis dependability and professional responsibilities.
Communication is candid and precise. And last but not the least, various team members are
empowered to take decisions.
In both cases, there’s a ringmaster; the leader who is responsible for synchronization that leads to
optimum performance. But there are human-factors that may hinder the team’s performance and
which sometimes the leader is unable to control.
Due to personality differences, getting along within a team may prove from being mildly
difficult to near impossible.
Agreed that a diverse mix of skills is necessary for a team to function smoothly but the person
behind those skills has a personality; he or she will behave in accordance with their upbringing
and exposure to life. Their values will determine their practical approach. Their attitudes will
govern their behavior. They may feel differently towards different things and to which they may
agree or disagree. They may or may not have a high emotional temperament. The authors have
shared personal experiences in the report which validate the effect of personality on teams.
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Individual Personality Characteristics Hindering High Performance Teams
The human being is imperfect by nature but despite this age-old enlightenment, at the time of
team-building, six personality types are duly considered even though it’s quite difficult to create
the perfect team. The ‘driver, adventurer, energizer, cheerleader, stabilizer and perfectionist’;
these are the preferred personalities6. But too many adventurers in a team take too many risks.
Absence of stabilizers and cheerleaders may lead to irrelevant arguments and a lack of
motivation. At times, the driver or leader will find herself at loggerheads.
Which personality characteristics hinder high performance teams? The answer to this question is
presented through actual cases experienced by the authors.
The Case of HBL
Last year, one of the authors of the report had joined HBL as Head of IT Operations of the IT
Department – Alternate Delivery Channels. The specialized department had pre-existed and had
a total strength of 21 individuals including the author. While reporting to the SVP, the author had
brought in sound experience to the department and with a high-end skill-set. The department
constituted both male and female individuals of different cultural and sub-cultural backgrounds.
The average age group was 32. As expected, the staff, most of which had been with HBL for one
to three years displayed a direct resistance towards their new female supervisor. Due to
experience, the author managed to win over the entire staff soon enough with aid from the SVP.
One individual however, with five years of experience, continues to resist even today and has
utilized all negative tactics to thwart the author’s day-to-day matters. This individual is well
connected with in the bank due community based relations. By-passing the author, delaying
responses, submission of incomplete work and other similar tactics are a daily routine at his end.
6 Kate McFarlin, Demand Media, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-different-personalities-workplace-
10733.html
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Various types of deviant behavior have also been displayed. The author remains tolerant and
patient and continues to persist with the professional approach. The entire department had a
reputation of functioning like a well-oiled machine but after the author’s joining the
effectiveness of the team has diminished to a certain extent.
Theoretically, this individual has displayed behavior that falls under ‘neuroticism’ factor of the
Big Five. The personality type is similar to Machiavellianism with a risk-taking attitude at the
cost of compromising the team’s performance and his own job security. The individual has
explosive anger trapped inside towards his supervisor. On the other hand, while remaining
perfectly normal with other colleagues and upon receiving advice by them to mend the ways, the
person engages into negative politicking.
The Case of the Ministry of Food, Government of Baluchistan
Another author of the report has been in service of the Ministry of Food, Government of
Balochistan since the last four years. Serving as Assistant Director, the author is responsible for
the ministry section that oversees and manages the timely supply-chain of wheat from farm-to-
mill. The entailing tasks are of critical importance since anywhere from 50,000 to 500,000
wheat-bags have to be managed every month. Illegal inter-provincial smuggling and quota
management also has to be vigilantly observed. Working directly under the author is a team of
16 individuals which constitute a high performance team. Due to diligent documentation, high-
end coordination, transportation issues, limited time and slight understaffing, the margin of error
or delay is next to zero. However, at the field office, a particular team member, decent, aged 45,
appointed years ago through special reference and entrusted with documentation and
coordination with regional office possesses a highly introvert nature to the extent of not taking
any initiative unless asked for. As a result the team performance is hindered, when due to
sensitive field work, important information and activities slip the mind and are not brought to
light by the said individual. Despite reminders to improve coordination efforts, the individual
displays improvement temporarily only.
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An introvert personality possibly with low self-esteem could be one theory. Another possibility
is a weak external locus of control. Either way, the individual’s personality, probably
unintentionally, slows down the performance of a team that is required to operate with speed.
The Case of MCB
The third author of the report has been associated with MCB for over eight years and is serving
in the capacity of Regional Head, Karachi East of the Commercial Branch Banking Group. In
early 2008, the bank had undergone re-structuring which included replacement of branch
banking software and centralization of processing, foreign trade services and credit operations.
An unforeseen problem had sprung up as a result. Instead of selecting the existing and
experienced staff from the branches, the HRD opted for fresh recruitment. Staff redundancy at
branches was imminent and right-sizing measures were announced without taking the staff into
confidence. Subsequently, employee frustration reached high levels and a large number of
individuals left MCB. With this brain drain came in fresh blood in exchange with relatively less
experience. In short, high performance teams in different branches with 15-20 years of
experience left overnight. The word got out and experienced individuals from other banks
hesitated in joining MCB. On the other hand, the newly appointed staff besides low in
experience also had personality issues. Within months, adverse effects had been felt vis-à-vis
bank-customer relationships and an otherwise straightforward re-structuring evolved into a web
of complexities.
Team members, well familiar with the bank and who had been performing above par had left due
to a wrong policy pursuit at head office level. Upon reminiscence, in light of the theory, it’s
evident that the newly inducted individuals had an impatient disposition and possessed a strong
internal locus of control. The unmistakable type-A personality had also been observed among
these persons because of their restlessness. The over confidence and strong headedness of these
individuals added up to create problems for branch managers to control. It was an extended and
volatile ‘storming’ stage all over again.
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Individual Personality Characteristics Enhancing High Performance Teams
The Case of Karachi Golf City
The Dawn Property Investment Show occurred in 2009 at the Expo Center and Karachi Golf
City had been a principle sponsor. The author had been employed with the company for six years
and managed the planning and marketing affairs. The event had been scheduled in December and
a month before the management decided to participate. Within less than 30 days remaining, as a
sponsoring participant, a wide range of tasks had to be performed. The company decided to
create an autonomous project team and sanctioned a budget of Rs.2 million. The team comprised
of three individuals namely a company director, the head of sales and the author but without any
additional human resource. This step was taken to ensure rapid implementation of tasks which
included major jobs such as stall designing and fabrication, POS material development, lighting
and sound, video works, promo and animation development, print media works, survey
development, site documentation, etc. The team started off with a check-list of every conceivable
task and compiled it all on a PERT chart. With financial resources at its disposal and authority to
take decisions, the three individuals invested in excess of 12 hours a day to complete the project
and which it eventually did 48 hours before event launch day.
The team had a flexible leadership and was highly self motivated with each member specialized
in the domains of analysis, negotiation and field work. Weaknesses were also there on each
individual’s behalf that pertained to lack of creativity, procrastination and cynicism but each
individual’s power areas covered the weakness of the other. Conflicts were a daily ritual but the
primary notion was always to solve a problem and get the job done. From the Big Five, traits of
conscientiousness and agreeableness were in high order. Personality types included self-
monitoring, risk-taking and type-A. Of particular interest was the type-A personality which had
been adopted specifically for the project. In a nutshell, each personality characteristic simply
enhanced the performance of team.
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Which is the Better Team? Individuals with Similar or Dissimilar Traits
According to the Big Five, personality characteristics are linked to an organization’s culture and
preferred in moderation7. Either too high or too low scorers of extraversion, agreeableness,
conscientiousness, neuroticism and openness to experience will create a team climate that is most
inappropriate.
The right mix of friendliness, gregariousness, trust, cooperation, self-efficacy, self-
consciousness, adventurousness and liberalism is required for teams to prosper. Unlike in the
West, a lot of organizations in Pakistan do not engage in personality assessment at the time of
recruitment8. Analysis of personality will tremendously aid in taking on board individuals who
will complement with their abilities in the achievement of organizational objectives.
The better team would be the one with individuals having dissimilar personality traits.
The most important reason for this is the group’s diversity which will more than often be able to
handle complex tasks especially those requiring innovative approaches to problem solving9.
Team members with different backgrounds, areas of specialization and personalities will ask
questions which are always encouraged in high performance teams. What one member may lack
in training and background, another has. They will challenge one another's conclusions and
above all they will possess a degree of mutual accountability.
7 Mark Mallinger and Ileana Rizescu, http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/08/personality-traits-and-workplace-
culture/ 8 Experiential perception of authors
9 Arthur G. Sharp, http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Str-The/Teams.html
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Conclusion
In the cases presented, team performance had been directly affected due to the personality traits
of individuals both in a negative and positive manner.
The incidents that occurred at HBL, the food department and MCB happen all over Pakistan but
it no way justifies the idea of building a team with similar traits.
Diverse personalities have the potential to spark a clash but they are the chief ingredient for a
high performance team.
Non-specialized tasks may demand a team without consideration to personality types but sales
departments, construction firms, medical surgery, fire fighters and professional educational
institutes require teams composed of all around diversity.
At the end of the day, it is the responsibility of the management and the team leader to ensure
that the individuals conform to the charter of the group and their skills and talents are utilized
according to a pre-defined game plan to obtain maximum effectiveness and efficiency.
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References
Bocco, D., What is Team Effectiveness, Wise Geek. Available at:
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-team-effectiveness.htm
Bodwell, D. J., High Performance Teams, Available at:
http://highperformanceteams.org/hpt_bldg.htm
Bradstock, B., (2008), Characteristics of High Performance Teams, Associates for Professional
Development. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/beverlybradstock/Characteristics-of-High-
Performance-Teams
Experiential perception of authors
Lad, K., Characteristics of a Good Team, Buzzle. Available at:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/characteristics-of-a-good-team.html
Lencioni, P. (2002), Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Jossey Bass
Mallinger, M., Rizescu, I. (2001), Personality Traits and Workplace Culture, Graziadia Business
Review, (4) 1. Available at: http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/2010/08/personality-traits-and-workplace-
culture/
McFarlin, K., Importance of Different Personalities at Workplace, Small Business Chronicles,
Available at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-different-personalities-workplace-
10733.html
Sharp, A. G., Teams, Reference for Business, Encyclopedia of Business, 2nd
edition, Available at:
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/encyclopedia/Str-The/Teams.html