Career Development & Wellness — Personality Tests as a Tool to Identify and Improve Communication Skills

Across many professions, personality tests are used to assess and develop team members, including those in leadership positions. The legal profession is no exception, and personality tests are commonly used at larger firms with learning and development staff who advocate for and implement their use. That was my initial exposure, and I found the experience so beneficial for my professional development that I share it here and encourage anyone who has yet to try it to consider doing so. Personality tests from the major providers are available online, often with abridged versions for free, and can provide helpful insight that can improve your communication skills, as it did for me.

These tests are less about personality than an effort to understand how an individual interacts with people and projects based on a combination of personality traits. Once a personality type is identified, the assessment provides a guide to common strengths and weaknesses and insight into how that personality type interacts with other people generally and with other personality types specifically. The value of the personality test goes beyond learning about yourself—it can provide valuable perspective into how others perceive you and insight into other personalities that can inform how you perceive others. Understanding how you are heard and perceived by others and that what you hear and perceive may not be what was intended allows you to adapt your approach to improve communication and, ultimately, relationships.

As one well-known personality test company puts it, “[b]y developing a clearer sense of self-awareness and awareness of others, you’re able to frame decisions better, reduce miscommunication, and understand personal needs more effectively.” See All About the Myers-Briggs® Assessment, https://tinyurl.com/4m29cyn9. I could not agree more. My experience was eye-opening and led to transformative personal development that accelerated the growth of my practice and improved my relationship with team members. In my case, I discovered that I lacked awareness of how others perceived me, so let’s start there!

Awareness of How Others Perceive You

Regarding communication, what is said is just as important as how it is heard, as is understanding that these concepts are different. What is said is affected by how it is transmitted, tone, body language, and context. Those things are at least known or in the control of the speaker. Still, it can also be affected by factors contributed by the listener, including as affected by their personality.

The personality type I was assigned after taking the personality test was unsurprising; the description was so spot on that I could have self-identified based on the description without the test. I didn’t need the test to know that I was an introverted, intuitive thinker and in my head a lot. What I did not know, and the assessment articulated, was that a weakness common with my personality type was how others could perceive those qualities. Specifically, people interacting with my personality type can perceive us as detached, aloof, and uninterested in what they have to say, which can affect, if not impede, a relationship.

Before the assessment, I had heard that first impressions of me were that I appeared cold and disinterested. This didn’t make any sense from my perspective. It never occurred to me that I was doing anything or that there was anything I could do about it.

Learning about this common weakness with my personality type, I immediately reflected on these past first impressions and finally got it. Spending so much time in my head meant I didn’t seem (and maybe wasn’t) fully present in those interactions, and I hadn’t been conscious of how I lost eye contact while thinking. Once I grasped that it was me, I became self-aware of my tone of voice, body language, and eye contact during interactions. I shifted my behavior and made a more intentional effort to show that I was fully present in those moments, which made a big difference in outwardly conveying the interest, warmth, and friendliness I felt on the inside. Being more aware of the other person’s body language also showed me that I had missed cues in those conversations.

The insight, which had arguably already been pointed out many times, hit home only through the personality type assessment. The assessment had given me the tools to understand it as a perception, where it came from, and how to address it. The result was a dramatic improvement in my communication skills and relationships.

Improve Communication in Working Relationships

The personality type assessment also introduced me to a related concept—that the personality types of others affect their perceptions and how they communicate. For this reason, it is also valuable to understand the personality type of those you work closely with and how it will interact with your personality type. The personality assessment guidance can include this insight and allow you to avoid expected communication hurdles, which can pay dividends in productivity.

My personality type provides an example of how this can play out. Knowing I can come across as aloof and detached, I reflected on how I give feedback to those who support my practice and how it may be perceived. In doing so, I realized that my default approach directed at a personality type sensitive to feedback is a recipe for miscommunication and a less productive working relationship. I work to be more mindful in my interactions, but I also make a point of telling new members of my team that if I come across as aloof and detached when giving feedback, it’s not intentional or indicative of my level of care and interest. This transparency has made for positive interactions within the team and productive lines of communication.

All communications involve a second person. Making the extra effort to understand how the person on the receiving end will hear and perceive the communication based on your and their respective personality types can make a difference in your effectiveness and the overall relationship.

Self-Aware Is Halfway There

All personal and professional development requires an element of self-awareness. With technical learning, it’s easier to be self-aware and identify what you know and don’t know. Soft skills are more challenging, but you know what you need to work on once you have self-awareness. None of us is perfect, and all of us have areas where we are naturally strong and areas that we’ve had to work at.

If you have not had a personality type assessment, I highly recommend doing so for the interesting and valuable insight and perspective it offers!