Introduction
Personality clashes can be traced in a wide range of relationships; however, they are especially prominent in the workplace. It has to do with the fact that personality differences can affect teamwork, thereby disrupting group cohesion and reducing its effectiveness. Therefore, every individual willing to succeed in the modern business world has to be cognizant of their personality type and how it influences their relationship. The aim of this paper is to discuss personality conflicts in the context of professional relationships.
Discussion
There is ample evidence pointing to the fact that emotional intelligence and understanding of personality types are critical in forming and maintaining meaningful professional relationships. A study by Khalili (2012) reveals that social competency derived from the knowledge of people’s innate differences with respect to their personality types regulates all personal encounters, thereby determining the quality of relationships. The bidirectional link between the comprehension of personality profiles and relationship development exists because the former helps people to avoid conflicts and communicate their intentions more effectively.
Conflicts can arise due to numerous reasons the most important of which are differences in goals, values, preferences, intentions, communication styles, and expectations (Mir, 2012). Given that a type of one’s personality determines their preferences and conflict management styles, many workplace outcomes rest on positive dynamics between employees with varying personality types. By understanding the link between an individual’s innate attitude towards internal and external worlds, it is possible to arrive at optimal methods of team formation. Furthermore, employees cognizant of their personality differences can achieve higher levels of collaboration, which is essential for achieving common goals and avoiding conflicts. The knowledge of personality differences can also help to reduce anxiety and frustration associated with the diversity of characteristic patterns of team members’ behavior. Therefore, the realization of one’s own and others’ personality types is the most valid and reliable method of conflict prevention.
The personality assessment reveals that I am 12 percent introvert, 50 percent intuitive, 38 percent thinking, and 69 percent judging, which translates into INTJ personality type (“Jung typology test,” n.d.). I can be described as a systems builder due to a combination of pragmatism and imagination. It follows that any co-worker who fails to perform at a sufficiently high level is perceived by me as indolent. Since INFJs are characterized by perfectionism, diligence, and emphasis on hard work, such individuals might lose my respect. Even though the loss of respect does not necessarily result in conflicts, it is important to be conscious of other factors that can fuel their emergence. With this in mind, I have to pay more attention to the compromising dimension of my personality in order to have a positive and functional professional relationship.
Since I have a strong preference for judging over perceiving, it would not be wrong to describe me as self-confident. Unfortunately, this trait has been mistaken for arrogance by my colleague, which hampered collaboration and lowered productivity. To resolve the issue, I employed an accommodating conflict management style, thereby preserving the relationship and dissolving emotional tension.
Conclusion
The paper has discussed the connection between personality types and conflicts in the context of professional relationships. It has been argued that the understanding of personality types confers enormous benefits on individuals who want to succeed in the modern business environment. By being conscious of their unique personality characteristics, employees can foresee and prevent misunderstandings and conflicts.
References
Jung typology test. (n.d.). Web.
Khalili, A. (2012). The role of emotional intelligence in the workplace: A literature review. International Journal of Management, 29(3), 355-370.
Mir, K. (2012). Wars at work: An action guide for resolving workplace battles. Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press.