Personality tests. Here’s a thought: do they put people in boxes, or are they a useful tool?

I’ve been turning this one round in my head, following some really interesting conversations. 

It’s interesting. I have used personality tests to get to know myself. They’re also something that I use with my clients. I want to get to know the people I work with, so I use a variety of tools and techniques to help.

For me, I like Myers-Briggs. I’ve been using it for years, so I often start with this. The VIA Character Strengths Survey is a newer discovery, but I’ve quickly become a huge fan. 

Lots of people talk to me enthusiastically about DISC. That’s one I’m still learning about. I’ve been working my way through ‘Surrounded by Idiots’ by Thomas Erikson to help me with this. It’s taken a while (I’ve been reading the book for a year), but I can see no point in rushing. I want to really understand the concept and various profiles. I also want to see how I can apply it to myself and my life. That’s the point, right?

I know that I’m ENFP (which means I’m Extroverted, Intuitive, Feelings and Perspective). I think that fits quite well with my character strengths, which are creativity, appreciation of beauty and humour. Then there’s my DISC profile, which leans heavily to Influence/yellow. Some people see Yellows as enthusiastic, open and optimistic. Others see us as those given to talking too much.

Does this mean I know myself? Can I change? Will I change? Is having this information useful? And then there’s something that was posed to me by a colleague a couple of months ago.

And I wanted to write about it because can you really put people into boxes? Even if they seem to be keen on the idea. There are so many personality profiling tools out there. So many ways to find out who you are.

There’s also a lot of enthusiasm for personality tests and questionnaires. It does sometimes feel like people actually want to find a box to be put into. It’s like a personality profile is the equivalent of a star sign in the world of business and self-development. If you’re wondering, I’m a Cancerian – whatever that may tell you about me.

Is it part of our desire to be seen? To be understood by others? Or perhaps it’s about being part of the tribe. Maybe even more than belonging, knowing what you can contribute and confidently offer.

I will continue to use them with new clients. They offer a shortcut and a general perspective. For me, this is important because it helps me to develop some understanding early on of who the client is and how they like to approach a situation. Having a handle on this speeds up how quickly I can put the right type of support into place.

The better you understand and connect with the clients that you’re working with, the better you can help. This applies to coaches, mentors and consultants. I also apply this to myself. If I know myself, I can get the most out of myself and do the best job for others.

And that’s where the strengths of these tests lie. You get an outline opinion of who you might be. A great starting point.

So far, so logical. Whether there is a scientific basis for a test or not, the results are proving useful. However, I’m chewing over some other thoughts about what the results of a test might say about us and the profile that is on offer.

Are we the same in different situations? Do our personalities change for the scenario we find ourselves in? ‘Surrounded by Idiots’ has an interesting chapter. It describes an office party. It’s interesting to see how this activity (and some alcohol) alters the behaviours for each profile.

The whole question of whether the tests work or not doesn’t really matter if it helps us to enjoy our work and find effective ways to interact wth others. It’s when we’re putting ourselves in a box and won’t consider what’s outside that we need to be careful.

For me, I think it depends on how you use them in a business and a personal sense. I find them incredibly useful, but they’re not going to tie me down either. It’s about flexibility of mindset, but also keeping in mind just how many tests are out there. That means there are loads I haven’t done, which might have something new to offer me. For instance, someone pointed out Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies, which I’d never heard of.

My conclusion is that I’ve got some I like to use and I’ll keep on with those. I’ll also be open-minded about what the tests I haven’t yet tried have to offer. So when you work with me, we’ll look at your Myers-Briggs. We will look at your strengths. But then we’ll move out of that box and I will see you as an individual, because that’s what you are.