{"id":5019,"date":"2018-08-16T16:19:30","date_gmt":"2018-08-16T16:19:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.walkme.com\/blog\/?p=5019"},"modified":"2018-08-16T16:19:30","modified_gmt":"2018-08-16T16:19:30","slug":"employee-training-method","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.walkme.com\/blog\/employee-training-method\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Create an Employee Training Method for All Personality Types"},"content":{"rendered":"Picture this scenario. Your CEO just unveiled an innovative new business strategy and your department is responsible for an important part of it. This requires your team to adopt new processes, skills, and software. You craft a bullet-proof employee training method and dive in.\n\nBut your team, which was initially thrilled about the challenge ahead, is faltering.\n\nOnly some of your employees are grasping the new information. Others seem totally deflated. Performance is sinking, and now you\u2019re starting to doubt whether your team will be able to produce the type of results your CEO is looking for.\n\nIf they can\u2019t perform, the blame is going to fall on your shoulders.\n

Discover the employee training solution that works for everyone.<\/a><\/h3>\n

Your employee training method is missing something essential<\/h2>\n\"employee\n\nYou might have planned it to a tee, but your employee training method likely doesn\u2019t account for one critical factor: personality differences.\n\nPersonality has a huge influence on the way we communicate, work with others, face challenges, and handle conflicts. Failing to consider the different personality types on your team will block your training plan from succeeding.\n

Managers must know their employees\u2019 personality types<\/h2>\nAs a manager, it\u2019s critical to not only be aware of the different personalities on your team, but also understand how to tailor your training<\/a> and management approach for each person.\n\nFor example, a tough, blunt approach could energize one employee to complete her goals. But that same approach might make another employee shut down.\n\nTeam success requires individual success.<\/strong> Just as you have to account for different learning types<\/a> when building your employee training plan<\/a>, you must also consider different personality types.\n\nYou need a versatile approach for motivating and communicating with each team member through training.<\/strong>\n

Understanding the four personality types<\/h2>\n\"employee\n\nResearchers have identified four main personality types<\/a>.\n\nThough most people possess traits from more than one category, they usually most closely fit in with one group. And while employees who are considered one type may be polar opposites of those from another, their skills usually complement each other’s.\n\nSocial psychologists David W. Merrill and Roger H. Reid called the four personality types analytical, driver, amiable, and expressive.\n

Analytical<\/em><\/h3>\nAnalytical people are deep, thoughtful, and serious. They hold themselves to high standards both at work and in their personal lives. They tend to be perfectionists with an eye for detail. They want things done the right way the first time.\n\n\"analytics\"\n\nYour analytical employees have the self-discipline to get the job done with a high degree of accuracy. But this pursuit of perfection can also slow them down. Analytical people can be negative and critical. They tend to be indecisive since they overanalyze things, which can slow progress.\n

Driver<\/em><\/h3>\nDrivers exude confidence. They are determined, independent, and productive. They move from strategy to execution fast. They\u2019d rather make a bad decision than no decision at all.\n\n\"managing\n\nDrivers are visionaries and tend toward leadership positions. They can see the big picture but often lack the ability to identify the small steps and details required to take them there. They can be harsh sometimes, and often reluctant to admit when they\u2019re wrong.\n

Amiable<\/em><\/h3>\nPeople who fit into the amiable personality type are patient, calm, and balanced. They are usually soft-spoken and sympathetic to others. They don\u2019t partake in gossip and stir conflict. Amiable people are diplomatic and easily look at situations from other people\u2019s perspectives.\n\n\"employee\n\nOne drawback is that sometimes, amiable people\u2019s aversion to conflict prevents them from advocating for themselves. They might stay quiet out of fear they will appear pushy or argumentative.\n

Expressive<\/em><\/h3>\nExpressive people are outgoing, funny, and talkative. They love to have fun and bring humor into work. Expressive personality types are good at keeping the mood light because they hate dullness.\n\n\"employee\n\nThey are also usually generous, ambitious, and charismatic. They always want to be included in teams, projects, and conversations. But this chattiness can also be a weakness. Sometimes they are too loud, undisciplined, and disorganized.\n

How to create an employee training method that fits every personality type<\/h2>\nWhen you understand the way your employees approach their work, what motivates them, how they create and execute goals, and how they approach challenges, you\u2019ll be able to deliver the most effective training.\n\nHere are six steps for creating a training method that accounts for different personality types.\n

1. Start with a personality assessment<\/h3>\nVerified personality quizzes are a reliable way to dig into what personality types exist on your team.\n\nSome examples include the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator<\/a>, CliftonStrengths<\/a>, and the Riso-Hudson Enneagram Type Indicator<\/a>. These tests are created by experts in psychology and organizational studies.\n\nThe in-depth assessments not only tell your employees what their personality types are, they explain what they mean. Employees gain an understanding of how certain personality traits affect their work styles and attitudes. It helps them figure out what types of projects and settings they will perform best in, and what types of emotional reactions they might experience in certain situations.\n

2. Think about the challenges each personality type will face during training<\/h3>\n\"employee\n\nWhen you look at all of the results, think about how each personality type approaches the challenge of learning something new.\n\nFor instance, the drivers on your team are probably super excited to execute a new project, but they might lack patience when it comes to learning all of the training material in the interim steps.\n\nYour analytical employees might demonstrate strong engagement during training, but their tendency to get caught up in the details can slow the process down. Learning each of your employees\u2019 personality types will help you prepare for all of these challenges.\n

3. Share the personality test results with the team<\/h3>\nCollaboration is fundamental to team success. It often plays a key role in training, especially when you\u2019re gearing up for a big team project.\n\nThe best way to get all of your employees to work together is for them to understand one another better.\n\nBy sharing the results of everyone\u2019s personality tests, everyone will know how each other works, and therefore be able to work together more effectively. They will approach projects, communication, and conflict with greater empathy.\n

4. Ask your employees how they like to learn<\/h3>\nYou\u2019re already making an effort to tailor your employee training method<\/a> to the different personalities on your team. Why not eliminate the guesswork and ask them how they like to learn?\n\nAsk your employees:\n