Are you looking to leverage personality type to help your team function better? Using Isabel Briggs Myers' system of personality typing can help to build understanding among diverse teams, facilitate better communication, and create an environment of cooperation and productivity. If you're looking to get the most from this powerful tool for team-building, read on to learn how to set your team session up for success.

1. Plan your space

The first step is to organize the details of the event in a way that sets your participants up for success. Select a conference room or other space that will allow plenty of room for your group to move around and engage with activities (more about that later!). Book your session about 1-2 weeks in advance, so that your group members have adequate time to take a personality assessment and review their individual results ahead of the session. Truity's TypeFinder in the Workplace assessment provides a comprehensive overview of each teammate's personality type and how it drives their work style, motivation, and way of interacting with teammates and employees.

2. Define objectives and goals

You probably have a rough idea of why you're interested in doing a session on personality type, but now's the time to get your goals crystal clear. What new knowledge do you want participants to gain from the workshop? What changes, if any, would you like to see in your team as a result?

On a general level, your workshop will help your team learn about the key elements of personality and how they impact work style. Participants will gain an appreciation of individual differences, which can lead to greater cooperation and productivity. Some more specific goals for your workshop may include:

  • Help participants understand their individual strengths and challenges
  • Help teammates understand how better to communicate with one another
  • Improve conflict management among teams by improving appreciation of individual differences

Defining your objectives in advance will help you to explain to your team why they are there, as well as help you to choose activities and  resources that support your goals.

3. Assess your team

Most of the time, you'll want to have all employees attending the workshop take a personality assessment in advance so that they have information about their own type at the ready. Learning about their own type gives your participants a foundation for understanding the theory of personality and how their teammates may be different. Plus, it introduces the concepts of personality type by talking about everyone's favorite topic—themselves!

In the past, personality assessments required testing booklets and scoring keys, but the move online has made the process much simpler. The Truity @ Work testing platform allows you to set up testing for your whole team in just a few minutes, and the testing and scoring is done entirely through our user-friendly website. Results can be accessed online, or downloaded and printed so you have a physical copy for your meeting.

4. Select your resources

You'll want to have a variety of presentation aids to keep your audience's interest and address different learning styles. While it's always a good idea to have a slide presentation to structure your session, you'll also want to plan for some of the many fun and engaging activities that bring personality type to life. Don't know where to start? Truity offers the following materials to customers on our TypeFinder Training Materials page:

  • The TypeFinder in the Workplace Presentation Guide (view sample) includes everything you need to plan your session. This free download includes:
    • Study Guide: Learn the key concepts of personality type and why it's important in the workplace. Read this guide from front to back and you'll know everything you need to give a training on personality type. It's also a handy reference to answer questions your teammates may have.
    • Presentation Guide: Need a bit more structure as you plan your session? No problem. The guide includes a sample script that covers all the important points and corresponds with the free slideshow presentation (view below).
    • Team Building Activities: Want to engage your team and bring type to life with some hands-on activities? We explain how to lead appropriate team-building activities for all the key concepts you'll be presenting.
  • The TypeFinder in the Workplace Slideshow (view sample) outlines all the key concepts that you'll want to present to your team, in a professional and attractive format. The free slideshow coordinates with the script from the Guide above, so you can easily follow along and provide extra detail where you need to.

5. Do a dry run

Whether you're using the free presentation script above or creating your own, run through your planned presentation from start to finish a few times so that you can present the material fluidly. Double-check the activities you're planning to be sure you have any materials you may need. You may want to read over some of the online FAQs regarding personality type—your group members may have some similar questions, so this will help you to have answers at the ready.

That's it! You're ready to hold your team-building session.

Using the materials you have chosen, you’re now ready to lead a workshop on personality type in the workplace, and help your team to maximize strengths while better navigating individual differences.

Arrive early on the day of the workshop to set up the space to accommodate any activities you have chosen for the group.

Following the workshop, you may want to ask your team to fill out a feedback form with comments and suggestions. This will help you plan for any follow-up activities and let you make improvements to any future workshops you might hold.

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