I am a Collaborator — no incongruencies there! I love people.
by Joanna Link
Hey everyone! I’m Joanna Link, W Talent Solutions’s Business Admin Intern!
Personality tests have always been incredibly interesting to me because I think they are a great insight to who you are and why you act the way you do, and it’s fun to find the incongruencies and similarities between you and your results. It’s not uncommon to find me asking my friends what their Myers-Briggs personality type is, or forcing my family to take the Enneagram so I can send them infographics on Instagram (just kidding..kind of). So when I was recruited for W Talent Solutions and asked to take the Predictive Index, you bet I was excited! I had never taken a personality test when applying for a position before, and it made me feel like they actually wanted to learn about who I am and how my job could fit with my personality.
It came as no surprise to me that I am a Collaborator — no incongruencies there! I love people. Collaborators’ strengths are in relationship building, listening, and mediation. We’re informal and flexible, and have the ability to get along with just about anyone! I can walk into a room full of strangers and make a friend. We are unselfish, empathetic listeners who are warm and friendly, so others naturally feel comfortable sharing things with us. I’ve been named “everyone’s bestie” in my friend groups because everyone just feels comfortable around me. I love it! Relationships are Collaborators’ strength and something that gives us energy and purpose. If I’m not with my friends, then I’m on FaceTime with them. People fill us up! We’re agreeable, outgoing, steady, and patient, and we always want the best for the team.
Collaborators work best in friendly environments with freedom of expression, consistent support, a little bit of informality, and some room to communicate and work with others. When I’m in a work environment where I don’t get to talk to anyone, I notice that I am less energetic and can even feel a bit sad. Working from home can be difficult because I don’t get to see anyone, so even a virtual meeting with someone can boost my mood and energy. I don’t need to be in constant communication with people, but I love getting everyone working together and coming up with new ideas. Collaborators are cooperative and patient team players, and we put the interests of the team before our own every time.
Some weaknesses that Collaborators encounter are in difficult conversations and detail orientation. I push myself when these situations arise, but I can’t say that it isn’t challenging to do so. Days when we have to have hard conversations are not our favorite because we want harmony and for everyone to be happy.
When it comes to decision-making, we don’t rush it and want to make sure that it feels right. Collaborators like to talk to as many people as possible before making a resolution. For example, if I have a big decision coming up, I’ll call my entire contacts list to make sure they’re okay with it. Kidding, but I really want to ensure that the whole team is happy before we move forward with an idea! We like to bounce ideas off our inner circle and talk it through.
PI has taught me a lot about how I work best and showed me the importance of knowing how my co-workers operate as well. And, just like the Enneagram, I forced my family to take the Predictive Index so that I can interact with them better too (they thought it was fun, don’t worry!). It’s proven to be a helpful tool both at work and at home, and makes it easier for a Collaborator to know how to get everyone to work together!
Curious about your Predictive Index results? Take the assessment here!
