Career By Design

Hi Bill,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience on teamwork! I completely agree that understanding colleagues is crucial for effective collaboration, and tools like MBTI can be useful if they are not taken too literally.

From my experience, one of the most valuable approaches is active listening and clear communication - taking the time to understand each team member's strengths, perspectives, and motivations often brings more benefit than any formal tool. Creating an environment where everyone feels comfortable contributing ideas also promotes better engagement and higher-quality outcomes.

I also believe that regularly reflecting on team experiences and providing constructive feedback is a practical way to improve teamwork skills.

I'm curious - have you noticed whether certain MBTI types behave differently in engineering teams, or does context and the type of task matter more?

Thanks again for the inspiring discussion!

Best regards,
Darya

Years ago, many in our company attended a leadership training which included a detailed personality test as well.  It was called DiSC.  Just one of many similar personality tests.  It was great that it gave methods on how to work with other people with different styles than your own.  I think it's been most valuable in making me aware of my working style, as well as helping me recognize others.

Two books come to mind when working in a team

• "The Five Dysfunctions of A Team" by Patrick Lencioni
• "What the Heck is EOS" by Gino Wickman and Tom Bower

Working in a team is all about trust and self-accountability.  Yes, there should be a team lead who is responsible for following up as fire drills tend to make us lose focus.  However, if you have the "right people in the right seats," then the follow-up tends to be easier.  Issues will tend to work itself out.

That's a super testimonial, Jefferson, and corresponds to my experiences. I hadn't heard of DiSC, but will look into it.

Thanks for the book recommendations.

Bill Mc

Years ago, many in our company attended a leadership training which included a detailed personality test as well.  It was called DiSC.  Just one of many similar personality tests.  It was great that it gave methods on how to work with other people with different styles than your own.  I think it's been most valuable in making me aware of my working style, as well as helping me recognize others.

Two books come to mind when working in a team

• "The Five Dysfunctions of A Team" by Patrick Lencioni
• "What the Heck is EOS" by Gino Wickman and Tom Bower

Working in a team is all about trust and self-accountability.  Yes, there should be a team lead who is responsible for following up as fire drills tend to make us lose focus.  However, if you have the "right people in the right seats," then the follow-up tends to be easier.  Issues will tend to work itself out.

We have used EOS for 5years or so and it works. It has clarified the leadership of our business. There is another book about EOS - " traction -get a grip of your business" which you need to read first. 
All  our grads have soft skills training and understand themselves via personality assessments. 

That's a super testimonial, Jefferson, and corresponds to my experiences. I hadn't heard of DiSC, but will look into it.

Thanks for the book recommendations.

Bill Mc

Years ago, many in our company attended a leadership training which included a detailed personality test as well.  It was called DiSC.  Just one of many similar personality tests.  It was great that it gave methods on how to work with other people with different styles than your own.  I think it's been most valuable in making me aware of my working style, as well as helping me recognize others.

Two books come to mind when working in a team

• "The Five Dysfunctions of A Team" by Patrick Lencioni
• "What the Heck is EOS" by Gino Wickman and Tom Bower

Working in a team is all about trust and self-accountability.  Yes, there should be a team lead who is responsible for following up as fire drills tend to make us lose focus.  However, if you have the "right people in the right seats," then the follow-up tends to be easier.  Issues will tend to work itself out.

Bill Mc – it's a great topic – and the shared resources and opinions are very useful. Some discussion threads posted in the past have similar materials, such as in: Suggestions for your "Teams" and Engineering Leadership.

I like to share here – something from what Dan McCarthy (twice named as one of the World's Top 30 Leadership gurus) writes in many of his blogs – and something from Mike Figliuolo on Team Management.

It is in the context of the fact that a team can only function well when the Team-Lead is able to live up to his or her title – and also that the leadership permeates into the team members – both in good and bad ways. To that end, McCarthy began by saying what a team-lead should or shouldn't do. He chalked out a list of 10 ways an unscrupulous company or management kills a best employee to eliminate him or her from competing against them.

1. Keeping them on short leash.

2. Keeping them in job rotations, never-ending series of assignments with no real accountability or opportunity.

3. Tagging them as 'HIPO' (High Potentials or High Performing individuals) and ignore them by not recognizing their achievements.

4. Giving them 'stretch' assignments or unrealistic goals or 'development challenges'. Do not bother training them ..... keep the training for underperforming employees.

5. Assigning them 'developmental challenges' – never ending gauntlet of impossible obstacles.

6. Telling all in vested closed circles that there is a 'HIPO'.

7. Making sure that they change bosses frequently so that they would not be able to develop any effective relationship.

8. Taking credit for their accomplishments – making them humble and obedient.

9. Asking them to help underperforming employees – HIPOs tend to like it.

10. Providing them no positive feedback – do not inflate their ego – always find faults with them.

McCarthy then writes as a tip for a good team-lead 'before you can lead others, you need to manage yourself.' And writes:

1. You know who you are and how you are perceived by others – the 'awareness self'. Don't worry most people have blind spots.

2. Develop your emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill).

3. Control your emotions.

4. Develop a set of guiding principles, or core values and walk tall.

5. Balance yourself in actions and reactions.

Mike Figliuolo, the founder and managing director of thoughtLEADERS writes on Team Management:

• Not every task needs a team

• Do not create a team and then proceed to manage the individuals in the team. You need to manage a team as a team.

• Do not overstep boundaries that you, as a leader, have drawn. Allow freedom to evolve.

• Do not make the team only rely on you. Let them know they can reach out to other people as well. But remind them not to go on your back, for one thing, this may cost the project.

• Do not forget to teach new skills as you go. Teams do not know everything. Keep grooming individuals.

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Dr. Dilip K Barua, PhD

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