Extra Credit: Personality Traits

There are a wide variety of different tests you can take, everything from what type of coffee drink or car would you be to more comprehensive ones. When we take a broad approach and look at a few various tests that measure certain traits about ourselves then we can see patterns about ourselves emerging about our strengths and our weaknesses. I especially appreciate the following four and recommend taking all of them so that you can get a broader picture and tease out patterns.

The Myers Briggs – college or highschool, very career oriented, 16personalities.com – free.  For me this one expresses who I am very well. It may be more general for others. It actually really expresses well who I am and allows me to see these are the things I struggle with and these are the things that I am stronger in and then when I am interacting with others it allows me to change the way I approach the conversation. We all look at the world through a different lens and these personality tests allow us to appreciate our perspective and others too. It’s not about judgement, it’s more about understanding.

Gallups Strengths Finder – cost associated with it – more of a professional development tool. Develops your top 5 strengths. It gives you a framework that you can look at and think well if these are the strengths that I excel at when I am approaching my work, how do I make sure I am doing more of these things and really working toward those strengths instead of maybe going against the grain and doing things that are more difficult.

Enneagram – very popular – 9 numbers in a circle. where do you fit in this circle. It’s a little more general than myers briggs but there is a lot of supporting material on the internet.

VIA Character Strengths – similar to the strengths finder, a list of 5 things, unlike that one which is more career oriented, this one was developed by an organization that studies happiness. This one was developed to identify what sorts of things do you pore into that give meaning to your life.