The Science Of Personality In The Workplace

In the book, Good Judgment, author Richard Davis, PhD, explains what the science of personality is and how it works, and how all of us can use it to improve our working relationships, careers, and lives. 

“Understanding the science of personality and how to utilize it is the key to exercising good judgment, shares Davis. “The ability to read others’ personalities quickly and accurately, overcoming biases and prejudices that might skew our perception, is critical when making decisions and managing relationships both professional and personal.”

 

Psychologists widely agree that five key traits define our personalities: 

1. Intellect: How people think. How people process information, make decisions, and solve problems.
2. Emotionality: How people express emotions. How people typically experience and/or express their emotions.
3. Sociability: How people engage with others. How people tend to interact, communicate, engage, and get along with others.
4. Drive: Why people do what they do. What motivates people’s behavior.
5. Diligence: How people get stuff done. Habits that help a person perform duties at work and in life. 

Unlike emotions, which are transitory in nature, these personality traits determine our behaviors, including our motivations, social inclinations, reactions to crisis or complexity, patterns of thinking, and more.

 

Davis further explains that because personality traits are real and consistent, and they influence our behavior, that therefore, it follows that being able to spot certain personality traits can help us predict how others will likely behave. In turn, we can make better, more informed decisions in situations where people are involved.

 

In the book you will learn how to use the science of personality to better read and understand people and make improved, more informed business decisions about them—including: 

• choosing the right employees.
• fostering relationships in the workplace.
• resolving conflicts more effectively.
• optimizing your performance on the job. 

“While mastering this approach takes practice, the most exciting part is the core concepts are so easy to learn that anyone can deploy them immediately in their daily lives to improve their perceptivity in any social context, at any stage of life—and without a PhD in psychology,” says Davis.

 

“No matter how adept you are at sizing people up, the framework and tactics in this book will enable you to up your game,” adds Davis.

 

______

 

Davis has spent decades advising business leaders and evaluating executives from some of the world’s biggest companies, including Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Under Armour, Meta, Starbucks, Nike, LVMH, and the NBA.

 

Over the course of his career, he has helped numerous executives make tough, highly consequential hiring calls based on personality.

 

Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.