Using Personality Strengths for a More Productive Team – The VIP Way

In VIP Leadership and Employee Training, Jon emphasizes the importance of companies defining their company values, keeping everyone informed, and instilling (and keeping) passion in their employees for their work. This is the foundation of having an engaged culture, where employees want to be there.

Start with Respect

• Value every personality type equally — no one style is “better,” just different.

• Show genuine interest in how each person prefers to work and communicate.

• Encourage everyone to seek to understand how an individual's strengths can offer different perspectives and help overall efficiencies

Identify Strengths Early

• Use tools like Gary Smalley’s personality framework or simple observations to spot natural abilities.

• Match responsibilities to strengths rather than forcing everyone into the same mold (i.e., Lions are decisive, Otters encourage with enthusiasm, Golden Retrievers are loyal to people and projects, Beavers bring precision and standardization).

Create Role Clarity

• Let detail-oriented members handle processes and documentation. (Beavers & Golden Retrievers)

• Empower big-picture thinkers to lead brainstorming (Lions)

• Provide freedom to innovation. (Otters)

  
  

Encourage Cross-Pollination

• Pair opposites on projects (Beavers – planners, with Lion - risk-takers, or introverts with extroverts) to balance perspectives.

• These pairings can increase problem-solving and keep blind spots in check.

Foster Open Communication

• Allow quieter team members’ space and time to share ideas. (Beavers & Golden Retrievers)

• Give high-energy personalities channels for fast problem-solving without overwhelming others. (Lions & Otters)

  
  

Celebrate Wins in Their Language

• Recognize achievements in ways that resonate: public praise for some, a private thank-you for others.

• Align recognition with your company’s values so it feels authentic.

Lead by Example

• Model flexibility and adaptability — show that you can work effectively with

  all personality types.

• Demonstrate The VIP Way, through your company values daily: treat everyone as important as the next, act with integrity, and keep people at the center of decisions.

Start by action planning, using the following tips:

Leadership Planning Tip:

• Schedule quarterly “strengths mapping” sessions where the team revisits roles, strengths, and current goals. This ensures responsibilities still align with each

  member’s best abilities and keeps everyone’s contributions visible and valued.

Employee Perspective Tip:

• Take time to learn about your teammates’ work styles and communicate in ways

  that help them shine. Celebrating someone else’s success, even when it’s

  different from your own style, helps build trust and creates a culture where all

  personalities thrive. This type of healthy curiosity can help navigate daily

  interactions and more challenging times.

• When you have an interest in growing or strengthening a skill, speak up. Ask to

  be a part of something that doesn’t necessarily come naturally to you. It’s in this

  space that you will grow and recognize what you are good at and what you enjoy

  the most.

When organizations learn to use and leverage personality differences as a strength,

they create teams that are not only more productive but also more engaged and

fulfilled. This has a ripple effect to others in the organization – and also to the

communities and families your employees go home to at the end of their workday.

Wouldn’t it be great to know your company has extended its positive reach to your

employees’ home life, too?