How many times have you felt that nothing works for you? Nothing can set you on track? Or working with timetables/schedules is not your thing? Don’t worry, you are not the only one who has faced this monster of unproductivity.
Things that work for others might not work for you. Following to-do lists might have helped your colleague deliver work on time, but it might become an exhaustive routine for you. When nothing seems to work in your favor, that does not mean that you’re incapable or incompetent. This only reflects that you haven’t figured out your productivity style yet.
Productivity styles can help a lot in carving out a suitable method of productivity and efficiency. Once you have given yourself a productivity evaluation and identified your productivity style, you can work on improving the same.
In this article, we explore the four types of productivity styles and how to find your own productivity style. Without further ado, let us dive straight into it!
Four Types of Productivity Styles:
The four types of productivity styles include:
- The Prioritizer
- The Planner
- The Arranger
- The Visualizer
1. The Prioritizer
The prioritizer has an organized personality with logical, analytical thinking. They are laser-focused in their work and can distinguish the task of primary priority from the rest. Their workspace is as organized as a schedule.
In order to improve their efficiency, they plan their schedule ahead of time by keeping in mind the various aspects of a task and the time and effort it demands. They despise wasting their time on irrelevant small talk and prefer utilizing their time on the accomplishment of tasks.
Strengths:
- Prioritizing tasks
- Analytical skills
- Focused
- Decision-making skills
Weaknesses:
- Little to no communication with peers
- Too much competitiveness
- Focus on quantity, not quality
- Inflexible and controlling
Personality Traits:
- Goal-oriented
- Efficient
- Critical analysis skills
2. The Planner
Planners love to devise plans and stick to them no matter what. They tediously plan bits and pieces of a project and meticulously carve out every little detail.
Their focus is on organizing things, following the steps of the process, sequencing tasks, and making sure that the plan is being followed. Planners have a penchant for schedules, to-dos, itineraries, calendars, etc. They also have a thing for rules, so you will always find them following the protocols of the organization.
Strengths:
- Organization
- Devising detailed plans
- Efficient management
- Predict potential issues
Weakness:
- Stick to the rules
- Lack of flexibility
- No spontaneity
- Process over the result
Personality Traits:
- Organized
- Attentive to details
- A keen eye for flaws
3. The Arranger
An arranger does not distance their emotions from their work environment. They try to make sure that you are comfortable and satisfied with the work. Unlike the above two, they invest their emotions in their work and are a team player rather than individual players.
They love to talk with their colleagues and form an emotional bond. They motivate you and are a source of positivity.
Strengths:
- Good communication
- Effective collaboration
- Teaching
- Empathic
Weakness:
- Lack of planning
- Talk too much
- Too much emotional investment
- Inconsiderate of how their personality affects others
Personality Traits:
- Talkative
- Supportive
- Team player
- Persuasion skills
4. The Visualizer
The last of the four personality styles is the visualizer. Visualizers have a knack for holistic tasks. They prefer juggling between tasks rather than planning or organizing ahead of time. They are full of creativity and can unite seemingly disconnected parts of a project to create something unique and efficient.
Strengths:
- Open-minded
- Innovative
- Creative
- Problem-solving skills
Weakness:
- Overlook details
- Too much impulsiveness
- No planning
Personality Traits:
- Intuitive
- Envision the future, form new ideas, and integrate new concepts
How To Identify Your Productivity Style?
These were the four productivity styles but how can you detect if you are a planner, prioritizer, arranger, or visualizer? How can you evaluate your productivity style? Well, here is a list of things you can do for your productivity evaluation:
1. Identify Your Personality
Your personality says a lot about your productivity style. Are you goal-oriented? Do you like prioritizing your work? Working on the most immediate task first and then moving to the other ones? If so, then your personality matches well with the prioritizer.
However, if prioritizing and planning are not your thing and you enjoy things fresh off the bat, then you are probably a visualizer. Since you have an affinity for spontaneity, your work will also be more creative and innovative.
Your personality type can say a lot about your productivity style. If you still have trouble identifying your personality, you can look for personality tests online. Solve one or two of these tests and you will be able to figure out your productivity style.
The following assessments can help you understand your personality:
- Assessment: What’s Your Personal Productivity Style? By Harvard Business Review
- What’s stopping you from accomplishing your biggest priorities? By Free to Focus
- Live Your Best Life Using Your Strengths by Gallup
- How Productive Are You? By Casey Moore
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2. What Are Your Preferences?
Identifying your preferences might help you narrow down your choices. For example:
- Would you like to work individually or do you prefer working in a team?
- Do you plan and manage your time or just work haphazardly?
- What kind of work environment do you prefer? Quiet or lively?
- Are you always full of energy or running low on energy?
The answer to these questions will highlight your personal preferences. Once you have identified your preferences, you can find out your personality traits based on these preferences.
3. Find Out Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Another effective method of evaluating your personality style is finding out your weaknesses and strengths. You can take the following quizzes to determine your strengths and weaknesses:
- The Big Five Personality Quiz
- StrengthsFinder 2.0
- Myer-Briggs Type Indicator
- Enneagram
These tests can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your personality. Once you have identified the strengths and weaknesses of your personality, you can make efforts to improve your productivity and get over your weaknesses.
Once you have identified your personality style, you can devise ways to improve your efficiency. Keeping in mind the strengths and weaknesses of your personality, you can devise a strategy to work your way through them.
Experiment with different productivity strategies and detect their impact on your work performance. Each experience will add to your knowledge and will take you one step closer to carving out a strategy that works in your favor.
Conclusion
There you go! We hope this article can help you identify your personality style. Once you have identified your personality style, you can incorporate relevant strategies in your work to improve your work efficiency and productivity.
What do you think is your personality style? Do you have any questions? Let us know by sending an email at fwilson@ntaskmanager.com. We would love to hear from you.
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