# Inclinations Towards Being at Work By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-03-05 Innate characteristics can shape and constrain the degree to which one naturally performs work expectations. In the modern business office, aspects related to extroversion and being open to new tasks are generally expected. These expectations are great for those who score high in the openness and extraversion aspects of the Big 5 Personality Trait assessment. However, only some people score high in these traits. Some individuals are introverted and want the comfort of a predictable routine. Such individuals are at a strategic disadvantage within modern businesses, as their preferred way of being and the expected way of being are incongruent. In such a situation, one can settle for a mediocre career, try to conform to expectations and succeed while being inauthentic or look for a different career with more space for one’s authentic traits. None of these options is great. Each entails a cost the individual is forced to bear. Perhaps it would be beneficial to use something like the Big 5 Personality Traits in college career departments, technical schools, and organizations to help screen potential employees. As envisioned, these results and expectations should not determine or define what one can do. Instead, the results and expectations should be a point around which meaningful interview discussions can occur. Such discussions would have to be equally meaningful to the standard questions so commonly used now, like “What is your greatest weakness?” and “Tell us of a time you had to deal with a difficult coworker and what you did to address the situation.” Discussing who one is and expectations for who one wants employees to be at work holds great potential. Of course, doing so would require organizations to do at least two unlikely things. First, this would require that they understand the jobs within the organization in terms of the types of personalities that generate desired results. Second, it would require that the organization is transparent about those desires. Neither of these two things seems likely in the current environment. However, there could be strategic advantages to those organizations that do. In theory, such organizations could have reduced employee turnover, a significant organizational expense, and greater productivity derived through harmonious alignment within the workforce. Much work remains to implement such an approach. It is promising enough to give it attention and hope that the approach when implemented, can improve things. #### Related Items [[Work]] [[Personality]] [[Psychology]] [[Behavior]] [[Preferences]] [[Career]] [[Organization]]