Whilst a team of people or a company can’t really have a personality type, the culture in the team or company, often set by the leaders, can create patterns of behaviours, so it can seem like it has its own personality. Here are some examples:
Google is known for its culture, which in its early days was ground-breaking and set the expectations for tech companies to attract and retain talent. With quirky, fun work environments, free meals, high rewards, recruiting the brightest talent, and with its emphasis on data and innovation, (at one point it was known for its policy of allowing employees to spend 20% of time on new ideas and projects), Google projects as an ENTP personality type.
Chevron defines itself as “the human energy company” as “access to energy helps improve lives by driving human progress and enabling the benefits of modern society. That’s why we’re constantly working to provide reliable, affordable and ever-cleaner energy for the millions around the world that rely on us.” With their focus on values, commitment to the cause, inclusion, volunteering, safety, respectfulness, and changing the world for the better, Chevron projects as INFJ.
Netflix, on the other hand is openly ruthless in its culture, explaining how being on the Netflix “Dream team” is “the thrill of a professional lifetime” however they are clear that they “keep only our highly effective people” and that: “Succeeding on a dream team is about being effective, not about working hard. Sustained “B” performance, despite an “A” for effort, gets a severance package with respect.” This logical, robust and forthright approach, combined with their dislike of rules and process means Netflix projects as INTP.
IKEA’s stated purpose is “to create a better everyday life for the many people” and they described the heart of culture as “togetherness” saying: “we’re at our best when we trust each other, pull in the same direction and, not least, have fun together.” With their focus on making “positive change” for customers, employees, their industry and the world, we would see this as an ENFJ projection.
Amazon is known for its performance culture and “customer obsession,” and as such, delivering results is paramount. With leadership values such as “think big,” “learn and be curious,” “high standards,” “deep-dive,” “Are right, a lot.” These are INTJ type behaviours.
It’s easy to see how these environments would attract individuals with certain traits, and how they would drive certain ways of doing things. This in turn means that people outside the company (customers, new hires, etc), may have similar experiences in their interactions with the people in the team/company and so they form a perception that could be compared to specific personality type.
Our contention though, is that the best teams are made up of a blend of different skills and personalities, and that everyone has something to contribute, and their own unique approach to doing so.
To find out about the different personalities in your team, why not create a Team Personality Map to see which traits you share and what that might mean for your culture as a group.