Using Personality Analysis Tools to Build Your Team

At theNew Managers’ 2000 Conference, Beth Barrow of Nortel Networks introduced all of us to the challenge of becoming better people managers. She pointed out that in a recent informal survey she conducted of new managers, everyone agreed that only 35% of the skills we learn as senior writers and editors in information development still apply when we become managers. That leaves 65% for new learning, and much of that new learning concerns understanding how people tick. People skills, Beth explained, make up about 50% of an effective manager’s skill set. People skills include motivation, empathy, listening, understanding, challenging, and knowing how hard to push at any one particular time. To make the point clear, Beth introduced a scenario to challenge our thinking about knowing our people.