Previously, we explored the importance of seeing team members as unique individuals. Now, let's refresh your observation skills using a familiar framework.
You already know the "Big Five" (OCEAN) personality traits. Let's revisit how these show up in everyday team behaviors.
Engagement Message
Have you noticed consistent patterns in how your teammates approach their work?
Remember, OCEAN stands for Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
Everyone has all five traits, but in different combinations and intensities—like five dials set to different levels for each person.
Engagement Message
Which of these traits do you notice most often in your team interactions?
Let's revisit Conscientiousness—how organized and detail-oriented someone is.
High: writes thorough documentation, follows coding standards religiously, comprehensive testing before deployment.
Low: prefers rapid prototyping, focuses on getting things working, might skip minor details for speed.
Engagement Message
Who on your team comes to mind for either end of this spectrum?
Extraversion is about where people get their energy and how they process information.
High: thinks through problems aloud, energized by pair programming, quick to share ideas in stand-ups.
Low: prefers quiet debugging time, processes solutions internally, more comfortable in smaller code reviews.
Engagement Message
How do you see these energy patterns play out in your team?
Agreeableness influences how people handle conflict and make decisions.
High: seeks consensus in technical discussions, considers team harmony, diplomatically handles code review feedback.
Low: comfortable with direct technical disagreements, gives blunt code feedback, prioritizes optimal solutions over feelings.
Engagement Message
