Behavioral Types and Teams

Our very own team building expert suggests that famous Star Trek characters reflect 4 different behavioural types.

Everyone knows that we all have different personalities, and that we have various likes and dislikes, but sometimes it’s hard to visualize what these differences look like, especially in the workplace. We are all different and there is no right or wrong behavioural style, but if we can better understand ourselves and others, then we can play to our strengths and work well together creating a better team!

Mark Fanning, our very own ‘Trekkie’ and team building expert believes that the Four main Star Trek characters reflect 4 different human behavioural types. Mark, who heads up ACF Teambuilding and Events, says that research has shown that people can usually be placed into four categories based on the sci-fi hit.

The personality types include:

• Captain Kirk, who is a driving ‘red’;
• Dr Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy, an energising ‘yellow’;
• Montgomery Scott (‘Scotty’), an organizing ‘green,’
• Spock, an analyzing ‘blue’.

The show demonstrates how different personality styles behave, and more importantly, how they can work together to achieve great things under stressful situations.

For example, Spock’s logical evaluations often clashed with Captain Kirk’s more emotional style and were frustrating for the sociable Bones, but in the in the end, people from different worlds and cultures all had to cooperate for the common good. We can learn from this to bolster relationships at home and in work.

Arguably Star Trek is one of the most influential and iconic franchises of on-screen and cinematic history, and although it is based on exploring the realms of space and science fiction, it also looks at the human aspect of the characters. Here at ACF we offer MiRo psychometric tests to better understand members of a team, look at their communication styles and talk about how they can work to their strengths.

Mark has watched every episode of the original series and tells us that Kirk’s style, which is ‘red,’ is to want short, sharp facts. People with this personality type take quite a direct approach, which some people find abrupt.

Green Scottys tend to like organisation and routine, whereas Yellow types like Bones are ‘sunshiny’ people, but can sometimes be easily distracted. Blue Spock types have a need for the finer details and can sometimes appear unemotional. However, although we are all different and there is no right or wrong behavioural style, it is valuable to an organisation to recognise that everyone has a different style of working. If we can better understand ourselves and others in our team, then we can play to our strengths and work well together.

ACF organises team building days at venues across the country, including a ‘Space Mission’ challenge which involves building ‘moon buggies’ with ‘radioactive parts’. If the project was operated only by Spock types, then the build wouldn’t move very quickly. Likewise, if it was managed only by Kirk types, then the moon buggy would probably explode!!

It helps to get the balance right with a mixture of people on board. We spend a lot of our time with our work colleagues, so it’s important to be able to trust and respect them. If we have the right tools in place, the workplace can be a much easier place to navigate.

For example, if you understand ‘Bill in accounts’ is a ‘blue ‘Spock type’, you won’t be upset if he isn’t too chatty. Instead, you will better appreciate his eye for detail and facts.

Our own team based here at Aldwick Court Farm and Vineyard, practice what we preach. We have a mixture of red, yellow, blue and green behavioural types on the team.

Mark is a ‘’red’ driven type, whereas his colleague Christina Cooke is a ‘yellow’. She is fantastic at making phone calls and chatting to people. Storm Kennedy, who is a sales executive is ‘green’ and is very methodical and organised. Richard Birkett who is also on the events team is a ‘blue’, and his eye for details helps make sure everything runs like clockwork.

Behavioral styles are, of course, less clear cut than in the TV series and most people tend to include a mixture – with one style dominating. Complementary behavioural styles, which ensured the smooth running of The Enterprise starship, can help a team to ‘live long and prosper’ in the workplace.

If you would like to talk about how a MiRo psychometrics can help your organisation, then the Events Team at ACF will be happy to talk to you about arranging a team development day.

To find out more visit www.acfteambuilding.co.uk