Achieving Goals for Personal and Professional Reasons - Case Study Example

There are people who are highly motivated to achieve the goals for personal and/or professional reasons. They even put their own ego aside just to make sure that the workflows smoothly. Their commitment to the task leads them to use a variety of resources so that the task is achieved in time. So it cannot be said that the success of a group should be attributed to all group members playing different roles. However, the extent to which different group members contribute also depends upon the leadership and supervision of the group. 

Having different personalities as part of the team helps in the development of a holistic approach toward the achievement of goals. Personality depicts the thoughts, opinions, perceptions, and reactions of an individual toward the challenges at hand. So when people with different personalities ponder over a matter, they are able to identify far more opportunities than anyone could have done individually. For example, a person who is very social can easily form ties with others. His/her oratory skills and friendly personality help him/her acquire the most suitable resources for the task at hand.

Social people are also generally very friendly, so people find it easy to approach them and discuss all kinds of issues with them. This helps deter confusion and promotes mutual understanding among the group members. On the other hand, people with dominating and aggressive personalities help a group achieve its goal by keeping everything on track. They have the power to command others, and thus are skilled in taking work from others.
Balancing a team of people with different personalities is a leadership skill. A leader should have a fair understanding of the personalities of different group members, and he/she should decide and assign them roles accordingly. For example, a leader should give more authority to sharks and dolphins compared to pufferfish. When forming a task force, a leader should ensure that there is at least one member of each kind of fish in it. It is equally important to establish a code of ethics from day one so that everyone knows their limits and nobody offends others. 

I identify the most with the dolphins. I would try to keep the number of puffer fish to a minimum in my workgroup. I would also ensure the presence of at least two sharks in my workgroup. Being a dolphin, I would like to have mostly dolphins in my social group, but at least one shark is always welcome in my social profile to help me recognize opportunities and avail them.