Christmas is coming! What does your planning style say about your personality type?

Now that we’re marching towards Christmas, I find it really interesting to see how my different friends approach the challenge of being ready for the festive season.

At the one end of the spectrum, I have a detailed spreadsheet of all gifts with costs, another one for menus and food orders as well as a printed timetable of activities over the period (don’t judge me!). I take this approach as I struggle with the pressure of the season, I like to feel organised and I want to know that I’m on top of things.

At the other end of the spectrum, I have a friend who is perfectly comfortable with getting up early on 23rd December, tearing around the shops to procure all necessary food, then spending a day looking for inspiration and buying gifts for everyone. She loves the last- minute excitement, wants to be able to change her mind at the last minute and is confident that it will all be fine.

Our approaches couldn’t be more opposite, and I dare say that there is a whole spectrum between us. The way that we tackle the pressure of this time of year is also reflected in the way that we work, and if you think about the people that you work with, you’ll probably notice the same range of behaviours and preferences. There are those who prefer to plan ahead, know what’s coming up and schedule things carefully, there are those who love last minute pressure and are very much energised by something requiring urgent action.

It can be tough when you work with someone of an opposite preference, but it’s important to recognise that these variations add to the team dynamic and help to make you more robust as a group.

At Peopletopia, we work with teams using MBTI (Myers Briggs Type Indicator) to help each member understand the preferences and differences in the group. We need to learn to play to people’s strengths and value the differences in the way that we work, rather than becoming frustrated that people don’t do things “our way”.

So, how am I getting on with the Christmas planning?.....Let me check my spreadsheet.

📷