Communication Challenges

With a staff of 11, the team at Sage Ecological Landscapes was growing and becoming more diverse. Recognizing the challenges that come with managing a larger staff, General Manager Todd Davidson wanted to ensure a cohesive, efficient, communicative and productive team.

The team at Collaboration has researched and tested many personality assessment tools over the past 16 years. The WorkTraitsTM  compatibility system has proven to be the most practical and beneficial both internally and with our clients who employ it. It provides a condensed scientific understanding of individuals, and allows its users to take that knowledge to better develop dynamics within a group specific to a work environment.

Initially, Todd was hesitant to use a personality assessment tool within his company. "I was unimpressed with previous categorical and judgmental methodologies I'd encountered in the past. Summing up the whole of a complex human being into simplistic terms and nomenclature is incredibly difficult."

Based on his professional experience with Collaboration, he ultimately decided to initiate WorkTraits. First, each member of his team completed the 50 question assessment. Then their results were analyzed by the management team, both individually and as a group, to determine their strengths and collective compatibility.

"We all chuckled at the surprisingly relevant descriptions," said Todd. "But also, they are all written in a very positive bias and tone, focusing on strengths, which makes everyone feel good."

Todd and his management team worked with the entire staff to put WorkTraits into action. Employees learned how to best understand each other and work together, and also had a tool to help them with conflict resolution and most importantly – conflict avoidance!

"WorkTraits was surprisingly consistently accurate. It’s shown enough reliable validity in understanding my team, at least in part, that I have found the tool to hold merit," concluded Todd.

Sage Ecological Landscapes now uses WorkTraits for initial interview screening, ensuring ideal staffing, and conflict prevention and resolution. By using the assessments on a continuous basis, Sage’s management team is now able to identify prospective employees, manage their growing staff effectively, and maintain a unified organization.