Menu
The interaction between Energy and Affection in Facet5 gives us insights into how people interact and relate to others in the workplace.
Energy (which maps to Extraversion on the Big 5 model of personality) indicates a person’s need for involvement with other people, while Affection (which maps to Openness) suggests what the quality of those relationships will be.
There are the social butterflies, who are friendly and sociable with everyone in every department, but who only have a small number of people they have a deep connection with. We’d expect these people to score High on Energy but Low on Affection.
Then there are the wallflowers; the quieter, introverted personalities who care deeply for everyone around them but prefer to distance themselves from the crowd. We’d expect their Facet5 profile to show Low Energy, High Affection.
Let’s take a closer look at how these two factors interact.
People with High Energy and High Affection enjoy working in a team. They are the ones bringing everyone together and promoting a positive team spirit, as they like everyone to get fully involved. While they can be great for motivating all members of the team to get stuck in, their enthusiasm may sometimes mean they over commit and take too much on.
As a manager, these energetic and warm personalities will communicate team objectives with enthusiasm. They will encourage and welcome ideas from the whole team, and will always show support for their contributions. When it comes to conflict, they will often be the mediators and try to resolve issues by appealing to people’s better nature.
Facet5 Families: Facilitator, Advocate, Developer, Generalist
People with Low Energy and Low Affection like to have a specific role in the team, but their quiet nature may mean they don't get involved as much as others. They are happy to work independently without input from others and are most comfortable when able to focus on one clear task at a time. Their quiet and pragmatic nature may sometimes come across as unsympathetic and insensitive to others' needs.
As a manager, they tend to lead projects based on research and facts and may appear to be unsupportive or hard to approach. They often prefer not to get involved unless they feel it absolutely necessary, and when they do, prefer to speak one-on-one with people rather than to a big group. To some, they may appear to be unsupportive and hard to approach.
When faced with conflict, their focus is on protecting the organisation and they will keep issues to themselves until they are resolved, preferring not to share them with others and to work it out themselves.
Facet5 Families: Architect, Controller, Producer, Specialist
People with High Energy and Low Affection tend to be active and vocal members of a team. They are likely to try to take the lead on issues that interest them or allow them to shine. Their high energy levels also make them quick to adapt to change. They like the noise and stimulation of working in a large team, but they tend not to form deep relationships with those they work with.
As a manager, they will be approachable but business-like. They set clear goals and will expect people to deliver, but won’t need to know all the details. They can sometimes appear cynical or dismissive. This can come across when handling conflict too, as they tend to react quickly and may overlook broader issues.
Facet5 Families: Explorer, Promoter, Entrepreneur, Presenter
People with Low Energy and High Affection are quiet but committed team members. They have a genuine interest in other people's ideas and opinions and are sensitive to their moods and feelings. Though they care about everyone, their warmth and openness may mask their quieter, reserved nature and need for time on their own. They will be openly friendly, but potentially not as gregarious or socially dynamic as others with higher Energy.
As a manager, they tend to be seen as approachable, fair and willing to listen. They prefer to work with the team to agree on goals rather than dictate them and are happy to provide support and help when asked. Their team will often be at the forefront of their thoughts and central to their decision-making, but their quieter personality means others may not realise it. They tend to find conflict stressful and uncomfortable and will want to settle issues quickly, which may mean giving in or compromising.
Facet5 Families: Supporter, Coach, Traditionalist, Idealist
Social butterfly, wallflower, warm and sociable, pragmatic and reserved; the workplace would be very dull without all of these people in it.
A wide mix of personalities in the workplace means a greater balance of strengths and weaknesses and better quality decision-making. It also creates a more positive workplace atmosphere where everyone feels they have something to contribute.
But without understanding each others’ (and our own) natural preferences, frustrations can fester and cause a team to fragment. Facet5 personality profiling helps your workforce to better understand each other and perform better as a team.
