Coming Up Next: Working with People Who Share Your Personality Type
Introducing Our New “Matching Personalities” Series
What happens when you and your boss – or your team members – share the same personality type? Are there clear advantages? Hidden downsides?
In a past feedback survey, several of you asked for insights into same-type team dynamics. We heard you, and we’re excited to dig into this fascinating area of workplace collaboration.
Starting next month, we’re diving deep into what happens when colleagues with the same personality type work side by side.
Here’s what we’ll explore:
The upsides of working with someone who shares your personality type
What to watch for when there’s too much similarity (where it can break down)
One key adjustment to make each pairing work more effectively
This new series starts Monday (August 4). Be sure you’re subscribed to participate.
What’s Coming Next Month
We’ll spend the month exploring how personality theory plays out when you’re working with someone who shares your type. By understanding both the strengths and challenges of same-type collaborations, you’ll gain practical insights for:
Leveraging the natural strengths that emerge when similar minds unite
Knowing when to seek out different perspectives to round out your approach
Making one small shift that transforms potential friction into effective synergy
Not sure about the personality types of the people you work with? No problem – we’ve created a handy cheat sheet to help you identify all 16 personality types in your workplace.
16 Types Over 16 Days
Throughout the month, we’ll explore one personality pairing each day, deliberately mixing different types to keep things dynamic. This varied approach highlights the full spectrum of same-type collaborations you might encounter, offering fresh insights into how personality similarities can both enhance and challenge workplace effectiveness.
On any given day, you might discover what happens when:
Two identical Analyst types (INTJ, INTP, ENTJ, ENTP) work together, either amplifying their strategic strengths or getting caught in their shared blind spots.
Two identical Diplomat types (INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, ENFP) join forces, either creating harmonious collaboration or avoiding necessary tensions.
Two identical Sentinel types (ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ, ESFJ) work together, either leveraging their natural reliability or becoming overly rigid in their approach.
Two identical Explorer types (ISTP, ISFP, ESTP, ESFP) collaborate, either maximizing their adaptability or lacking sufficient structure.
Why This Matters
Have you ever been in a meeting with someone who thinks exactly like you do? It can feel great – finally, someone who gets your approach! You’re finishing each other’s sentences, building on ideas seamlessly, and feeling completely understood. But then three hours later, you realize you’ve both been so focused on perfecting one aspect of the project that you completely missed a crucial deadline.
That’s the interesting paradox of same-type collaborations. Your shared strengths can be highly effective, but your shared blind spots can create significant oversights.
When two detail-oriented types work together, they might produce incredibly thorough, well-researched work – but miss the forest for the trees. When two big-picture thinkers collaborate, they could generate brilliant innovative concepts – but forget to consider practical implementation challenges.
The key insights happen when same-type teams learn to recognize their collective patterns. Instead of assuming their natural approach is always best, they start asking: “What perspective are we missing?” That single shift can transform a potentially limiting partnership into a highly effective one.
Understanding these dynamics makes collaboration so much more intentional. You stop accidentally amplifying weaknesses and start deliberately leveraging strengths.
How to Join Us
If you’re a paying subscriber, you’re all set – the complete series will arrive in your inbox throughout the month.
Free subscribers will see brief previews of each article. To get the full series, you’ll need to upgrade your subscription.
Still a free subscriber? Claim your welcome discount to save 30% on an annual subscription.
Upgrading will give you access to this Matching Personalities series PLUS our complete leadership development archive, including articles on:
Leading with emotional intelligence
Navigating workplace change
Earning the respect of your team
Developing resilience as a leader
Managing up to your boss
Developing personal leadership skills
Leading remote (or hybrid) teams
Identifying personalities at work
Helping team members stay productive
Managing stress at work
Building critical thinking skills with a mindset audit
I’m really excited to explore these dynamics with you starting next week! In the meantime, I’m curious – have you ever worked closely with someone who had the same personality type as you? What surprised you about that collaboration? Drop a comment below if you have any same-type pairing experiences to share.
Talk soon,
Carly from the 16Personalities Team
P.S. A few months ago, we released a Personality Type Identification Guide to paying subscribers. It’s a pocket cheat sheet for quickly spotting all 16 personality types in your workplace. If you haven’t already downloaded your copy, you’ll want to do so before this new series starts.
Download your copy here 👇