Personality tests – good or bad?

 I have just finished reading Adam Grant’s new book ‘Think Again,’ which I loved, but one line about how the Myers Briggs test is no more accurate than a horoscope (see here for his explanation) got me thinking – are any personality tests that are worthwhile? Are some better than others?

I have taken various personality tests over the years from the ‘Which Spice Girl are you?’ to Myers Briggs and have come to realise that they are only useful if a) the results resonate with you and b) you are able to use them to learn more about yourself.

And that is the fundamental point of them for me – if these tests shine a light on your preferred methods of communication, what tasks energise you, help clarify your strengths, etc. then they are worthwhile. And if you read the results and think they are a waste of time then ditch them and move on. Different people will ‘believe’ in different tests, so don’t argue with people about which are best and which are rubbish, just use them as a way to shine a light on a part of you that you couldn’t name, couldn’t see, weren’t acknowledging and help build up that better picture of yourself. 

Personally I have learnt the following things from various personality tests I have done over the years:

1. The Colour wheel – I am a fiery red and sunny yellow person. This means I am an extravert (which I had always known) and that I am a mixture of a ‘thinking’ and a ‘feeling’ person. For me this manifests itself in the fact that I have to discuss things to get my thoughts and ideas clear (don’t send me to sit in the corner to think over a problem – it isn’t going to do me or you any good!). It was only after doing this test in a group of people that it really dawned on me that other people genuinely don’t process ideas through talking… maybe this was naïve of me, but I also think that many of us believe that everyone is more or less similar to us and can’t really imagine such fundamental differences of acting. Since finding this out, I have been much more aware about the preferences of others and if I am working with those who need to think rather than talk through ideas, I ensure that they are given the information in advance of any meeting to give them time to process accordingly.
2. Gretchen Rubin’s 4 Tendencies – I am a Questioner (who tips to Upholder). This profile looks at how people respond to inner and outer expectations. As a Questioner I respond to inner expectations but not outer expectations. This means that if I believe something is worthwhile I’ll do it but if someone tells me to do something that I think is arbitrary I won’t do it. The lightbulb moment for me after getting these results was that the fact that I always want to know “why” decisions are made, is an ingrained part of me. 
3. Marcus Buckingham StandOut Assessment – I am an ‘advisor’ and a ‘pioneer’ which means that my greatest strength is my “ability to communicate clearly not only where we’re going, but the sensible steps that will get us there.” Marcus Buckingham’s work over strengths has really intrigued me and moved me towards focussing on my strengths, rather than worrying about my weaknesses, and allowing myself to really own them rather than either being embarrassed about them or thinking that everyone else has the same sort of strengths. 

What do you think about personality tests? Have any given you that “aha” moment?