1. Openness to experience
Interest in new ideas, experiences, creativity and learning.
Higher: enjoys exploring new ideas and possibilities.
Lower: may prefer familiar routines and established methods.
2. Conscientiousness
Organisation, planning, responsibility and persistence.
Higher: may enjoy planning, structure and completing tasks.
Lower: may prefer flexibility and find detailed organisation less appealing.
3. Extraversion
Social engagement, activity and outward expression.
Higher: may enjoy social interaction and talking through ideas.
Lower: may prefer quieter settings and time to think independently.
4. Agreeableness
Cooperation, consideration and concern for others.
Higher: may value cooperation and maintaining positive relationships.
Lower: may be more questioning, competitive or direct.
5. Neuroticism
Tendency to experience negative emotions, such as worry, anxiety or emotional sensitivity.
Higher: may experience stronger emotional reactions to stress.
Lower: may remain more emotionally steady in stressful situations.
An important point: These are dimensions, not boxes that people fit into. Someone can score high on some dimensions and low on others. Neither end automatically makes someone a better or worse person.
2. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The MBTI is another personality framework. It groups preferences into four pairs:
Preference | General description |
|---|---|
Introversion (I) | May prefer reflection and quieter environments. |
Extraversion (E) | May prefer interaction and talking through ideas. |
Sensing (S) | May prefer practical information and specific details. |
Intuition (N) | May prefer patterns, possibilities and broader ideas. |
Thinking (T) | May prefer logical analysis when making decisions. |
Feeling (F) | May give greater weight to values and the effects on people. |
Judging (J) | May prefer plans, structure and organisation. |
Perceiving (P) | May prefer flexibility and keeping options open. |
These preferences combine to produce 16 MBTI types.
For example, someone might be described as an INFJ or an ESTP.
A qualification worth remembering: MBTI can be used as a reflection and discussion tool, but its scientific reliability and ability to predict behaviour have limitations. The Big Five has stronger research support in personality psychology.
Neither model should be used to diagnose someone or decide what they can achieve.
3. Visualising personality types
The purpose of visualising personality differences is to help coaches recognise that people may have different preferences.
For example:
One person might prefer talking through an idea.
Another might need time to think before answering.
Someone might like written instructions.
Another might prefer a practical demonstration.
One person may enjoy trying something new.
Another may feel more comfortable with a familiar routine.
The coach should ask about these preferences rather than make assumptions based on appearance or personality labels.
4. Coaching for high and low conscientiousness
This part of the course looks at how coaches can adapt their approach to people who have different preferences for organisation and planning.
Someone with higher conscientiousness might:
Like clear goals and deadlines.
Prefer organised plans.
Enjoy tracking progress.
Feel uncomfortable when plans change unexpectedly.
A coach might use written action plans, milestones and regular reviews.
Someone with lower conscientiousness might:
Prefer flexibility.
Find detailed planning restrictive.
Have difficulty maintaining routines.
Prefer shorter tasks and less formal structures.
A coach might use smaller goals, flexible deadlines and brief progress reviews.
However, we need to be careful here.
Someone who struggles with organisation may have ADHD, executive functioning difficulties, depression, fatigue or an inaccessible working environment. It does not necessarily mean they have a particular personality trait.
The coach should explore what is happening before deciding how to help.
5. Supporting emotionally reactive clients
Some people experience emotions more intensely or react more strongly to stressful situations.
For example, they might:
Become anxious when plans change.
Feel upset after criticism.
Worry about making mistakes.
Become overwhelmed by several demands.
Need more time to process difficult conversations.
A coach can help by:
Remaining calm and respectful.
Listening without judgement.
Allowing time for the person to respond.
Avoiding unnecessary pressure.
Breaking complicated discussions into manageable parts.
Agreeing practical next steps.
Example:
A client becomes upset because they have not achieved a goal.
An unhelpful response would be:
"You are being too emotional. You need to be more positive."
A more supportive response might be:
"I can see this has been upsetting. Would you like some time to talk about what happened?"
The coach should also recognise when the person needs support beyond coaching, particularly if they are experiencing significant mental health difficulties.
6. Engaging open and resistant personalities
This heading is particularly interesting because the word resistant can sometimes be misleading.
Someone who does not immediately agree with a coach is not necessarily difficult, uncooperative or unwilling to change.
They might:
Disagree with the proposed goal.
Need more information.
Feel pressured by other people.
Have had negative experiences with professionals.
Lack confidence.
Be worried about losing control over decisions.
Need more time to consider their options.
Open to new ideas
Someone who enjoys exploring possibilities might respond well to:
Brainstorming.
Creative activities.
Exploring different options.
Setting challenging goals.
Trying new approaches.
More cautious or reluctant
Someone who is uncertain might prefer:
Clear explanations.
More time to consider decisions.
Familiar approaches.
Smaller steps.
Opportunities to ask questions.
Reassurance that they can change their mind.
The coach should explore what is behind the reluctance.
A useful question might be:
"What concerns do you have about trying this approach?"
This is much better than assuming the person is simply being difficult.
7. Connecting personality with disability and neurodiversity
I would strongly recommend adding this to your own coaching and mentoring handbook.
Personality and disability are not the same thing.
For example:
What a coach might observe | Other possible explanations |
|---|---|
Someone avoids eye contact. | Autism, cultural preferences, anxiety or personal comfort. |
Someone finds planning difficult. | ADHD, executive functioning difficulties, stress or lack of accessible tools. |
Someone prefers quiet surroundings. | Introversion, sensory sensitivity, fatigue or anxiety. |
Someone takes longer to answer. | Processing time, dyslexia, language differences or needing time to organise thoughts. |
Someone becomes overwhelmed. | Sensory overload, stress, mental health difficulties or too many demands. |
Someone questions instructions. | Critical thinking, previous bad experiences or wanting clarification. |
These are possibilities, not explanations we can assume.
For instance, an introverted person is not automatically autistic, and an autistic person is not automatically introverted.
A person can have a particular personality and a disability or mental health condition at the same time.
A practical coaching example
Imagine two people want to improve their confidence at work.
Client A:
Enjoys talking through ideas.
Likes group activities.
Enjoys trying new approaches.
The coach might use discussion, brainstorming and practical activities.
Client B:
Prefers time to think.
Finds group discussions tiring.
Likes written information.
The coach might provide questions beforehand, use written exercises and allow more time for reflection.
Both clients can work towards the same type of goal, but their coaching arrangements may need to be different.
This is equality and inclusion in practice.
8. The most important principle: adapt, don't label
I would summarise this whole section with five principles:
Get to know the individual. Ask about their preferences, strengths and experiences.
Avoid assumptions. A personality label does not explain everything about someone's behaviour.
Adapt communication. Use the format and pace that help the person participate.
Respect differences. Do not expect everyone to communicate, think or make decisions in the same way.
Review what works. Preferences and needs can change over time.
One further point: a coach should not use personality tests to decide whether someone is suitable for employment, education, leadership or personal development.
Personality frameworks should support understanding, not restrict opportunity.
Knowledge check
1. Which personality model includes openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism?
2. What should a coach do when someone prefers more time to think before answering?
3. Does being reluctant to try a coaching activity necessarily mean someone is resistant to change?
A sentence for your handbook:
Effective coaching recognises that people have different personalities, communication preferences, strengths and support needs. The coach should adapt their approach to the individual, rather than expecting the individual to fit the coach's preferred way of working.
This is also a good example of person-centred practice: understand the person before deciding how to support them.
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