Multiple intelligences and personality types in collaborative team settings

¶ … collaborative setting, the individual members of the team bring a variety of skills and strengths that, if effectively identified and incorporated, can result in extraordinary outcomes. The key to realizing these outcomes is for the different members of the group to understand and respect the different learning and personality styles that are brought to the group and then consider the means through which the various members can contribute.

Logical mathematical

Logical-mathematical individuals excel at identifying the relationships or connections between objects, ideas, and actions. They are able to see these relationships because of their highly-developed reasoning and logic skills. (Inspiring Breakthrough Ltd., 2003). Logical mathematical thinkers make excellent collaborators in group settings because they thrive in settings that allow them to use their abstract- and deductive-reasoning abilities to "provide solutions and to overcome complex mathematical and logical challenges as well as solv[e] critical and creative problems" (Ld Pride). They excel at selecting "key points in a logical, systematic numbered sequence," and they typically "think more carefully about what [they] may be learning" (Inspiring Breakthrough Ltd., 2003).

Visual spatial

Visual spatial intelligence is defined as "the ability to perceive the visual world accurately, to perform transformations and modifications upon ones initial perceptions, and to be able to re-create aspects of one's visual experience, even in the absence of relevant physical stimuli" (Inspiring Breakthrough Ltd., 2003). This ability would be a great asset in group settings. These would be the individuals the group should turn to if flowcharts, diagrams, or graphics are needed (Inspiring Breakthrough Ltd., 2003).

Personality types

Individuals with thinker personalities are excellent at solving problems, using logic, and being objective. They are realists who perform their tasks with precision and are adept at explaining the rationale behind their thinking. Thinker personalities also tend to excel with technical and scientific information and coming up with new ideas and approaches.

Thinker individuals make excellent group members in collaborative settings as they tend to "think outside the box..." And therefore are frequently able to "provid[e] original solutions that other personality types may not think of" (Tate, 2010)

Giver individuals are very friendly and have excellent interpersonal skills. They tend to be very honest but are always tactful as they tend to avoid conflict when at all possible. Givers tend to be very enthusiastic and creative. They are typically caregivers, volunteers, and philanthropists. Givers make wonderful team members because they are concerned with everyone's needs. They are great at negotiating between those with opposing viewpoints, and their creativity would help any team accomplish more than the tried and true (Bishop, 2010).

The organizer personality type "contributes discipline, planning, practicality, predictability, organization, procedure orientation, structure, dependability, and administrative skills." These skills are necessary to any group dynamic and are especially important in a collaborative setting when multiple ideas and agendas are competing. Organizers tend to be the ones to bring a project together and therefore inspire the trust and confidence of their other team members (Tate, 2010).