The Personality Profile of a P.I.

Personality and the Individual

I’m often described as overly curious and imaginative, yet highly intelligent and extremely analytical. I see the beauty in everything but question the cause and purpose. If I were to consult the Big Five personality assessment, I’d be considered agreeable and imaginative. I can be both introverted and extraverted, but I listen more than I talk, and I get overwhelmed by too large crowds; therefore, I’m better labeled as an introvert. Being a private investigator interests me more than most other careers I think of. I believe my natural curiosity paired with my analytical skills make me an ideal detective. The work setting would allow me to be mostly reclusive, spending a lot of time on my own consulting research and notes to analyze a case, which appeals to the introvert in me. I’d also get frequent interactions with others as I interview and gather intel. Since I do have some extraverted traits, this appeals to my desire to interact with others without being overwhelmed with a crowd. I do better in more intimate settings. As a private investigator, I’d ideally work for myself. Since I tend to be less extroverted and less conscientious, I don’t normally get along with bosses and managers that expect highly energetic, organized, and industrious employees, being a private investigator allows me the freedom and space I need to find answers that other people might easily overlook.  

Personality and Teams

As a private investigator, I’d be doing both field work and office work. When completing field work, I may seem like a different person than what my Big Five personality assessment suggests. Dealing with other people requires me to be outgoing and dominant. I have to be willing to approach situations and direct conversations in an assertive manner not typical for my personality. Another behavioral shift I’ll need to navigate is considering office work. When keeping files, I must learn to be more organized, keeping files in easy-to-find places. Conscientiousness, as a trait, would be beneficial in a team setting. People working cohesively to achieve a goal appreciate a sort of predictability within the group, allowing them to navigate the task more efficiently. This same trait, though, may be seen as a hinderance when trying to brainstorm new ideas and invent new methods. Conscientious people like to be in control and keep things regulated (Shiraev, 2016), which can make it difficult to try new methods. The person-situation debate has merit in both arguments. Empirical research has shown personality as descriptively situational (Fleeson, 2004). A person’s behavior may change drastically depending on the occasion. However, other empirical research has shown that traits stay consistent over time (Fleeson, 2004). How can traits be stable, yet change depending on situations? Considering a workplace scenario, a team meeting may require every employee to read aloud a list of their concerns at a morning debrief. Some employees will inevitably be more introverted than others, which we can see when they quietly read off their well-thought-out list every morning, right after the extraverted employees state a few issues that come to mind once it’s their turn to speak. Given another scenario, like a leisure activity, the introverted employee may decide against making a complaint about services while the extraverted employee may write down a list of complaints to prove an injustice and make it right. Comparing these employees’ traits from situation to situation shows changes in their behaviors, but the persevering personality trait can be identified when comparing the employees’ traits with one another’s. Having the personality I have, a potential conflict with a coworker would likely go smoothly. I score very high on agreeableness and will often compromise even if I feel I’m losing out on the deal at the moment. However, since I tend to over analyze things and like to think them through entirely, I’ll likely bring the issue up again once I’m better prepared to handle it with the confidence to keep both of our emotions in check throughout the conversation.

Personality, Stress, and Coping

Having emotional intelligence can help us navigate so many difficult life situations. When it comes to other people’s emotions, we cannot control them any more than we can control our own feelings. By understanding that we, ourselves, also behave differently depending on the situation and we also react to stress differently than we do to joy, we can better understand that other people’s responses don’t determine their persevering traits. When we notice a peer’s stress levels elevating by identifying the intensity of their responses, we can offer to help out with something. Often times alleviating someone of a task reduces their stress levels immensely, but even if it only helps a little, it is worth it if our own mental health can afford it. That being said, if we ourselves take on too much work and get too stressed, we may notice our own behaviors changing. We might feel more irritable, less satisfied, or overly tired. The most important thing is to notice these changes and work on a plan to reduce stress. For example, I might set a boundary for myself that includes not allowing myself to take on anyone else’s stress or workload for the remainder of the week. By focusing only on my own stress, I can be a better teammate and more effective employee once I alleviate the stress I identify. Next, I would dedicate two hours of my time doing something that makes me feel accomplished, like making a hot breakfast before leaving the house, or exercising and meditating. Lastly, I’d dedicate a day to something I love, like spending quality time with my family. By focusing on the positive things in my life, I can get back on track more easily than I would by wallowing in the hardships. Once I’m feeling like I’ve significantly reduced my own stress, I’m better able and more willing to help other people reduce their stress too.

References

Fleeson, W. (2004). Moving Personality beyond the Person-Situation Debate: The Challenge and the Opportunity of Within-Person Variability. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(2), 83–87. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20182916

Shiraev, E. (2016). Personality Theories: A Global View. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781506300795