Agreeableness in the Workplace? What Does It Mean?

Written by: Tanvi Vinay Gangavali – MA (Psychology)

Last updated date : March 02, 2023

Agreeableness is one of the personality traits. Agreeableness affects your performance in the workplace. This means putting others’ needs before your own needs. There is an example of agreeableness at work which can also have issues if we show this trait in more quantity. It is also said that people who are more agreeable tend to show more empathy. Also, they tend to find happiness in helping others. They also work with people who need more help.  This also makes people be liked more. They can also maintain relationships well. . They can find it hard to take decisions or even take criticism. Also, in the workplace, agreeable people tend to allow people to progress more. They like to stay in the background.

 

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Chapter 1:

What Does Agreeableness Mean?

There will be many people who are agreeable. This is a trait so it will be on a spectrum. People will be highly agreeable or show low agreeableness. Both have their own pros and cons. Let us look at how this affects us.

High Agreeableness
    1. Polite. Using kind words and being polite. An example of agreeableness at work by being polite can be seen in how they communicate on the phone or even talk to co-workers.

 

  • Empathetic. They are also more considerate of the needs of others. They tend to understand how the opposite person is feeling. Also, they consider how one’s actions or others’ actions can affect the team or any other person. An example of agreeableness at work could be seen when your manager or co-worker tends to listen to you and help you work when you are either sick or if you are going through a personal crisis.

 

 

  • The ability to trust others is higher. They usually think that the world is a good place and that people have good intentions. An example at work, people high on agreeableness are less likely to make hasty decisions. If an employee feels trusted, they will work better. People who show agreeableness in the workplace will also work harder toward meeting the goals and deadlines.

 

 

  • People high on this trait are seen as peacemakers. They usually avoid arguments or conflicts. An example of agreeableness at work is employees usually go to them to solve their issues. This makes the person more co-operative which also helps to work as a team.

 

 

  • They are generally very down-to-earth kind of people. By being humble and kind, they win the hearts of others.

 

 

  • They are altruistic. This also plays a big role when you are a leader. Thinking of others’ needs before your own does not come easily. Showing this trait in the workplace also helps to know where employees need help.

 

 

Low Agreeableness

There are many people who could have low agreeableness in the workplace. These people would be seen as:

    1. Having a lack of patience. This means they are usually angry and do not spend time helping others.
    2. Snapping back at people. If people ask for help or support they tend to react with anger.
    3. Like to confront and argue.
    4. They are also very aggressive. This style is seen in the way they talk to others or the decisions that they take.
    5. They prefer to criticize people. Commenting on others or their work is common.
    6. Not very considerate of the needs of others. Thinking only about one’s needs.
    7. Self-centered beings. Not very supportive.

 

If you find yourself being low, then you can enhance it by changing certain patterns of behavior. It is never too late to start. You can work on yourself at any point in time.

Chapter 2:

What Are the Benefits of Agreeableness in the Workplace?

There are some benefits when there is an agreeable team member in the workplace. Such as:

  1. Building strong interpersonal skills. Since these people like cooperation and are empathetic they do not involve much in petty issues. This helps to focus more on work.
  2. All employees at work like them. Also, they are great team workers. People like to work with them because they bring a lot of positivity. They make people
  3. feel comforted.
  4. People high on agreeableness have a never-give-up attitude. They find ways to complete the work.

Chapter 3:

Agreeableness in the Workplace

Agreeableness in the workplace is an asset. This is also because they show empathy to others and help others. They also make it a happier place to work. This also makes them a good fit for being a leader. In the workplace, we need to find ways to make the most of such people. For some employees who have low traits, opportunities need to be created.

If we teach them management skills then their productivity at work also increases. To enhance this, training sessions help. You can also give them higher tasks at work or also make them a leader. At work, they are role models for others. But, they need to also draw certain boundaries when dealing with people. This is so that the people do not take them for granted for their good nature. Also, these people might find it hard to pull up employees

Chapter 4:

In Summary

Agreeableness in the workplace is essential. It is also good to be highly agreeable. But, sometimes being high can also be a  weakness. This might mean that taking tougher decisions might be hard. Also, confronting employees for their poor performance is also challenging. In short, this is a personality trait that means placing others’ needs before their own. It is a strength but others can also take advantage of this good nature. This also helps to be a good leader. It is also said that they tend to earn less and work harder. So, in summary, we all might have this trait in varying quantities. Whether we are high, low, or average we need to think about the pros and cons. This also helps us to be happy and successful.

There are many courses available on our epsych website. The best part is that these courses are online and you can do them on your time. To know more about this topic, you can enroll in a course on perfectionism.

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"Quizzes and recommendations were very uselful" Donna

87 sections

6-Weeks Self-Paced

  • Educational Content
  • Quizzes
  • Self-reflection material
  • Suggestions & feedback
  • Worksheet, tips & tools to use

$9.00 $12.00

25% discount