Birth Order at Work
Does Birth Order Matter at Work?
The short answer is YES! Work environments are not unlike family environments in that each person has a designated role.
Of course, those roles may change. But at any given time, everyone from the Owner/CEO to the lowest-ranking employee has a role to fulfill. And how they fulfill that role will be heavily impacted by their family birth order!
Understand Birth Order
Birth order is a person’s rank by age among his or her siblings. In a family, everyone has a different birth order and, therefore, a different role to play. People carry this role with them to their workplace.
When there are gaps of 4+ years between the ages of the children, that child obtains an additional birth order that is referred to as Double Birth Order and often changes or resets the roles. Employees with Double Birth Orders have two distinct groups of traits – one for each of their birth orders.
This blending gives a person more than one approach to their work and relating to their fellow employees.
Benefits of Understanding Birth Order at Work
- Hire the right person for the right job – the FIRST time!
- Understand the culture of your company, starting at the top
- Use birth order to build a successful team
- Understand the personality traits of each employee to ensure they have a successful role in your organization
- Understand the leadership style of each birth order
- Learn to interview candidates more effectively
- Learn the best positions in the company for those with double birth orders
- Learn why “stars” aren’t team players
- Predict the cultural changes in an organization after a merger / acquisition
Understanding Key Personality Traits
Everyone understands the value of placing employees in a position where they can succeed by using their natural abilities and tendencies. That’s where Birth Order comes in!
Each birth order has its own set of personality traits. These traits are influenced by the interactions with their parents and siblings.
The gender and family situation will determine the “true” birth order; it is not just a number. Knowing these traits will allow you to find the correct position for an employee in your company.
Common Workplace Questions Answered By Birth Order:
- Who is a natural leader?
- Who are your team players?
- Who prefers to work alone?
- Who loves group dynamics and works well with others?
- How can we reduce tension within our office?
Birth Order & Company Culture
The tone of the company is often set by the Owner or CEO. HIs or her birth order defines the culture of the company.
Some of the ways you can see Birth Order displayed in CEOs/Owners:
- Are they hands-off, or a control person?
- Do they prefer rules, or like to have fun?
- Are they consumer-first, or bottom-line-focused?
Why Companies Are NOT Like Families
Within a company, you can have multiple people working together who share the same family birth order. This is why it’s essential to understand Birth Order as it impacts things such as:
- What are the dynamics when birth orders collide?
- What problems to anticipate when the same birth orders work together?
- How you can use this information to maximize your team & create a culture of success in your organization.