The essence of the Success Portraits Personality Test (SPPT) is its analysis of human personality based on 19 distinct and stable characteristics, or behavioral propensities, commonly known as “traits”. These traits jointly influence, but do not rigidly determine, everything we think, feel, and do.
- But what, precisely, are these traits?
- How is each trait relevant to professional performance?
- What is the value in measuring each of these traits?
In the guide that follows, we’ll discuss the merits of each individual trait with a focus on answering the questions above.
But first, a word on the SPPT, its creators, and why they chose the 19 specific traits ultimately included in the test.
The Origin Story of the SPPT
Personality psychologists have widely accepted the general idea that human personality is composed of a specific number of fundamental traits for many years. (For the history of personality theories, see here).
The creators of the SPPT, Fred S. Switzer III and Jo Jorgensen, spent the better part of two decades developing this test. In doing so, they explored numerous hypotheses regarding the most useful combination of traits.
The method Switzer and Jorgensen pursued was primarily empirical. They compiled many different versions of the test based on various combinations of traits, and tested them on similarly diverse sample groups.
On the basis of their empirical findings, Switzer and Jorgensen finally settled upon a 19-factor model of personality. In addition, they developed a method of analysis for the way each of the basic traits interacts within four common working contexts–on one’s own, on a team, with a boss, and as a leader.
The SPPT’s 19 Personality Traits
Below, we take a closer look at each of the personality traits measured by the SPPT with consideration to the meaning and value of these measurements as they relate to professional performance.
- 1. Achievement Striving
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Achievement striving refers to a particular drive to attain one’s goals or accomplish one’s set tasks. A high achievement striving score indicates an individual who is highly motivated, who has a strong desire to excel in all areas, and who measures personal success by surpassing their own previous performances.
In a professional context, achievement striving suggests an individual who takes ownership of responsibilities, projects, and initiatives, and who views achievement in these areas as a point of personal pride. Measuring achievement striving can help to identify individuals with a strong sense of both internal motivation and a proclivity toward professional upward mobility.
- 2. Agreeableness
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Agreeableness refers to an individual’s likability. People who score high for agreeableness are perceived by others as warm, inviting, empathetic, and interested in other people.
In the context of the workplace, agreeableness can make an individual an effective collaborator, a responsive employee, and a booster of collective morale. Indeed, a measure of agreeableness may be partially predictive of how well an individual is likely to mesh with a given organizational culture.
- 3. Assertiveness
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In the context of personality psychology, assertiveness describes the ability and desire to advocate strongly for one’s own interests and ideas. Assertiveness should not be conflated with arrogance or bossiness. Instead, it suggests both the confidence and agency to engage meaningfully in group tasks or discussions.
This has especially important applications in the workplace, where one’s assertiveness may be predictive of one’s willingness and ability to meaningfully contribute to cooperative endeavors. A measure of assertiveness can also provide a sense of an individual’s fitness for team leadership.
- 4. Business Acumen
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Business acumen is an industrial and organizational psychology term of art signifying the degree to which an individual is conversant with the many different aspects of business operation. This describes an individual whose understanding goes well beyond a specific department or office, and extends to both the broader organization and the industry to which it belongs.
In a professional context, business acumen implies the ability to see the bigger picture, to understand how individual tasks contribute to long-term organizational goals, and to make forward-thinking decisions. Measuring business acumen can help to identify individuals with leadership and executive potential.
- 5. Cautiousness
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Cautiousness describes the tendency to approach each decision with careful thought of the potential consequences. Not to be conflated with timidity, in this context cautiousness means thinking through, identifying, and acting on the appropriate response in a given situation.
In a professional setting, this trait suggests an individual who is likely to perform due diligence when making decisions, completing tasks, and pursuing opportunities. Measuring cautiousness can provide insight into a given individual’s temperament and how well this temperament matches up with certain roles or responsibilities.
- 6. Cooperation
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Cooperation refers to the ability to work well alongside others. Moreover, cooperation suggests a positive preference for working on teams over working on one’s own.
A high cooperation score may be an indication that an individual does their best work in a collaborative setting. Measuring this trait can help place individuals in team settings where they are likeliest to excel.
- 7. Core Self-evaluation
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The personality psychology concept of core self-evaluation is correlated to self-esteem but has a narrower and more specific meaning. This trait signifies a deep-seated confidence in one’s ability to overcome challenges and achieve success. It is the conviction that one has what it takes to succeed at whatever one sets out to do.
This is a highly valuable workplace trait, one that can predict resilience in the face of setbacks, determination in the face of practical obstacles, and creative thinking when confronted by seemingly insurmountable challenges. Measuring for core self-evaluation can help identify individuals who are particularly well-suited to high-pressure roles.
- 8. Creativity
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In the context of personality psychology, creativity describes the innate ability to come up with new ideas, engage in abstract thinking, and find inventive ways to solve problems. The quality of being creative is seen as increasingly valuable in the 21st Century workplace.
There is a premium on innovative developments that offer new ways of addressing existing and emergent challenges. Measuring creativity can provide a sense of an individual’s adaptability, thoughtfulness, and suitability for certain roles and responsibilities.
- 9. Dutifulness
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Dutifulness is a trait that denotes dependability, reliability, and a strong sense of personal responsibility. This is a type of conscientiousness that relates specifically to both the completion and quality of one’s work.
Dutifulness correlates highly to professional performance as it suggests an innate sense of responsibility to the goals of a team or organization. A measure of dutifulness can be an indicator that an individual will work to produce the highest quality of work whether in a support or leadership role.
- 10. Meta-leadership
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Leadership refers broadly to the ability to effectively marshal team members for the purpose of achieving specific goals within an organization. Meta-leadership refers to one’s ability to comprehend the way in which their role as a leader interacts with the roles of other members of an organization.
As it relates to professional performance, meta-leadership suggests an individual who doesn’t simply lead by brute force, but who instead understands the role that relationships play in advancing leadership. Measuring for this trait can help to identify team members with the empathy, intuition, and interpersonal skills needed to provide positive leadership.
- 11. Need for Autonomy
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The need for autonomy is a personality trait characterized by a strong preference for working on one’s own. This trait describes an individual that requires a certain degree of freedom both from supervision and stringent working conditions.
As it relates to professional performance, the need for autonomy can suggest an individual who is capable of taking initiative, who does their best work independently, and who may have their own methods for completing required tasks. A measure of this trait may help to suggest fitness for roles which demand a high degree of self-discipline and independent thinking; and a poor fit for roles that are shaped by bureaucracy and oversight.
- 12. Need for Cognition
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The phrase need for cognition means a strong desire and preference for acquiring information. It also reflects a high degree of thoughtfulness. This trait may be an indicator that an individual is prone to inquiry, logical debate, and due diligence in exploring ideas.
In the context of professional performance, this trait is an indicator that an individual has a deeper understanding of the value of their individual efforts. This trait may be a good predictor of strong performance in technical fields, where pursuit of deeper knowledge can lead to greater aptitude and ability.
- 13. Perseverance
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Perseverance is a personality trait with enormous implications in both everyday life and work. This trait describes the tendency to maintain one’s course of action and determination in the pursuit of a goal even when faced with delays and adversity.
In the context of professional performance, perseverance is the desire to do “whatever it takes” to succeed. There is great value in accurately measuring this trait, which can correlate positively to the pursuit and attainment of one’s goals in the workplace, whether from a leadership position, working independently, or as part of a team.
- 14. Self-regulation
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Self-regulation is a personality trait that implies the presence of restraint, impulse control, and self-awareness. In effect, self-regulation describes the ability to apply reason and conscience to one’s behaviors.
There is a particular value in measuring self-regulation as it relates to work performance. This is because it is common for an individual to have strong self-regulation in some areas of life and lower self-regulation in other areas. For our purposes, an effective measurement of self-regulation is one that helps predict an individual’s professional self-control and workplace behavior.
- 15. Social Intelligence
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Social intelligence is the ability to understand the emotions of others and to effectively respond to these emotions. The social intelligence trait is closely associated with empathy and compassion, and suggests an individual with an intuitive ability to comprehend how others are feeling.
This is a powerful personality trait in the workplace. A high social intelligence score implies an individual with the ability to deal effectively with others, whether as a leader, a subordinate, or an equal. A particularly strong social intelligence aptitude can predict skills like persuasion, charisma, and conflict mediation.
- 16. Team Orientation
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Team orientation is similar to the cooperation trait in that it not only denotes the ability to work well as part of a team, but further suggests an overarching preference for teamwork. The trait of team orientation suggests an innate intellectual appreciation for the unique advantages and strengths that come with teamwork.
Again, as with cooperation, measuring team orientation can be an effective way of identifying those who are a strong fit for collaborative roles and projects; as well as those with the temperament for team leadership.
- 17. Tolerance for Ambiguity
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The phrase tolerance for ambiguity refers to the ability to function effectively and decisively in the presence of uncertainty. This trait suggests that an individual will have the capacity to navigate problems, make decisions, and complete tasks even with gaps in available information. It also suggests a higher threshold for risk.
This is a particularly relevant trait in the 21st Century workplace. Thanks to rapid advances in technology, constant shifts in policy, and broader cultural transformation, uncertainty is a constant. There is real practical value in identifying individuals with a strong propensity for operating effectively in this state of uncertainty.
- 18. Trust
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Trust, in the context of personality psychology, is the tendency to believe the best about other people until presented with evidence to the contrary. It means feeling instinctively that most people are like oneself insofar as they largely act in good faith, and not from some nefarious hidden motive.
In the context of professional performance, trust often means acting for the good of one’s organization. There is a strong link between trust and loyalty—one is naturally loyal to someone one trusts. For this reason, people who score high for “trust” will likely be highly useful in an organizational context.
- 19. Vision
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Vision, to personality psychologists, means the capacity to think in broad terms, to look over the horizon, to anticipate what lay ahead, and to make thoughtful decisions in light of what the future holds. Those with vision tend to take a wide range of contextual factors into consideration when working, leading, and ideating.
In the context of professional performance, the trait of vision is closely linked to innovation, which one might define as the ability to discover new and promising ways of doing things that have not yet occurred to anyone else. An effective measurement of vision can be an excellent way of identifying individuals who are receptive to long term professional development opportunities as well as those who are well-suited for leadership roles.
Applying 19-Factor Assessment to Professional Performance
As we noted at the outset, the traits selected for inclusion in the SPPT combine to provide a personality profile. Individually, a measurement of each trait may provide you with only a sliver of a window into the personality and potential of a given individual.
It is only when these traits are measured, aggregated, and analyzed together that we can open this window fully. Each individual draws on an entirely unique combination of these traits. And it is this combination that can reveal an individual’s temperament, interpersonal skills, workplace attitudes, professional potential, leadership capacity, and fitness for certain roles or responsibilities.
To make an important point, even this measurement is still only a window, and not the full picture. The SPPT is a valuable assessment tool, but it is not to be used in isolation to evaluate an individual’s workplace competencies or organizational fit. The SPPT should always be used in combination with other assessment methods and traditional employee screening and leadership development methods.
That said, the 19 traits outlined above and included in the SPPT offer what we believe is a very powerful way of opening the window into personality and professional performance.