Personality not only plays a big part in how we get along with others, it also plays a HUGE part in how well we handle the demands of life.  Personality impacts not only how we do in school, but how well we do at work and in life.  Our personality influences our behavior.  One might even say that personality and behavior are inextricably linked.  Personality is what makes up our qualities and peculiarities.

There are five major personality traits:  Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.  The acronym spells OCEAN and each person’s personality is comprised of degrees of each trait.  But more of a trait is not always better… even with traits such as openness, extroversion or even conscientious.

A Conscientious Look at Conscientiousness

Of all the personality traits, conscientiousness could be considered the least exciting, but perhaps also the most valuable of all.  That’s because conscientiousness is about how a person controls, regulates, and directs his/her own impulses.  The sub traits of conscientiousness are:

• Self-efficacy
• Orderliness
• Dutifulness
• Achievement-striving
• Self-discipline
• Cautiousness

So how does this manifest in most individuals?  On one end of the spectrum are those who have a high level of conscientiousness.  These folks have a strong sense of duty and honor. They are not the kind to take off on a spur-of-the-moment round-the-world journey with only a backpack.  People with a high level of conscientiousness are planners, who like to do things in an orderly and structured way.  They are the kind of people who insist on dotting the “i”s and crossing the “t”s.  These are the kind of people who like to set and follow rules.  They are also cautious and less likely to engage in risky behaviors.   They are highly disciplined and achievement-oriented.  That may explain why people who display conscientiousness do better in school, stay married longer, and get better jobs. But these are NOT highly-adventurous, thrill-seeking rebels.

On the other end of the spectrum are those who are less conscientious.  They are more spontaneous and freewheeling.  Their behavior may tend to come across as carelessness.  They are okay with bending or even breaking rules and are willing to take chances.  They see opportunity where others might see risk.  And, they are driven by the thrill and the experience much more than the achievement.

Conscientiousness and Success

For professionals, conscientiousness is a helpful trait to have, as it has been linked to achievement in school and on the job.  Studies have found that people who are conscientious tend to get better grades in school and are seen as better employees in the workforce.  Indeed, in a study published in the European Journal of Personality, researchers found that emotionally stable and conscientious participants had higher incomes and job satisfaction.  It makes sense that high levels of self-discipline, orderliness, and self-efficacy are advantageous personality traits for those in structured, goal-oriented environments.

On the conscientiousness spectrum, those who are highly conscientious prefer to follow a plan than act spontaneously.  This methodic planning and steadfastness is what often contributes to their success.  Because conscientious individuals are dependable, organized, and persevere, they usually accomplish their professional goals. Indeed, people with a high level of conscientiousness are good at formulating long-range goals, shaping and planning routes to those goals, and working consistently to achieve them, despite any short-term obstacles they encounter.  They like plans and budgets, and tend to be systematic and efficient.  In fact, those who are highly conscientious might even be considered restricted, restrained and regimented.  They tend to be list-makers and schedule-followers.

It makes sense that highly conscientious people are more successful.  While those who are less conscientious will choose to do what is easy or fun at the moment, highly conscientious people tend to work diligently toward achieving their goals. They will postpone immediate gratification for the sake of long-term success.  Think of the student who is willing to spend weekends at the library studying instead of going to the beach.  They are also hard-working and pay attention to details to make sure that they deliver on their promises.  They often have good reputations that are defined by their commitment, reliability, and productivity.

Overall, conscientious people rarely make impulsive or careless decisions.  They tend to be forward-thinking, principled and careful.  Research shows that conscientiousness relates to job performance across many different types of occupations including architecture, engineering, data scientists, accountants, pharmacists, marketers, etc.  It has also shown that a high level of conscientiousness may lead, in general, to higher incomes.  These personality traits align with leaders of big business, educational institutions and government.

Too Much Conscientiousness and Too Little Conscientiousness

Although it is easy to conclude that being conscientious is a good thing, there are some pitfalls to this personality trait.  People who are too conscientious can, at times, become uptight and humorless.  They may need more than a gentle shove to lighten up and engage with others.  In a highly-social world, being too conscientious can conflict with the need to relax, have fun and bond with others.  Highly-conscientious people are also prone to burnout from overworking.  In their intense focus to deliver on promises, stick to structure and rules and forego fun in the name of discipline, those with high levels of conscientiousness can become inflexible and struggle to be spontaneous.  They might miss opportunities because they are busy following rules.  When taken to an extreme, they may also be “workaholics”, perfectionists, and compulsive in their behavior.

On the other end of the spectrum, people who are low in conscientiousness tend to prioritize the here and now and like to have fun.  They tend to go with the flow and are often described as casual, laid-back, and relaxed.   They tend to balk at schedules and have no interest in extensive planning, whether it is a business plan, marketing plan or sales plan.  People who have a low level of conscientiousness might be seen as irresponsible and unpredictable, which is great in personal settings but may not be effective for growing a business or undertaking a major initiative.  While these people tend to be more creative, daring and able to think outside the box, they may struggle with executing on big ideas.   They work great under pressure and respond well to last-minute demands… but usually those demands arise from their own procrastination.  People who score low on conscientiousness tend to be less driven by success.  But they are also the people who are willing to launch startups, revolutionize businesses and disrupt industries.  They are the mavericks, movers-and-shakers, and deal makers.

Too Much or Too Little of a Good Thing

When it comes to conscientiousness, it seems that the Goldilocks rule is best.  Neither too little or too much is ideal.  Somewhere in the middle is just right.  And when it comes to hiring for a position, understanding the nature of the position is key in order to determine whose personality is a good fit for the job.  In many cases, someone who leans in the direction of being more conscientious will fit best.  But those who are less conscientious may make better entrepreneurs and can hire people who are more conscientious to make sure that the trains run on time.

Ultimately, in the hiring process, it helps to know how the skills and demands of the job fit with personality, and hire the person with the personality traits that best fit the job.  That’s true even for a positive trait such as conscientious.

Quote of the Week
“Being conscientious is tedious, intentional and time consuming, which is not often rewarded in our fast-paced, immediate gratification, social-media crazed world.  You have to use elbow grease, nurse saddle sores, and make your brain sweat when being conscientious.” Angela Duckworth’s True Grit Series

© 2021, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.