Planner/Deliberate vs. Spontaneous Personality Traits

How do your employees structure their work time? Do they show up promptly at 8:00 am or do they always seem to come in late? Do they create to-do lists or wait and see what the day brings?

In general, you can put employees in one of two categories: spontaneous vs. deliberate people. Let's take a look at the differences between these two traits, including how they make decisions and structure their time, and explore why you need both planners and spontaneous personalities in the workplace.

What is a planner personality?

A person with a planner personality type is someone who plans ahead, and knows exactly why they do everything they do or say. They are deliberate and systematic in their approach to their work and will often spend a great deal of time planning out a detailed strategy. If giving a presentation, it will either be well-rehearsed or will be read from notes – they will not be comfortable talking about whatever comes to mind or speaking “off the cuff.”

What are the characteristics of a planner?

In general, planner personalities show the following characteristics:

• They have daily to-do lists, as well as monthly and long-term goals and plans
• Deliberate person likes to schedule their work time evenly to ensure that they meet deadlines, which means they usually don't procrastinate
• They are decisive and like to create a plan and stick with it, rather than seeing how things go and making adjustments along the way

How to work with a planner personality type

In the workplace, planners like to be on time so that they can start their day, get to work and check things off their to-do lists. Deliberate people don't like delays, uncertainty or having deadlines that are constantly changing.

Planners like to make a decision and go with it – they don't want to overthink things, but instead, prefer to start working on what needs to get done. This can be a problem at times, because they may not consider all the angles of a situation before diving in.

How to train a planner

Structure training with a clear plan that details the knowledge and skills people with a deliberate or systematic personality must acquire to perform well.

• Planners love seeing progress, so providing them with a check-off list of things they need to learn or do during training works very well
• Planner or systematic personalities in the workplace love to have structure and a clear idea of what's going to happen when, so create an outline for your training that includes session times, goals.

How to motivate a planner personality type

When you can align the planner's natural tendency to organize and structure work with their work environment and job details, you can keep them motivated and productive.

• Since deliberate people like to structure their own work time, give them the freedom to organize their projects as they see fit
• Allow them to set goals, objectives, and deadlines
• Look for ways to let them have focused, uninterrupted time to complete tasks

How to give feedback to a planner

Follow up a well-structured job description and goals with feedback that is similarly structured and detailed. It helps to provide specific facts and metrics as part of the feedback you provide.

• Planners are usually great at time management, but may struggle to explore new ideas or possibilities and may need help exploring different ways of doing something (which might actually help get things done faster)
• Planner personality types can get upset if they have to complete tasks under pressure or feel they're behind schedule, so be reassuring and supportive of their desire to get things done while helping them understand that sometimes last-minute tasks are unavoidable.

ChatGPT prompts for a performance review of a planner/deliberate employee

Using AI tools can help you provide feedback that aligns with the strengths and work style of a person with a planner or deliberate personality type. You can use the following prompts to quickly and efficiently start the process and get the tone right. You can customize the results based on the specific achievements of the person you are reviewing, and include areas they may need to develop.

Sample HR prompt for a planner personality:

I would like to provide feedback to an employee during their performance review. This employee has a planner/deliberate personality and tends to love having structure and check off tasks on their to-do lists, leading to issues with quality of their work and being stressed with last-minute tasks and changes. They're very capable in their role, but I'd like to see them grow by being more open to changes, exploring different ways of doing things, and understanding that sometimes last-minute tasks are unavoidable. Can you share 3-4 sentences about this for their review?

Sample AI-generated response:

"You have a strong ability to plan and execute tasks in a structured way, which is a valuable asset to the team. However, I've noticed that when unexpected changes or last-minute tasks arise, it can cause stress and sometimes impact the quality of your work. I encourage you to be more open to flexibility and consider that change is often unavoidable in dynamic environments. Developing your adaptability and exploring different approaches will help you manage last-minute tasks with greater ease and maintain high-quality output.”

Sample HR prompts for direct supervisors to help coach an employee with a deliberate personality on how to show more flexibility at work include:

• What can I suggest to help a planner employee manage their time better when unexpected tasks are added to their schedule?
• How can I encourage a structured employee to explore different ways of doing things and embrace creative solutions outside of their usual processes?
• How can I provide feedback to help a planner-type employee reduce stress when their plans are disrupted by unexpected tasks?

Good jobs for people with a deliberate personality

The attention to detail and thoroughness associated with the deliberate personality makes them well suited to excel in jobs such as:

• Project manager
• Accountant
• Operations manager
• Legal assistant
• Logistics coordinator
• Human resources manager
• Administrative assistant
• Supply chain manager

What is the opposite of a planner personality?

The opposite of a planner is someone with a spontaneous personality. While planners like deadlines, schedules and structured work time, someone with a spontaneous personality prefers flexibility, change and remaining open to options.

What is a spontaneous personality?

In general, someone with a spontaneous personality at work is rather unpredictable, preferring to act or say whatever seems right at the moment. An excellent example is a stand-up comedian who never knows what may happen and seems to have a knack for rolling with the punches and handling whatever comes their way. They are impulsive and think quickly on their feet. If they're wrong about something, they won't dwell on it, preferring instead to apologize and move on.

In the workplace, people with spontaneous personalities like to look at a project from all sides, consider innovative possibilities and discuss options. They're not afraid to do things differently than they've been done before. Even if a project is well underway, they can be perfectly happy changing direction and looking for a better outcome.

What are the characteristics of someone with a spontaneous personality?

You can identify someone as having a spontaneous personality if you see some of these behaviors and attitudes:

• They like to keep their options open and don't mind if plans change
• They wait to make decisions until they've gathered all the information
• Spontaneous person likes having flexibility in their schedules, projects and deadlines
• They are comfortable with change and often work very well under pressure

How to work with a spontaneous person

Learning how to work with a spontaneous person can benefit your business in many ways because they tend to be creative, innovative and thoughtful. In general, people with spontaneous personalities at work can take longer to make a decision (and sometimes even have trouble making one at all), but when they do, you can be sure that they've thought things through carefully.

How to train someone with a spontaneous personality

Design a training program that is flexible and engaging. You will want to spark creativity and keep the attention of someone with a spontaneous personality type. You may lose them with a rigid approach and will miss the benefits of their dynamic way of thinking.

• People with spontaneous personalities don't necessarily need a set outline for training – they'd prefer to see how things go, “roll with it” and explore new possibilities
• Allow plenty of time for questions, discussion, and feedback

How to motivate a person with a spontaneous personality

Solving problems and thinking of new, innovative ways of doing things is fun for a person with a spontaneous personality. Keep them motivated with diverse tasks and responsibilities that encourage creative problem-solving.

• Give them a chance to explore new, innovative ways to get something done
• Provide them with time and plenty of information to make a decision, to do research or come to a conclusion
• Don't be a stickler about “start times” – let them have more flexibility when it comes to arriving at the office or arranging their schedule

How to give feedback to someone with a spontaneous personality

Striking the right tone and being sure to note and value the strengths of a spontaneous employee, such as their flexibility, creativity, and high energy, is important when providing feedback that is relevant and effective to someone with this personality type.

• A spontaneous person may struggle to make decisions, preferring instead to focus on the process rather than the outcome. Creativity, thoroughness, and innovation should be rewarded, but you may have to work with the person to meet deadlines and get things done on time.
• Time management and procrastination can be issues for spontaneous types, so keep this in mind when giving feedback and assigning tasks.

ChatGPT prompts for a performance review of a spontaneous employee

You will want to strike a balance between being positive and constructive while pointing out areas that might need attention. AI tools can help you hit the right notes and use language and concepts that are easier for people with a spontaneous personality type to take in. Of course, you can personalize it to address their specific projects and achievements, along with areas to improve.

Sample HR prompt for a spontaneous personality:

I would like to provide feedback to an employee during their performance review. This employee has a spontaneous personality and tends to struggle with making decisions, leading to missed deadlines and overthinking. They're very capable in their role as a manager, but I'd like to see them grow by improving their decision making and time management skills. Can you share 3-4 sentences about this for their review?

Sample AI-generated response:

“You have a strong ability to think on your feet and adapt to changing situations, which is a valuable trait in your role as a manager. However, I've noticed that at times, overthinking decisions can lead to missed deadlines and delayed progress. I encourage you to work on making more timely decisions and managing your time more effectively to ensure tasks are completed on schedule. Strengthening these skills will enhance your leadership and keep your team moving forward efficiently.”

Sample HR prompts for direct supervisors to help coach an employee with a spontaneous personality on how to improve their soft skills at work include:

• How can I provide constructive feedback to help a spontaneous employee make more timely decisions and avoid overthinking?
• How can I encourage a spontaneous employee to maintain focus and avoid getting sidetracked by new ideas or distractions?
• How can I provide feedback to help a spontaneous employee better manage their time and avoid last-minute scrambling to complete tasks?

Good jobs for people with a spontaneous personality

People with a spontaneous personality type thrive in areas where flexibility and creativity drive results, such as:

• Event coordinator
• Sales representative
• Recruiter
• Journalist
• Travel guide
• Photographer
• Real estate agent
• Actor/performer

Spontaneous vs. impulsive

While you may think being spontaneous vs. impulsive is the same thing, they are indeed different. Consider the area of decision-making. A spontaneous person may act on an inspiration, yet they do think things through. Someone who is impulsive is more emotionally driven and they often don't think through the consequences of an action. Spontaneous people are quick to act, but do so in a thoughtful way and make changes when necessary. An impulsive person is also quick to act, but they may not be fully in control of what they do. They can make mistakes they come to regret.

Which is a better worker: deliberate planners vs. spontaneous personalities?

When it comes to spontaneous vs. deliberate planners personalities in the workplace, one type isn't “better” than another – it all depends on the job and what you need to accomplish. In fact, every business will benefit from having both types within their teams.

Hire Success^® can provide insights into each job candidate or current employee you have and help you determine the traits you need.

Further reading

• Great Leaders Are Thoughtful and Deliberate, Not Impulsive and Reactive
• The Wisdom of Spontaneity (Part 1)
• Are You A Planner Or Spontaneous? When And Where Each Personality Type Thrives At Work
• Why being spontaneous at work is a good thing