Have you ever wondered why many of your employees behave like brats at work, but as functioning adults at other times? Blame it on personality assessments, those ridiculously simplistic questionnaires much loved by many teachers, consultants, coaches and lazy managers.

These assessments give theoretical explanations, and thus practical excuses, for weird behavior. In other words, assessments give us permission to hide our authentic adult selves.

Even worse, assessments trick you (the manager) into believing that you now actually know and understand us (the employees). And then, when we make the very human mistake of not behaving according to the type you have been expecting, you get angry with us.

Job descriptions already confine employee contributions to particular boxes. Don’t compound the error by restricting individuality to the meanest label.

Unless, of course, you do actually employ robots to produce what has no soul.

Welcome to my side of the nonsense divide.