Deep dive into Openness - the balance of progress and practicality.
For the next few weeks, we’ll be exploring and unpacking the TALY Personality Profile, helping you to get the full picture and to unlock the actions you need. Today, we're following up our last blog on Agreeableness by looking at Openness – our personality trait most associated with curiosity, innovation, inventiveness, and creativity.
There’s a simplistic idea of innovation that it’s all about creativity and ideas. This is partly true - creativity, imagination, curiosity, broadmindedness - these are all characteristics that support new idea creation.
But innovation in teams and organisations is actually a much broader concept - it’s about progress and improvement, but also about expertise, mastery, respecting what’s worked well in the past and perception. And, as anyone who’s been through a change program knows, it’s as much about the communication and implementation as it is about the idea in the first place.
For great ideas (and teams themselves) to flourish, it’s now widely recognised that these different behaviour and personality traits, brought to life by different people working effectively together, actually lead to the strongest outcomes.
A key trait behind a lot of this diversity in views is Openness.
Openness is one of the key five traits in the Big 5 Personality model. At one end, you have highly open people who are naturally progressive and curious. At the other end, more conservative and grounded people who look to protect the status quo and keep things focused.
Understanding these differences, and helping them work effectively in teams, is critical to building strong outcomes. So today, let’s dive into Openness as the next step in unlocking the key aspects of the TALY Personality Model.
At TALY, we make it easy to integrate these insights into your daily work - especially during the recruitment process and in developing existing teams. Personality profiling is the key to unlocking stronger, more harmonious teams.
Curious to learn more? Let’s chat about how TALY’s tools can help you navigate the complexities of workplace conflict. Get in touch or book a demo today.
Quick refresher: What is personality all about?
Think of personality as your lens to the world—shaping how you engage with others, interpret situations, and pursue goals. The Big Five Personality Model offers powerful insights into your motivations, values, and natural tendencies, illuminating why you behave as you do. It helps explain not only your general reactions in familiar settings but also how you might approach new and challenging situations.
Your personality isn’t destiny, but it does influence how you respond, communicate, and make decisions across diverse environments. Understanding yours and others’ personality empowers you to leverage strengths, address blind spots, and foster meaningful connections.
Now, let’s dive into Openness, a key trait at the heart of outcomes, progress and innovation in teams, and in driving not just great outcomes, but also effective and impactful outcomes.
Openness — the balance of progress and delivery.
In the world of personality psychology, Openness is the curious adventurer of the Big Five. It’s the trait that drives our hunger for new experiences, deep thinking, and creative exploration. People high in Openness are drawn to the abstract, the novel, and the imaginative—they’re the ones who ask “what if?” and actually want to find out. These individuals tend to be intellectually curious, emotionally aware, and comfortable with ambiguity. They’re energized by art, innovation, and unconventional ideas. Whether it’s proposing a bold new strategy or exploring a different way to solve a problem, they bring a spirit of possibility that helps break stale routines and spark transformation.
In the workplace, Openness plays a vital role in shaping how teams think, evolve, and tackle challenges. Those high in this trait shine in roles that value creative problem-solving, future-oriented thinking, and experimentation—think product design, strategy, or R&D.
They’re often the first to spot trends or see connections that others overlook, making them powerful catalysts for innovation.
On the other hand, team members lower in Openness may be more practical, detail-focused, and cautious. While they might not jump at the chance to shake things up, they’re essential for bringing ideas to life in a structured, grounded way.
When both ends of the Openness spectrum work together, teams can dream big without drifting into chaos—turning vision into action.
But don’t dismiss those low on Openness as having nothing to contribute—these individuals help ensure new ideas are practical, targeted, and grounded in reality. While they may not be the first to leap into the unknown, they play a crucial role in asking the tough questions, spotting flaws, and refining concepts into something workable.
Ultimately, Openness isn’t about being “creative” or “not creative”—it’s about how we engage with newness, complexity, and possibility.
In fast-changing workplaces, Openness becomes a key ingredient for adaptability and growth, but low openness also helps us stay grounded and not get pulled into unworkable tangents. Openness fuels curiosity, encourages diversity of thought, and helps organisations stay ahead of the curve.
Collaborating to drive balanced progress.
Understanding Openness can reshape how your team tackles problems, adapts to change, and sparks innovation. High-Openness team members bring bold thinking, a thirst for exploration, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. They thrive in ambiguity, generate fresh ideas, and connect seemingly unrelated concepts—often fuelling breakthroughs with their imaginative mindset.
Meanwhile, those lower in Openness anchor the team in practicality. They prefer practical, grounded, and proven methods, helping to filter out lofty ideas and translating them into tangible products that deliver value.
Together, these contrasting approaches create well-rounded, high-performing teams. Visionaries expand the horizon, while realists ensure the path forward is solid and navigable.
As you grow your team, remember: it’s not just about thinking outside the box—it’s also about knowing whether that new thought can work. By valuing both curiosity and practicality, your team can turn creative sparks into lasting success.
Get in touch to find out more… we love talking about this stuff! Or Book a Demo today to see how easy it is to start using TALY in your business.