You know your Enneagram. You’ve probably taken a personality test or two for fun. But when it comes to how you run your business day to day — how you manage timelines, to-dos, and client work — your project management personality tells the real story.
Because let’s be honest: running a business requires more than just being good at your craft. It takes planning, prioritizing, communicating, and actually getting things done — without burning out in the process.
This isn’t a personality quiz you need to overthink. It’s a gut-check on how you actually operate so you can stop fighting your natural tendencies and start building systems that support them.
Let’s break it down — with examples, common traps, and real strategies to make your setup stronger.
1. The Checklist Champ
You love a good list. You’ve got a color-coded calendar, a favorite project management tool, and you actually use it. Checking things off feels like a tiny dopamine hit, and you thrive when everything has a home.
How this shows up:
- You create workflows and templates for everything
- You probably built your own SOPs before you even started hiring and delegating
- You feel most calm when you know what’s coming up next
What to watch out for:
You might spend more time organizing the work than doing it. Or you resist changing your system even if your business has outgrown it.
Make it work for you:
- Audit your tools quarterly — what’s still working, what’s overcomplicated?
- Take 10 minutes and look through your PM tool to catch any forgotten tasks
- Use automations to simplify recurring processes and avoid admin creep
2. The Deadline Dodger
You get things done… eventually. You might not follow the timeline exactly, but the work always gets finished (even if it’s right under the wire). You tell yourself you "work best under pressure," and honestly, sometimes you do.
How this shows up:
- You’re always working on things, but not always finishing them
- You overestimate how much time you have
- Deadlines slide… and then it becomes a scramble
What to watch out for:
You may unintentionally create bottlenecks for yourself or your team. And the last-minute rush? Unfortunately, it's not as efficient as it feels in the moment.
Make it work for you:
- Set internal milestones before client deadlines to create buffer time
- Add start dates to your tasks — not just due dates
- Use recurring task reminders to keep you moving without micromanaging yourself
3. The Mental Tab Hoarder
Your brain is your to-do list. You’re constantly juggling client work, business admin, and new ideas — and somehow it all mostly gets done. You know you need to get things out of your head, but that sticky note pile is still growing.
How this shows up:
- You don’t trust a system unless it matches the way your brain works
- You struggle to hand things off because it’s “all in your head”
- You’re great at context switching… until you’re not
What to watch out for:
You’re a detail person, but your system doesn't really reflect that. Things get lost, deadlines get fuzzy, and you’re left reacting instead of planning.
Make it work for you:
- Choose one “home base” for your work (Asana, ClickUp, Notion, etc.) and stick to it
- Create a weekly brain dump routine to unload the mental tabs
- Use categories like “Needs Action,” “Waiting On,” and “In Progress” to give your tasks real structure
4. The Collaborative Master
You’re not meant to do things alone. You thrive on team energy, shared docs, and back-and-forth conversations. You want clarity, but you also want connection.
How this shows up:
- You’re the glue between people and projects
- You leave comments, send Looms, and check in frequently
- You hate feeling like you’re working in a vacuum
What to watch out for:
Sometimes clarity gets lost in the constant conversation. If roles and deadlines aren’t spelled out, things get messy fast.
Make it work for you:
- Centralize communication in one place (no more “Was that in Slack or email?”)
- Assign owners to every task, even if you think it’s obvious
- Set regular check-in points in the workflow instead of relying on real-time updates
5. The “Wait, What Are We Doing?” Wanderer
You’re committed… but easily distracted. You’re great with ideas and energy, but need structure to keep the train on the tracks. Without clear direction, you tend to bounce from task to task (and forget which ones are urgent).
How this shows up:
- You work in short bursts and thrive with momentum
- You need to see the big picture often to stay focused
- You lose steam when next steps aren’t crystal clear
What to watch out for:
Without the right system, things fall through the cracks. It’s not a lack of ability — it’s a lack of scaffolding.
Make it work for you:
- Build visual timelines with key milestones so you always know what’s next
- Use simple project phases to stay grounded (even if you don’t use all the bells and whistles)
- Have someone on your team — or a Studio Manager 😉— review priorities with you weekly
TL;DR: You don’t need to fix how you work. You need a system that supports it.
Understanding your project management personality helps you stop fighting your natural tendencies and build a business that actually works with you — not against you.
So, tell me — which one are you?
Reply back and let me know your PM style (or the one you want to be). I’d love to hear.
And if your current setup is making things harder than they need to be… well, you know where to find me 😉
til next time,