Connecting the Dots: Exploring personality, team dynamics and workplace culture

Conflict often shows up when people have different approaches to structure, organization, and follow-through. In this episode of Connecting the Dots, Stephen Utech and Ryan Gracyalny dive into how the Big Five trait of Conscientiousness influences conflict in both business and personal relationships. Whether it’s the clash between highly organized, detail-driven individuals and those who prefer a more flexible, spontaneous style—or tensions that arise when expectations around deadlines and accountability differ—Conscientiousness plays a major role in shaping how we experience and resolve disagreements. Stephen and Ryan unpack common conflict patterns tied to Conscientiousness, share practical examples from their...

Discover how Agreeableness, one of the Big Five personality traits, shapes conflict styles in relationships and the workplace. Stephen Utech and Ryan Gracyalny break down how empathy, cooperation, and directness show up in conflict — and how couples and teams can leverage differences in Agreeableness to improve communication, trust, and problem-solving. High scorers, known for their warmth, empathy, and desire for harmony, may avoid conflict or give in too quickly to keep the peace. Meanwhile, those lower in Agreeableness tend to be more direct, skeptical, and willing to push back — which can be valuable for objectivity but sometimes comes across as crit...

Discover how Openness to Experience, one of the Big Five personality traits, shapes conflict dynamics in both personal and professional relationships. Stephen Utech and Ryan Gracyalny explore how high and low scorers approach disagreements, problem-solving, and change — from curiosity-driven brainstorming to grounded, practical solutions. Learn how to bridge differences, communicate effectively, and turn diverse thinking styles into a strength in your relationship or workplace team. They unpack how high scorers, with their love of novelty, abstract thinking, and exploration, tend to approach conflict with curiosity, brainstorming, and “what if” thinking — sometimes to the point of overwhelming more practically minded partners or colle...

This is the first episode in our 5-part series exploring how the Big Five personality traits shape the way we work, lead, and live—starting with Extraversion. Whether you're navigating team dynamics, managing a relationship with your spouse or sibling, or raising kids with a very different energy level than your own, Extraversion plays a powerful role. In this episode, we unpack what Extraversion really is—and how it shows up in both healthy dynamics and conflict across your work and personal life. You'll learn: ✅ How people high in Extraversion see those lower in it—and vice versa ✅ What happens when these...

In this final episode of our four-part “Red Flags at Work” series, we dive into one of the most unsettling but important workplace realities: Corporate Psychopaths. These individuals may be charming, charismatic, and seemingly competent—but underneath lies a manipulative, self-serving nature that can wreak havoc on teams, culture, and long-term success. Join us as we break down: -The different flavors of psychopathy (clinical vs. subclinical) -How to spot red flags in leadership, hiring, or peer interactions -Tactics these individuals use to manipulate people and systems -What organizations and individuals can do to protect themselves and others This episode is a must...

How can you tell if your team is on the path to high performance or stuck in dysfunction? In this episode of Connecting the Dots, Ryan Gracyalny and Steve Tech continue the Red Flag Series, breaking down the stages of team development and the red flags that signal trouble. 🚩 Forming Gone Wrong – When leaders are too hands-off or too controlling, setting teams up for failure. 🚩 Dysfunctional Storming – When conflict is avoided, or worse, festers beneath the surface. 🚩 Toxic Norms – When teams establish unhealthy ways of working, leading to imbalance and resentment. 🚩 Underperforming Teams – When results suffer due to either relentless focus on numbers or...

Why do some companies thrive while others struggle with chaos and dysfunction? In this episode of Connecting the Dots, Ryan Gracyalny and Steve Utech continue the Red Flag Series, exposing three major organizational and leadership traps that can stall company growth and create workplace dysfunction. 🚩 The Founder’s Trap – When company vision is stuck in the hands of one person, leading to chaos, shifting priorities, and a lack of clear direction. 🚩 The Functional Split – When departments clash, leaders push conflicting agendas, and employees feel torn between competing priorities. 🚩 Bureaucracy Gone Wrong – When rules, politics, and red tape stifle innovation and leave employees f...

Are you in the right company for your career growth and work style? In this episode of Connecting the Dots, Ryan Gracyalny and Steve Utech kick off the Red Flag Series, exploring how organizational size and structure impact job satisfaction, leadership dynamics, and cultural fit. From startups to enterprise corporations, they break down the key factors that determine whether you should stay and grow—or start looking for a better fit. Learn how different company stages shape leadership expectations, team collaboration, and career progression. Plus, discover the hidden red flags that may signal it's time for a change. Whether you're an...

The final episode of 2024 builds on the discussion of family systems theory by highlighting one of Murray Bowen's key tenets: the impact of birth order on family dynamics. To gain deeper insight into this topic, Ryan and Steve bring on Dr. Donna Marino, a family business psychologist out of Chicago, to learn how birth order impacts personality and sibling dynamics in business. Dr. Donna shares her clinical and consulting experience to highlight key patterns and traits she observes in her practice of working with family business transitions. It's a must listen for anyone who is interested in working on their...

In part 3 of their series on team dynamics, Ryan and Steve continue to explore the family systems perspective on group behavior. This episode focuses on the concept of differentiation of self that was pioneered by Murray Bowen. Ryan and Steve lay out some core principles related to gaining more emotional freedom in your relationship as well as share approaches to increase your own levels of differentiation or individuation so that you can be more effective in working with people and teams. Key topics of this episode: - why systems have a drive to reinforce the status quo - the importance...

In the second part of their team dynamics series, Ryan and Steve expand on the understanding of human systems when working with teams by introducing the concept of triangles. Triangles aren't just about triangulation. Triangles are actually the primary mechanism for how energy and anxiety are managed in relational systems. The more one can understand how triangles work in healthy and unhealthy ways, the easier it is for leaders to create more cohesive and productive teams. In this episode you'll learn: - Why triangles are the building blocks of relationships - What are the most common types of triangles and...

Ryan and Steve start the Team Dynamics series by introducing concepts from Murray Bowen and family systems theory, namely understanding group behavior as an emotional process. The series is designed to deepen your knowledge of group dynamics to increase your self-awareness and social awareness so you can arrive at deeper and more meaningful change when working with teams. This episode covers: - The role of tension and anxiety in teams, groups, and families and how our response to anxiety creates behavior patterns, roles, and individual identities - The 5 signs and levels of unresolved tension in groups: Reactivity, Blame Orientation, Quick-Fix...

Have you ever wanted to improve employee commitment, support employee wellbeing, improve employee retention, while also improving performance? You're in luck! In this episode, Ryan and Steve walk through the researched PsyCap protocols to strengthen mindsets of leaders and employees. There are four 2-hour micro-interventions designed to increase hope, optimism, self-efficacy (confidence) and resilience. These are practical learning and development sessions that any organizations can implement on their own. In this episode you'll learn about: - Why improving psychological capital needs to be a part of employee development - Building up hope through goal setting and the creation of multiple...

Personality assessments are only as useful as how they are used. Too often they are looked at once and rarely referenced again. In this episode, Ryan and Steve walk through a practical example of how to use the Big Five for leadership development discussions in your team or with clients. In this episode we cover: - Researched leadership archetypes that you can use to better understand leadership styles and strengths using the Big Five model of personality - How to look at people beyond their personality type by uncovering the story behind their results - An example of how to...

In this episode, we are diving deep into the art and science of optimizing creative problem-solving within teams. Creativity isn't just about wild ideas; it's about turning those ideas into actionable, useful solutions. Join Ryan and Steve as they: - define what is creative and what isn't - breakdown the two types of thinking (divergent and convergent) to get the most out of your creative process - teach you how to identify individuals, using Big 5 personality traits, that will maximize divergent and convergent thinking - give you practical tips to stimulate dopamine production in your team, a critical neurotransmitter for...

When challenges arise around onboarding and retaining new hires, we often hear complaints about the workforce being lazy and uncommitted. There is definitely some truth to this, especially in the manufacturing sector. When leaders get stuck on generational stereotypes it does them a disservice because it limits the options to solve the underlying problem. In this episode of Connecting the Dots, the hosts reframe the generational problem and propose a research-based path forward focused on how to: - Hire, build, and design the right teams based on personality compatibility - Intentionally strengthen the mindsets of employees (new and old) using...

Is it better for team members to be similar or different? Join Steve and Ryan as they delve into the impact of personality compatibility on team performance. In the research community, there are two main perspectives: one argues that similarities enhance team dynamics, while the other champions the benefits of diversity. Could both be correct? Discover how different situations call for different approaches to building effective teams. Tune in to the latest episode of Connecting the Dots to learn more about the nuances of personality compatibility.

In this episode, Ryan and Steve get a little neurotic! Tune in as they dig into the Stress Quotient (neuroticism) factor within the Big Five model of personality. Stress Quotient is broken down into multiple traits to provide you with a more well-rounded and nuanced understanding of this dimension of personality. Examples around how these traits are lived out are provided so you can better understand how stress manifests in your life and gain improved self awareness to find your own healing and wholeness.

In this episode, Ryan and Steve dig into the Conscientiousness factor within the Big Five model of personality. Conscientiousness is broken down into multiple traits to provide you with a more well-rounded and nuanced understanding of this dimension of personality. Examples around how these traits are lived out are provided so you can better understand the healthy and unhealthy aspects of Conscientiousness in both your personal life and in the workplace.

In this episode, Ryan and Steve dig into the Conscientiousness factor within the Big Five model of personality. Conscientiousness is broken down into multiple traits to provide you with a more well-rounded and nuanced understanding of this dimension of personality. Examples around how these traits are lived out are provided so you can better understand the healthy and unhealthy aspects of Conscientiousness in both your personal life and in the workplace.

In this episode, Ryan and Steve dig into the Conscientiousness factor within the Big Five model of personality. Conscientiousness is broken down into multiple traits to provide you with a more well-rounded and nuanced understanding of this dimension of personality. Examples around how these traits are lived out are provided so you can better understand the healthy and unhealthy aspects of Conscientiousness in both your personal life and in the workplace.

In this episode, Ryan and Steve dig into the Agreeableness factor within the Big Five model of personality. Agreeableness is broken down into multiple traits to provide you with a more well-rounded and nuanced understanding of this dimension of personality. Examples around how these traits are lived out are provided so you can better understand the healthy and unhealthy aspects of openness in both your personal life and in the workplace.

In this episode, Ryan and Steve dig into the Openness to Experience factor within the Big Five model of personality. Openness is broken down into multiple traits to provide you with a more well-rounded and nuanced understanding of this dimension of personality. Examples around how these traits are lived out are provided so you can better understand the healthy and unhealthy aspects of openness in both your personal life and in the workplace.

In this episode, Ryan and Steve dig into the Extraversion factor within the Big Five Model of personality. Extraversion is broken down into multiple traits to provide you with a more well-rounded and nuanced understanding of this dimension of personality. Adaptive and maladaptive traits are discussed so you can more easily spot healthy and unhealthy behavior in your personal and work relationships.

Join hosts Ryan and Steve as they delve into the fascinating world of personality psychology in this episode of Connecting the Dots. In this installment, they introduce listeners to one of the most widely accepted models of personality traits: the Big Five. The Big Five personality model, also known as the Five-Factor Model, provides a comprehensive framework for understanding human personality. Ryan and Steve break down each of the five factors—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (Stress Quotient)—and explore how these dimensions interact to shape individual behavior, thoughts, and emotions. Ryan and Steve illustrate how the Big Five mode...

Join us for our Pilot episode! Steve and Ryan introduce themselves, share why they decided to start a podcast together and give a little taste of what Connecting the Dots is all about: understanding the inner workings of personality, team dynamics, and organizational culture.