How MBTI Works, Why’s It’s So Useful at the Office, and Specific tips on Using It in Your Personal Life
Several years ago, I worked with another woman on a project. She was lovely and interesting, well-traveled and funny. She was the type of person you wanted to go to lunch with, or take with you on your next vacation. However, our meetings were disasters. Every time we spoke, it took longer than it should have to understand each other. Decisions that would have been easy with another co-worker were challenging with her.
So, I left our meetings feeling that although we really wanted to work well together, we were having issues communicating at a basic level. This was both puzzling and frustrating, because we both worked well with others, and we genuinely liked each other.
After we wrapped up our project, my team took a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) class to learn more about our personalities. This other woman had been on vacation when her team took the class, so she joined our group for our session. The instructor took us through the assessment, and when we started to compare results, I noticed that our types were completely opposite. Our innate personality preferences were vastly different, and that’s why we had problems connecting when we worked together.
It’s very likely that you’ve had the same experience before too: perhaps you’re married to a person whose personality is the opposite of yours, or maybe you’re raising a child whose instincts don’t match your own. You probably have friends that you love who handle their personal lives, careers, and finances in a way that you just don’t understand. And definitely, if you’ve been in the workplace for any length of time, you’ve encountered people who are wired differently. Fortunately, there are tools out there to help us to understand each other and adapt accordingly to live in harmony. Myers-Briggs is a great assessment used to provide exactly this sort of info.
The Backstory on Myers-Briggs Testing
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a test created to give us insight into the personality components that make up our preferences for communication, decision-making, and how we view the world. The MBTI framework builds upon the concept of “personality building blocks” espoused by psychotherapist Carl Jung (who, along with Freud, is considered the father of modern psychology).
Katharine Cooke Briggs expanded on Jung’s ideas, and with her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, developed the MBTI. The official Myers-Briggs online test can be taken here, or you can go to this site to take the test and schedule a session with a licensed professional. If you’d prefer to take a free, unofficial version of the assessment, there are dozens available online like this one.
Essentially, there are four sets of preferences that make up your Myers-Briggs type:
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- Extraversion vs. Introversion
- Sensing vs. Intuition
- Thinking vs. Feeling
- Judging vs. Perceiving
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The theory is that you fall one end of the spectrum for each of these sets, and that the combination of your preferences will put you in one of sixteen possible personality types.
Figuring Out Your Personality Type — by Asking Questions
Here are the descriptions for each of the four categories above:
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- Do your friends call you outgoing? Do you prefer a packed social calendar, and do big parties energize you? Would you rather work in a large group than spend extended periods of time pursuing something alone? If this sounds like you, you likely fall on the Extraversion end of the spectrum.
- Do you prefer to get to know a smaller group of people really well than interact with a large group? Do you love your friends, but leave large gatherings feeling worn out? If you were able to adjust your work environment, would you prefer to work alone or in a small group than with a big team? If this is more your personality, then you’re on the Introversion side.
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If you are able to take a Myers-Briggs class, you may be asked to complete a project after you’ve all been sorted into Extroverts and Introverts. If so, pay attention to the noise level differences between the groups. The Extroverts will likely be louder and quicker to jump in to make decisions, while the Introverts will be more subdued and methodical in their approach.
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- Those who have the “Sensing” preference are characterized by an inclination toward facts and reality. They will start with facts first, then form a big picture. They remember specific events as they happened, and rely on their own experience to form judgments versus looking to new possibilities.
- A person with an “Intuition” preference will remember past events by their impression reading between the lines versus the facts of the event. He or she prefers to dwell in possibilities for the future instead of concrete facts and details. They are big picture people first, then move into the specifics.
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In our Myers-Briggs class, we were presented with a picture of outer space. When asked to describe the picture, those with a Sensing preference tended to list the concrete things they saw, like “moon,” “Big Dipper,” and “planets.” On the other side, the people with the Intuition preference were more focused on the abstract components, and used words like “vast,” “cold,” and “exploration.”
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- An individual with the “Thinking” preference will focus on adhering to rules and guidelines when making decisions. He or she believes outcomes should be fair and logical based on stated standards. They will default to logic over feelings when coming to a conclusion.
- On the other hand, a person with a “Feeling” preference will lead with their heart before their head. They prefer harmony over fairness, and would rather be tactful than blunt. They will put feelings over rules when making decisions.
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We had an opportunity to see this preference play out in our class, when we were given a hypothetical scenario. In the scenario, ten people from the department would be chosen to go on an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii. Those with a “Thinking” preference tended to use factual criteria like company seniority, leadership level, or accrued vacation time totals to determine who should go.
Conversely, the “Feeling” group spent the majority of the time trying to figure out how to persuade those giving the trip to let the whole department go, or to decide who might be the most deserving to go based on who had had a hard time that year.
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- Do you prefer to have things planned in advance instead of flying by the seat of your pants? Do you make lots of lists, and like to get your work done before enjoying free time? Do you like it when outcomes are decided in advance instead of waiting until the last minute? If so, you’re probably on the “Judging” preference side.
- Would you rather be spontaneous than make plans in advance? Are you energized by a fast-approaching deadline? Would you rather let your day unfold than make concrete decisions about your schedule? If this sounds like you, then you have a “Perceiving” preference.
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One way to think about this component of MBTI is to imagine going on a trip: those with the “Judging” preference will make lots of plans in advance and create checklists along the way. He or she will do research on the destination, and make reservations ahead of time.
However, those with the “Perceiving” preference would rather go on a last-minute trip, usually don’t make lists of any kind, and will figure out what they want to do when they get there.
When you put each of your four preferences together, from all of the examples above, you will have a four-letter personality type (i.e., INFJ, ESFP, etc.). This unique combination puts you in one of the 16 MBTI personality types.
Important Points to Remember: Spectrum and Context
There are a few things to remember when assessing your personality type:
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- First of all, each component is a preference; just because you fall on one end of the spectrum doesn’t mean that you can’t (ever) act as the opposite type. It simply indicates that you tend to prefer one way slightly over the other.
- Also, each component is on a spectrum. For example, you may be a very strong Extrovert, but lean only slightly towards “Perceiving” over “Judging.” The strength of your preference will come into focus for you when you recall situations when you needed to act opposite your type – and think about how comfortable or uncomfortable that was.
- Another important point to remember is that stressful situations may cause a temporary shift in type. For example, you may have a “Feeling” preference, but be in the middle of coaching an underperforming employee who is causing strain to your entire team. Because you are needing to focus on company standards, guidelines, and fairness to other team members, you may find yourself identifying more with the “Thinking” preference during this time.
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Once you’ve identified your type, there are dozens of fun, silly examples of Myers-Briggs Types online. For example, this site has your favorite Harry Potter characters broken down into type, while this one assigns types to the Lord of the Rings characters. The original Star Wars characters are listed by type here, and the Disney Princess personalities are characterized here. Pinterest has a wealth of funny graphics and information on each type, if you take the time to search.
Beyond the entertainment value of knowing your type, there are many reasons take the Myers-Briggs assessment to better understand how you (and the people around you) are wired.
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- By understanding your type, you will begin to understand why other people do things that seem strange to you, and you will be better able to meet the needs of others. For instance, if you have a “Feeling” preference but your boss has a “Thinking” preference, you know to appeal to her with facts and logic the next time you ask for a raise.
- When you know your type, you will see why certain events drain you, so you can plan your free time accordingly. When you leave large parties exhausted, you can chalk it up to being an introvert and plan in extra down time the next day. When your super-planner (Judging) friend wants to map out every step of your next vacation and it makes your skin crawl, knowing your type is “Perceiving” will help you to better communicate your hopes for your trip with her.
- Understanding yourself and those around you means you can identify common ground and take advantage of your strengths. Your fellow Introvert may be just the person to plan a weekly coffee date with, while your “Sensing” friend may be the best person to help you dig into the details of a big decision.
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Isabel Briggs once pointed out the usefulness of all this knowledge by saying, “When people differ, a knowledge of type lessens friction and eases strain.” We all work with and live with people who are different from us, and who doesn’t want to ease strain and friction in their life? The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is one tool that can be used to help you learn more about yourself and those around you, to set you up for greater success (and harmony) with others in the future.