Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator - MBTI Laura Wilcox Organizational Behavior MGMT E-4000 Taught by Ellen Harris March 19, 2012

Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator - MBTI

Laura WilcoxOrganizational Behavior MGMT E-4000

Taught by Ellen HarrisMarch 19, 2012

The Value of MBTI

• MBTI can be used for individuals and teams and provides the following benefits:– A framework for improving self awareness and

management– A vocabulary for all different types of people to improve

communication– A tool for leadership, communication, team and

relationship development– A method for identifying stressors and how to manage

those in yourself as well as others

The Four Dichotomies

EExtravert

IIntrovert

Where do you focus attention and get energy?

SSensing Intuition

How do you take in information? N

TThinking

FFeeling

How do you make decisions?

Judging Perceiving

How do you deal with the outside world?J P

© Harvard University Division of Continuing Education, 2011

Caution: MBTI Word Usage

• Words used to describe preferences in psychology do not mean the same thing as they do in everyday life

– Extravert does not mean talkative or loud

– Introvert does not mean shy or inhibited

– Feeling does mean emotional

– Thinking does not mean “someone who thinks”

– Judging does not mean judgmental

– Perceiving does not mean perceptive– Etc.

Extraversion and Introversion

• Attuned to outer world of people and external events

• Action Oriented – speak-to-think

• Learn best through doing or discussing

• Sociable and expressive

• Prefer to communicate by talking

• Enjoy meeting and talking with new people

• Attuned to inner world of ideas, thoughts and concepts

• Reflection – think-do-speak• Want to reflect before acting or speaking

• Learn best by reflection, mental “practice”

• Private and contained - Keep enthusiasm to themselves

• Avoid being the center of attention

• Prefer to be alone or interact with people they know well

Characteristics - Outwardly Focused: Characteristics – Inwardly Focused:

EExtravert

IIntrovert

Where do you get energy?


Sensing and Intuition

• Emphasize the pragmatic – practical realities

• Take in information through five senses

• Focus on what is real and concrete – Here-and-now

• Value practical applications, common sense

• Want information step-by-step and details

• Trust experience, what can be measured or documented

• Oriented to the present

• Emphasize the theoretical

• Take in information through “sixth sense”

• Focus on possibilities

• Value innovation and imaginative insight – see trends and patterns

• Jump around, leap in anywhere

• Trust inspiration, “gut feel”, “sixth” sense

• Oriented to the future

Characteristics - Present Focused: Characteristics – Future Focused:

Sensing

NIntuition

How do you take in information?

S


Thinking and Feeling

• Use cause-and-effect reasoning

• Focus on content

• Resolve problems through logic

• Look for outcome that “makes sense”

• Strive for impersonal, objective truth

• Analytical

• Guided by personal values

• Focus on affect

• Resolve problems by weighing values

• Look for outcome that “feel right”

• Strive for harmony

• Compassionate

Characteristics – Objective Focused: Characteristics – Subjective Focused:

TThinking

FFeeling

How do you make decisions?


Judging and Perceiving

• Structured, systematic, methodical

• Plan – Controlled

• Like closure – have things decided

• Avoid last-minute stress

• Try to limit surprises

• See routines as effective

• Spontaneous, open-ended, flexible

• Adapt

• Like things loose and open to change

• Feel energized by last-minute pressures

• Enjoy surprises

• See routines as limiting

Characteristics – Closure Focused: Characteristics – Options Focused:

JJudging

PPerceiving

How do you deal with the outside world?


Characteristics Frequently Associated With Each Type

ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

Sensing Types Intuitive Types

Ext

rave

rts

Intr

over

ts

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

Serious, quiet, earn success by concentration and thoroughness. Practical, orderly, matter-of-fact, logical, realistic, and dependable. See to it that everything is well organized. Take responsibility. Make up their own minds as to what should be accomplished and work toward it steadily, regardless of protests or distractions.

Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Work devotedly to meet their obligations. Lend stability to any project or group. Thorough, painstaking, accurate. Their interests are usually not technical. Can be patient with necessary details. Loyal, considerate, perceptive, concerned with how other people feel.

Succeed by perseverance, originality, and desire to do whatever is needed or wanted. Put their best efforts into their work. Quietly forceful, conscientious, concerned for others. Respected for their firm principles. Likely to be honored and followed for their clear convictions as to how best to serve the common good.

Usually have original minds and great drive for their own ideas and purposes. In fields that appeal to them, they have a fine power to organize a job and carry it through with or without help. Skeptical, critical, independent, determined, sometimes stubborn. Must learn to yield less important points in order to win the most important.

Cool onlookers - quiet, reserved, observing and analyzing life with detached curiosity and unexpected flashes of original humor. Usually interested in cause and effect, how and why mechanical things work, and in organizing facts using logical principles.

Retiring, quietly friendly, sensitive, kind, modest about their abilities. Shun disagreements, do not force their opinions or values on others. Usually do not care to lead but are often loyal followers. Often relaxed about getting things done, because they enjoy the present moment and do not want to spoil it by undue haste or exertion.

Full of enthusiasms and loyalties, but seldom talk of these until they know you well. Care about learning, ideas, language, and independent projects of their own. Tend to undertake too much, then somehow get it done. Friendly, but often too absorbed in what they are doing to be sociable. Little concerned with possessions or physical surroundings.

Quiet and reserved. Especially enjoy theoretical or scientific pursuits. Like solving problems with logic and analysis. Usually interested mainly in ideas, with little liking for parties or small talk. Tend to have sharply defined interests. Need careers where some strong interest can be used and useful.

Good at on-the-spot problem solving. Do not worry, enjoy whatever comes along. Tend to like mechanical things and sports, with friends on the side. Adaptable, tolerant, generally conservative in values. Dislike long explanations. Are best with real things that can be worked, handled, taken apart, or put together.

Outgoing, easygoing, accepting, friendly, enjoy everything and make things more fun for others by their enjoyment. Like sports and making things happen. Know what’s going on and join in eagerly. Find remembering facts easier than mastering theories. Are best in situations that need sound common sense and practical ability with people as well as with things.

Warmly enthusiastic, high-spirited, ingenious, imaginative. Able to do almost anything that interests them. Quick with a solution for any difficulty and ready to help anyone with a problem. Often rely on their ability to improvise instead of preparing in advance. Can usually find compelling reasons for whatever they want.

Quick, ingenious, good at many things. Stimulating company, alert and outspoken. May argue for fun on either side of a question. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems, but may neglect routine assignments. Apt to turn to one new interest after another. Skillful in finding logical reasons for what they want.

Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact, with a natural head for business or mechanics. Not interested in subjects they see no use for, but can apply themselves when necessary. Like to organize and run activities. May make good administrators, especially if they remember to consider others’ feelings and points of view.

Warmhearted, talkative, popular, conscientious, born cooperators, active committee members. Need harmony and may be good at creating it. Always doing something nice for someone. Work best with encouragement and praise. Main interest is in things that directly and visibly affect people’s lives.

Responsive and responsible. Generally feel real concern for what others think or want, and try to handle things with due regard for the other person’s feelings. Can present a proposal or lead a group discussion with ease and tact. Sociable, popular, sympathetic. Responsive to praise and criticism.

Hearty, frank, decisive, leaders in activities. Usually good in anything that requires reasoning and intelligent talk, such as public speaking. Are usually well informed and enjoy adding to their fund of knowledge. May sometimes appear more positive and confident than their experience in an area warrants.

Source: Introduction to Type, Isabel Briggs Myers

The 16 Types

ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

Sensing Types Intuitive Types

Ext

rave

rts

Intr

over

ts

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

6% 5% 4% 5%

16% 12% 3% 4%

5% 6% 6% 5%

10% 10% 3% 3%

Source: Journal of Psychological Type, Volume 37, 1996© Harvard University Division of Continuing Education, 2011

Myers Briggs is only helpful if you use it correctly

• Everyone uses each preference to some degree

• MBTI number scores indicate clarity of preference – not skills, abilities or degree of use

• Learn to leverage relationships and increase self awareness – Never use it to stereotype

• You decide your type – not the MBTI

• No “good” or “bad” type

• Type doesn’t explain everything – we’re much too complex (one tool among many)


• MBTI is just one tool of many. Others include:

– Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS)

– Big Five Personality Traits (developed by Costa & McCrae) - common acronyms are OCEAN. This test helps to understanding the relationship between personality and various academic behaviors

– Emotional Intelligence Appraisal (Goleman) - self-report or 360 degree feedback model

– DiSC Personality Test (developed by William Moulton Marston) - Profiles four primary behavioral styles.• Dominance: Direct and to the point, decisive and bottom line oriented. • Influence: Optimistic and outgoing. • Steadiness: Empathetic & Cooperative. • Conscientiousness: Concerned, Cautious & Correct.

Different Tools


Documents

Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator - MBTI Laura Wilcox Organizational Behavior MGMT E-4000 Taught by Ellen Harris March 19, 2012