Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

INOV 101
February, 2008
 Purpose
• Better self management through heightened self-
awareness.
• Understand mental diversity and strengthen
relationships with others.
• Identify preferences and how these preferences are
similar and different from others on the team.
• Develop and sharpen interpersonal skills that will
heighten personal and job effectiveness.
• Have some fun.
 Agenda
• Review the MBTI dimensions
• MBTI results, self-validation
• Class profile
• MBTI and change
• MBTI and leadership
• MBTI and decision-making
 Exercise
• Handwriting
• Cross arms
• Clasp hands
• Describe the differences
Easy Hard
Comfortable Awkward
Effortless Concentrated
Natural Unnatural
Fast Slow
Mature Immature
Competent Incompetent
 Individual Preferences
• Part of our “filters” – the way people see the world
is different.
• No right or wrong type - another form of diversity.
• Type has nothing to do with ability or competence.
• Meant for normal, healthy, well adjusted adults.
• This is a theory - it cannot be proven, but can be
supported and/or refuted.
• Everyone uses every preference. However, we
favor one preference over the other on each of the
four scales.
 Trait vs. Type
Trait Type

• Inborn or acquired • Inborn

• More or less preference
• Too much or too • Either or
little is diagnostic • Too much or too
• Normally little is irrelevant
distributed
• Bimodal
 History
• C. G. Jung’s theory-(Swiss psychoanalyst) 1875-1968
– Psychological Types - translated into English in 1921
– Katharine Cook Briggs (1875-1968)
• Isabel Briggs Myers (1896-1980)
– 1923 - type watching and validating Jung’s theory
– 30 years of development for the indicator - form A in 1942
– 1962 by ETS for research only, generally available in 1976
– Currently over 6000 references
– In use world wide – Published by CPP
• Relevance
– By understanding how you and others see the world differently,
you will gain insight into communications and relationships
 Preference Description
Four scales:

E or I: Extraversion or Introversion is attitude.

How do you direct your energy?
S or N: Sensing or iNtuition is a perceiving function.
How do you input?
T or F: Thinking or Feeling is a judging function.
How do you process?
J or P: Judging or Perceiving is a lifestyle
orientation.
How do you relate to the outside?
 MBTI
-------------------------------
ENERGY FLOW
ATTITUDE

-------------------------------
DATA GATHERING
PERCEIVING FUNCTION

-------------------------------
DECISION MAKING
JUDGING FUNCTION

ORIENTATION TO THE
-------------------------------
OUTER WORLD
ATTITUDE
 E or I (Attitude)
It’s where you get your energy and where you direct
your energy: outside or inside
Extra (not extro)
– Act and (maybe) reflect “talk it out”
– Lots of “friends”
– Breadth
– Like working in groups
Intra
– Reflect and (maybe) act “think it through”
– A few close friends
– Depth
– Prefer solitary activities
 Key Words
E I
• Active • Reflective
• Outward • Inward
• Sociable • Reserved
• People • Privacy
• Many • Few
• Expressive • Quiet
• • Depth
Breadth
• Understand it, before
• Live it, then
live it
understand it
Self-Assess
 E’s View
Admire about I’s Baffled by
– Do things on their own – Why they take so
– Nice not to be center long to answer
of attention
– Not feeling like you
have to speak up
– Think things through
 I’s View
Admire about E’s Baffled by
– High energy – Too many words
– Verbal – Don’t shut up
– Doers – Too Impulsive
– Risk takers – Opinionated
– Comfortable with self – Changeable
and others
– Confidence
 S or N Function
It’s how you prefer to input - the perceiving mental
function
– It is irrational (we have no control)
Input - S
– Directly via the senses - specific parts - present -
practical
– Step by step
– Structured
Input - N
– 6th sense or hunch - relationships - future - imagine
– Jump in anywhere
– Skip steps
 Key Words
S N
Details Patterns
Present Future
Practical Imaginative
Facts Innovations
Sequential Random
Directions Hunches
Repetition Variety
Enjoyment Anticipation
Perspiration Inspiration
Conserve Change
Literal Figurative Self - Assess
S’s on “leaf”
fall
tree
rake
flowers
salad
pile
compost
mulch
4 leaf clover
burning smell
autumn
 N’s on “leaf”
raking
rain s py lea
ti n g c ri f m
floa play
sli pp e ry al one e
art
new d ead
leaf
fu r r ed
dried ge
cru s t c ha n
spring
a re h ro ugh
b ht t
art gold
un l ig
blo w e r thru a s
tu ce
book le t
tabl e bu rning o a lad i c kson
a k s Er
h s u n n s
mulc new
aco r
m b o l Pot sh a de
sy g ters
n t
tumbli g u
g h t dec MINT JULEPS
li ay
autumn
 T or F Function
It’s how you prefer to process information
– Rational, judging mental function
Process - T
– Objective
– Head
– Principles (truth, justice)
Process - F
– Subjective
– Heart
– Value (relationship, harmony)
 Key Words
T F

Head Heart
Objective Subjective
Justice Harmony
Cool
Caring
Impersonal
Personal
Critique
Appreciate
Analyze
Precise Empathize
Principles Persuasive
Values
Self-Assess
 J or P The Lifestyle
What does the outside world see?
J
– Ordered
– Planned
– Decisive
P
– Spontaneous
– Flexible
– Curious
 Key Words
J P

Organized Flexible
Structure Flow
Control Experience
Decisive Curious
Deliberate Spontaneous
Closure Openness
Plan Wait
Deadlines Discoveries
Productive Receptive
Self-Assess
 Contributions of Preferences
• Extraverted types
– Remain aware of the environment,
maintain their networks, and take action.
• Introverted types
– Pay attention to the infrastructure,
conceptualize the problem, and look
deeply into issues.
 Contributions of Preferences
• Sensing types
– Know the facts, understand the planning
stages, and work out implementation
details.
• Intuitive types
– See the big picture, forge into new areas,
and develop new possibilities.
 Contributions of Preferences
• Thinking types
– Discuss the issues in a logical way,
consider the pros and cons of various
alternatives, and spot the inconsistencies
in a plan.
• Feeling types
– Understand what is important to people,
acknowledge the human side of decision
making, and help others accept decisions.
 Contributions of Preferences
• Judging types
– Generate systems, provide organization,
and act with decisiveness.
• Perceiving types
– Are open to new ideas, provide insight, and
react with flexibility if the system breaks
down.
 MBTI Results
• This is a hypothesis until it is verified by you
• Reasons for differences between survey and
self-assessment:
– Feeling torn between demands of work and self
preferences
– Questions were answered in terms of what you
thought was expected
– Terms used were misunderstood
– Confusion due to perceived social pressure
– Currently in a growth period developing new
processes
– Suffering illness or sleep deprivation
Team Type Lens
ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ
7 2 3 3

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

2 1 2 3

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

2 1 2 2

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

2 3 3 3
 Using Different “Lenses”
• Quadrants Lens: Change

• Temperament Lens: Leadership

• Dynamics Lens: Problem-solving or

decision-making
Quadrants Lens
IS (12) IN (11)

ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

ES (8) EN (10)
 Quadrants and Change
IS
Thoughtful Realists
Like to test their ideas to see whether
they are supported by the facts; they
want to deal with practical, concrete
information in a careful and unhurried
way.
“Let’s keep it!”
ES
Action-oriented Realists
Want to see that practical tasks are
carried out. They prefer a work
environment where realistic, down-to-
earth tasks and problems are
managed. Prefer a culture that
focuses on results relating to people,
data, or things.
“Let’s do it!”
IN
Thoughtful and Innovative
Introspective and do their best work in
theoretical fields where ideas and
depth of understanding are important.
They value knowledge for its own sake.
“Let’s think about it differently!”
EN
Action-oriented and Innovative
Value change, see possibilities as a
key aspect of their work, and like to be
challenged and to challenge others.
They tend to have a wide range of
interests and are willing to work with
systems or relationships.
“Let’s change it!”
 Introducing Change to the Quadrants
IS
Relate it to what I know.
•Make practical sense to me.
•Change at a steady pace, step by
step.
•Be careful and mindful of details.
•Give me time to think about it.
ES
Relate it to the work I do.
•Show me the practical results change
will bring.
•Offer a steady progression, step by
step.
•Let me “hash it over” with others.
•Show me that my work will be more
effective if I make the change.
IN
Relate it to new theories and concepts.
•Let me work on change that has
impact.
•Don’t burden me with routines; let me
set my own pace.
•Let me set my own quality control and
standards.
EN
Relate it to changing things in my
world.
•Challenge my imagination.
•Minimize the routine; maximize the
variety.
•Let me work on the broad focus and
overview of the change.
•Let me try to change the world.
 Temperaments Lens
NF (10) NT (11)

SJ (14) ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

SP (6)
ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

 SJ – Asks “What?”
ISFJ, ESFJ, ISTJ, ESTJ
• Loyal to system • Procedures
• Duty • Decisive
• Super-dependable • Stability
• Resists change • “Should”, “Should not”
• Preserves traditions • Social responsibility
• Precise • Structure
• “Don’t fix what isn’t • Orderly
broken”
• Authority dependent
 SJ Leader
Traditionalist/Administrator
• Work hard/keep busy
• Facts before action
• Briefed to last detail
• Results oriented
• Impatient with schedule/agenda changes
• Organize for stability
• Prefer written communications
• Discovered Murphy’s law
• Difficulty expressing appreciation
• Tendency to overkill
 SP – Asks “When?”
ISTP, ISFP, ESTP, ESFP
• Free spirit • Realistic
• Action-oriented • Uninhibited
• Fun-loving • Enjoys the moment
• Good in crisis situations • Practical
• “When all else fails, • Spontaneous
read directions”
• Impulsive
• Likes hands-on
experience
• Needs freedom and
space • Most joyful
• Flexible/Adaptable • Seeks change and
variety
 SP Leader
Promoter/Troubleshooter
• Work smart
• No wasted motion
• Opportunistic
• Everything is negotiable
• Focus is right now
• Little interest in tradition
• Impatient with theory/abstraction
• Express appreciation easily
• Can be unpredictable
• Can be too impulsive
 NF – Asks “Who?”
INFJ, INFP, ENFP, ENFJ
• Interpersonal skills • Mysterious
• Supportive of others • Hypersensitive to
• Sympathetic conflict
• Relationships • Search for self
• Seductive • Autonomy
• Possiblilities for • Needs
people encouragement and
• Interaction recognition
• Integrity
• Cooperation
• “Becoming”
• Vivid imagination
 NF Leader
Democratic/Catalytic
• Organizational climate over structure
• Good listener
• Good spokesperson
• Anti-authoritarian
• Emotional and persuasive
• Flair for dramatizing the mundane
• Might get overextended
• Can create dependencies
• Need to schedule renewal time
• Easily express appreciation of people
 NT – Asks “Why?”
INTJ, INTP, ENTP, ENTJ
• High achievers • Wordsmiths
• Knowledge • Principles
• Objective perceptions • Enjoys complexity
• Independent • Authority independent
• Self-doubt • Architect of change
• Intellectually curious • Systems designers
• Conceptualizers • Argumentative
• Non-conformist • What would happen
• Competition with self if…?
 NT Leader
Visionary/Scientist
• Systems/theory focused
• Organize around theoretical framework
• Architects of change
• Tend to stand on principle
• Powerful behind the scenes
• Masters of the technical
• Impatient with human conditions
• Responsive to intellectual appeals
• Express appreciation of ideas
• Tendency to overplan
 Type Dynamics

DOMINANT

Least
Preferred
AUXILIARY

Tertiary
 MBTI
-------------------------------
ENERGY FLOW
ATTITUDE

P
-------------------------------
DATA GATHERING
PERCEIVING FUNCTION

-------------------------------
DECISION MAKING
JUDGING FUNCTION

ORIENTATION TO THE
J
-------------------------------
OUTER WORLD
ATTITUDE
 Eight Extraverted and Introverted
Dominant Functions
Se Dominant Extraverted Sensing (ESTP & ESFP)
Goal: to experience as much as possible; to have an unending variety of
sensing experience
Si Dominant Introverted Sensing (ISTJ & ISFJ)
Goal: to form a solid, substantial, and accurate understanding of the
world around them and their place in it
Ne Dominant Extraverted Intuition (ENTP & ENFP)
Goal: to find and explore new possibilities, new and exciting challenges
Ni Dominant Introverted Intuition (INTJ & INFJ)
Goal: to develop their inner intuitive patterns for understanding the world
 Eight Extraverted and Introverted
Dominant Functions
Te Dominant Extraverted Thinking (ESTJ & ENTJ)
Goal: to create logical order in their external world; to make their
environment rational
Ti Dominant Introverted Thinking (ISTP & INTP)
Goal: to create logical order internally; to develop rational principles for
understanding the world
Fe Dominant Extraverted Feeling (ESFJ & ENFJ)
Goal: to create harmony and cooperation in their external environment;
to facilitate others in getting what they need and want
Fi Dominant Introverted Feeling (ISFP & INFP)
Goal: to develop their internal core of values, establish an external life
that is congruent with them, and help both individuals and humankind
fulfill their potential
 Dominants’ Approach to Problem Solving
S and N
S N
How is the problem best What are the common
defined? threads?
What are the ramifications What are the multiple
now? alternatives?
What goals are we working What is the relationship of
toward?
the part to the system?
How can time lines be
established and what are the
What are the
intermediate objectives? opportunities for growth?
What costs are incurred – What are our hunches
financial, emotional, etc.? about this issue?
 Dominants’ Approach to Problem Solving
T and F
T F
Is this a legitimate issue? What are people’s feelings
How does it affect the bottom concerning this?
line? How can different sides be
What are the pros and cons? accommodated?
What is the relationship of What’s the most diplomatic
cause to effect? way to proceed?
What are the systemic What will increase harmony?
qualities? How does this affect me and
the people I care about?
 How to Work with the Dominants
Sensing Dominants Intuitive Dominants
It has to make sense It has to appeal to the
imagination
Stability Change
Thinking Dominants Feeling Dominants
It has to be logical It has to consider aspirations.
Effective Integrity
 Use All Functions for Problem Solving

Sensing Perception Intuitive Perception

Determine the facts, givens, Look at possibilities, ways to
and other data. change, brainstorm.
Assets and liabilities. Future implications.

Thinking Judgment Feeling Judgment

Make an objective analysis of Look at the people
the situation. consequences of different
Look at logical options.
consequences. Weigh against your values.
 Journey
“Learning to respect individual differences

is not something that truly has an end;

it is a learning that asks of us

ongoing attention and a willingness to grow”

C.R. Martin
Time to relax