Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator

1
Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator

• Chuck Sharrow
• Steve Eickoff
• Mohd Zain
• Fall 2004, University of Minnesota

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What is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator?

• Popular tool for determining personality
  preferences
• Very popular within industry and schools
• Used for team building, career guidance,
  leadership and management 

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History of the MBTI  

• Was developed by Katherine C Briggs and her
  daughter Isabel Myers
• Started in 1920s and after a rigorous research,
  validity and reliability testing it was published
  in 1975
• Translated into 16 languages and taken by over 2
  million people per year
• Based on the work of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung
  who described personality type preferences

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Characteristics of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• It's a self-report questionnaire, an indicator
  not a test, so there are no right or wrong
  answers
• Looks at normal behavior
• It identifies preferences rather than
  competencies, abilities or skills
• No personality type is better or worse - each has
  its own gifts

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The 4 scales of the MBTI 

• Extroversion or Introversion
• Sensing or iNtuition
• Thinking or Feeling
• Judging or Perceiving

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Extroversion and Introversion 

• People who prefer Extroversion
• Focus their energy and attention outwardly
• Receive energy from interacting with people and
  from taking action 
• Are energized by interacting with people
• Enjoy meeting and talking with new people
• Speak out easily and often at meetings
• Do their thinking as they speak
• Readily take initiative in work relationships

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Extroversion and Introversion

• People who prefer Introversion
• Focus their energy and attention inwardly
• Are interested in the world of thoughts and
  reflections
• Hold back at meetings and often have trouble
  getting involved
• Become drained and tired with people
• Need time to gather their thoughts before
  speaking
• Prefer to communicate in writing
• Take initiative when the situation or issue is
  very important to them

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Relationship to Management

• Neither type proven better suited for management
• Conflict resolution differences
• Reaction to issues
• Differences in focus

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Sensing and iNtuition

• People who prefer Sensing... 
• Are practical and realistic
• Start at the beginning and take 1 step at a time
• Live in the present, dealing with the here and
  now
• Trust experience
• Like set procedures, established routines and
  historical precedents to guide them
• Work thoroughly step by step towards conclusions

10
Sensing and iNtuition

• People who prefer iNtuition... 
• Oriented to future possibilities
• Are imaginative and inventive
• Study the overall design to see how the parts fit
• Thrive on change, new ideas and variety
• Prefer imaginative new solutions to problems,
  often becoming impatient with details
• Move quickly to conclusions, follow hunches

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Relationship to Management

• Ss favor concrete and factual data, while Ns rely
  on hunches
• Preferences for information processing
• Predominance in top management

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Thinking and Feeling

• People who prefer Thinking
• Make their decisions based on impersonal,
  objective logic 
• Focus on the facts and principles
• Dont take their emotions or those of others into
  account
• Are good at analyzing a situation and spotting
  flaws and inconsistencies

13
Thinking and Feeling

• People who prefer Feeling
• Make their decisions based on a person-centered,
  value-based process
• Focus on the personal values of people and 
  organizations
• Are good at understanding people and their
  viewpoints
• Value and trust own feelings when making decisions

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Relationship to Management

• Decision making styles
• Types of management positions held
• Conflict management

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Judging and Perceiving

• People who prefer Judging
• Like to live in a planned, orderly way
• Lives tend to be structured and organized 
• Handle deadlines and time limits well
• Like getting to the bottom line quickly and
  deciding things quickly

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Judging and Perceiving

• People who prefer Perceiving
• Want to explore all options before deciding
• Prefer to stay open to new information and
  last-minute options
• Adapt well to changing situations and like to
  respond resourcefully
• May have trouble making decisions

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Relationship to Management

• Career decisions
• Type of work environment
• Management style

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Personality Types

• Combined preferences indicate your personality
  type 
• Each personality type lends itself to particular
  careers
• What type are you?

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Typical Careers

• ISTJ
• managementaccountingauditingefficiency
  expertengineergeologistbank examinersorganizat
  ion developmentelectriciansdentistspharmacist
• ISFJ
• counselingministrylibrary worknursingsecretar
  ialcuratorsbookkeepersdental
  hygienistscomputer operatorpersonnel
  administratorparalegal

• INFJ
• career counselorpsychologisteducational
  consultantartisteditor/art directorinformation-
  graphics designermerchandise plannerenvironmenta
  l lawyerjob analysteducational
  consultantarchitects
• INTJ
• management consultanteconomistscientistnew
  business developeradministratormathematicianpsy
  chologistbiomedical researchercivil
  engineereditor/art directorinventor

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Typical Careers

• ISTP
• surveyorfire fighterprivate investigatorpilot
  police officerpurchasing agentchiropractormedic
  al techniciansecurities analystcomputer repair
  person
• ISFP
• bookkeeperclerical supervisordental
  assistantphysical therapistmechanicradiology
  technologistsurveyorchefforester

INFP information-graphics designercollege
professorresearcherlegal mediatorsocial
workerholistic health practitioneroccupational
therapistdiversity managerhuman resource
development specialist INTP strategic
planningwriterstaff developmentlawyerarchitect
software designerfinancial analystcollege
professorphotographerlogician
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Typical Careers

• ESTP
• real estate broker
• Chef
• land developer
• physical therapist
• stock broker
• news reporter
• fire fighter
• Promoter
• entrepreneur
• ENFP
• conference planner
• speech pathologist
• HR development trainer
• Clergy
• Journalist
• Newscaster
• career counselor
• housing director

• ESFP
• Veterinarian
• flight attendant
• floral designer
• real estate agent
• child care provider
• social worker
• Fundraiser
• athletic coach
• Musician
• Secretary
• ENTP
• systems designer
• venture capitalist
• Actor
• Journalist
• investment broker
• real estate agent
• real estate developer

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Typical Careers

• ENFJ
• Entertainer
• Recruiter
• Artist
• Newscaster
• writer/journalist
• recreation director
• Librarian
• Facilitator
• Politician
• Psychologist
• housing director
• career counselor
• sales manager
• ESTJ
• government employee
• pharmaceutical sales
• Auditor
• computer analyst

• ENTJ
• program designer
• Attorney
• Administrator
• office manager
• chemical engineer
• sales manager
• logistics consultant
• franchise owner
• new business developer
• personnel manager
• investment banker
• ESFJ
• Nurse
• social worker
• Caterer
• flight attendant
• Bookkeeper
• medical/dental assistant

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Real World Applications

• Ns can benefit from the natural inclination of
  Ss to
• Bring up pertinent facts
• Face realities of current situation
• Apply experience to solving problems
• Focus on what needs attention now 
• Ss can benefit from the natural inclination of
  Ns to
• Bring up new possibilities
• Anticipate future trends
• Apply insight to solving problems
• Focus on long-term goals

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Real World Applications

• Fs can benefit from the natural inclination of
  Ts to
• Analyze situations and their implications
• Hold consistently to a policy
• Create rational systems
• Be fair  
• Ts can benefit from the natural inclination of
  Fs to
• Forecast how others will react and feel
• Make needed individual exceptions
• Organize people and tasks harmoniously
• Be just

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Skeptical views of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• Unscientific
• A Temptation to Pigeonhole
• It emphasizes each person being one specific type
  rather than each person using a certain type of
  thinking most of the time.
• Real people do not fit easily into one of sixteen
  types because they use different styles of
  thinking at different times

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Benefits of MBTI

• PMs can benefit from knowing team members MBTI
  Profiles
• Adjust management style for each individual
• Get variety of personality types on project

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Resources

• Gardner, William Using the Myers-Briggs Type
  Indicator to study managers, Journal of
  Management http//www.findarticles.com/p/articles
  /mi_m4256/is_n1_v22/ai_18345344
• Connecting Personality Types With Careers and
  Jobs http//www.doi.gov/octc/typescar.html
• Bast, Mary PROBLEM SOLVING--With the
  Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
  http//www.breakoutofthebox.com/mbti.htm
• BrainyEncyclopedia Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
  http//www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/m/m
  y/myers_briggs_type_indicator.html