About 20 years ago I became aware of the Myers-Briggs Personality Test or the Myer's Briggs Type Indicator.
If you are not familiar with it, the MBTI categorizes individuals into sixteen distinct personality types based on four dichotomies: Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I), Sensing (S) or Intuition (N), Thinking (T) or Feeling (F), and Judging (J) or Perceiving (P). By identifying which of these preferences individuals lean towards, the MBTI aims to shed light on their communication styles, decision-making processes, and work preferences.
In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving work environments, understanding human behavior and interaction is paramount. One of the primary values of the MBTI in the workplace lies in its ability to enhance team dynamics and collaboration. By understanding the diverse array of personality types within a team, managers can tailor their leadership approach to accommodate different communication styles and preferences. For instance, extraverted team members may thrive in brainstorming sessions and group discussions, while introverted individuals might prefer written communication or one-on-one meetings.
While the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is not without its flaws, its value in the workplace should not be dismissed. As part of a smaller management team, we used the MBTI to understand how we interacted with each other and our departmental members. It was a positive experience, to the point where one departmental manager said to me after a discussion, "That's because you're an ENFJ".
That was the moment I realized that not only had everyone gained some insight into how each other saw the world and their part in it, but how they interacted in the workplace, and why.
I was thinking about this the other day and wondering in our new workplace hybrid / remote models where staff are not spending as much, if any time interacting with each other, is knowing what makes us tick even more important?
For those of you who have never taken the test, a version of it can be found here, it only takes a few minutes, then check out the MBTI Type (4 letters). The most fun part for those who I have interacted with after taking the test is comparing their "Celebrity Types".
Mine are Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack and Jennifer Lawrence among others!
Who are yours?