Dealing with Differences

Personality Types for Team Building

One Day Training

Tara VandanaHR and Organisational Development Directorate

Overview

Introductions Purpose of the Day Expectations, Hopes and Fears Ground Rules Housekeeping Structure of the Day

Objectives

By the end of the day you will ..

know about the MBTI instrument and how it can assist us in gaining a greater understanding of ourselves and others

discover that people communicate and make decisions about things in different ways

know your own MBTI profile

have an appreciation of the difference between your MBTI and your colleagues’ preferences

have the knowledge to work more effectively together as a group

What are your Expectations, Hopes and Fears?

Ground Rules

Confidentiality Openness within group Being open to new ideas and concepts Everyone’s input is equally valued Speak up if you don’t understand anything Respect difference Be supportive of each other

Housekeeping

Structure of Day

History/Background of MBTI You self-assess your personality type You work out your reported type from the

completed questionnaire You decide your best-fit MBTI type Group Type Exercises to understand each

other

MBTI History

Isabel Myers1897 -1980

Katherine Briggs1875 - 1968

Carl JungTheory of Pyschological Types 1923’ Personality Inventory 1942

60 Years of Research!

What is the MBTI?

Practical application of Jung’s theories Deals with natural preferences Tool to sort our preferences within 4 sets of

psychological opposites It looks at how we prefer to deal with outside world,

trust information, make decisions & structure our lives

It is not about skills, ability or behaviour No personality type is better or worse – each has its

own gifts

What is it used for?

Personal and spiritual development Team awareness and development Communication Conflict Managing Stress Counselling Careers Management of Change

MBTI: Preferences

Natural instinct to select one over another More comfortable / natural More developed Causes least stress People have different

preferences but all are

valuable & normal

Quick Exercise: Preferences

8 Dichotomies explained

How we channel Energy

Extraversion Introversion

How we take in Information

Sensing Intuition

How we make decisions

Thinking Feeling

Our lifestyle (orientation to external world)

Judging Perceiving

Each of us is capable of using all parts of our personality.Good development is not about achieving balance…

… but developing excellence in our preferences

The questionnaire is used to sort your preferences into “type” or categories .

Each of us is capable of using all parts of our personality but the questionnaire forces us to make a choice. . .

E (Extroversion) & I (Introversion)

This describes the two opposite preferences for the way we get our energy/focus our attention.

E: A preference for focusing on the outer world of people and surroundings

I: A preference to focus on the inner world

E – I Key Words

Extroversion Introversion

Verbal

Action

Breadth

Experience

People

Outer

Expand

Do-think-Do

Reflective

Quiet

Depth

Understanding

Space

Inner

Consolidate

Think-do-Think

E - I

What is your ideal weekend break?

E - I

Trainer A reported that when there was silence in groups he was teaching he became

uncomfortable because he saw it as dead time – this came as a great surprise to trainer B

who saw silent time as very much alive

Which trainer would you say has a preference for introversion and which trainer has a

preference for extroversion?

E - I

If you are low on energy how do you recharge

your batteries?

E & I Recap

People who prefer Extraversion…

Focus their energy and attention outwardly

Are interested in the world of people and things

Receive energy from interacting with people and from taking action

People who prefer introversion…

Focus their energy and attention inwardly

Are interested in the world of thoughts and reflections

Receive energy from within themselves

We all live in both worlds (use both preferences) but not equally well or easily

Given the choice which do you prefer?

Extraversion or Introversion

How clear are you about your preference?

E ? IClear Moderate Slight Slight Moderate Clear

S (Sensing) & N (Intuition)

This scale shows the type of information we

prefer to pay attention to

S: is a preference for using information from the here and now and from experience

N: is a preference for meaning and associations of information and patterns

S - N

Sensing types trust their five sensesto discern what is actually there

Intuition looks at the big picturethrough association, patternsand meaning

S – N Key Words

Sensing Intuition

Practical

Facts

Perspiration

Evidence

Realistic

Present

Idea Tester

Senses

How? What?

Possible

Patterns

Inspiration

Ideas

Imaginative

Future

Idea Generator

Gut

Why?

What do you see?

S- N

Photographer A and B are both taking a photo outside a window. Photographer A wants to capture the

detail of what’s outside the window, so zooms in to capture the specific detail of the trees and cars. Photographer B wants to capture the entire view

outside the window so zooms out to capture the sky and ground

Which photographer would you say has a preference for sensing and which has a

preference for intuition?

S - N

Now think about your favourite bar, coffee shop

or restaurant.

Turn to the person next to you and tell them about the place

S - N

Both methods of gathering information are very important:

S - N Sensing types tend to notice detail and give

concise and brief descriptions

Intuitive types tend to report myths and concepts associated with the picture, tell what the picture is like or means to them and their descriptions tend to be longer and broader – string of ideas

How much do you rely on facts and how far do you rely on hunches or intuitions?

S – N Summary Sensing types sees the

trees

Intuitive types see the forest

We all use both preferences in taking in Information but not equally well or as easily

When taking in information are you more comfortable with?

Sensing or Intuition

How clear are you about your preference?

S ? N Moderate Slight Slight Moderate Clear

T (thinking) & F (Feeling)

This scale shows how we prefer to makedecisions or form conclusions

T: thinking people tend to weigh up all the provable evidence and make decisions based on objective analysis. They seek truth/justice.

F: Feeling people make decisions based on personal feeling and values. They seek harmony from decision.

Both processes are based on reason. We use both of them, but not equally well or easily

T – F Key Words

Thinking Feeling

Objective

Impersonal

Reason

Logic

Consistent

Criteria

Analysis

Head

Task

Subjective

Personal

Values

Individual

Humanity

Circumstances

Sympathy

Heart

People

T - F Differences

Thinking FeelingDecisions from logical analysisFair and FirmApplies rules and policies consistentlyHead can rule heartWeighs up objective evidenceWhat others have done is of little interest

Decisions based on valuesTrust and empathyApplies values consistentlyValues harmony and consensusHeart can rule HeadWants to like and be likedWhat others have done matters

T - F

A friend asks two colleagues the same question: ‘what’s going on at work at the

moment?’. Colleague A started talking about the tasks involved in her work. Colleague B started talking about relationships at work.

Which colleague would you say has a preference for thinking and which colleague

has a preference for feeling?

T - F

With your neighbour I would like you to discuss what you say if your friend rang

you up to say her house had been burgled. You have 3 minutes.

T - F

Thinking types tend to try and solve the problem or encourage their friend into problem solving mode, try to establish facts, weight up pros and cons, step out of the situation for objectivity

Feeling types tend to listen and empathise, help the person express their feelings, be supportive, step into the situation with the friend

T - F

Are you most comfortable making decisions by stepping out of the situation to obtain a clear and objective view OR most comfortable making decisions stepping into the situation in order to weigh it in terms of person centred values?

Where would you put yourself on your self assessment T-F line?

When making decision are you more?

Thinking or Feeling

How clear are you about your preference?

T ? FClear Moderate Slight Slight Moderate Clear

J (Judging) and P (Perceiving)

The J-P scale indicates our preference for how we like to

orient ourselves to the outside world

J: . People with a judging preference like to make decisions, come to closure, then move ahead

P: Perceiving people like to leave things open to possibilities

J - P Key Words

Judging Perceiving

Systematic

Decisive

Settled

Goals

Organised

Planned

Scheduling

Execute

Open

Tentative

Flexible

Surprise

Pending

Spontaneous

Adapting

Change

J P Like to make plans and

follow them Prefer to get things settled

and finished Prefer environments with

structure Enjoy being decisive and

organising others Handle deadlines and time

limits well Don’t like surprises - have a

contingency Plan ahead to avoid last

minute rushes

Adapt well to changing situations and like to respond resourcefully

Prefer to leave things open and are flexible

May not like making decisions, even when pressed - leave options open for more info.

High tolerance for surprises - adjust to arising situations

Feel energised by last-minute pressures

J - P

Think about these two statements:a) If you don’t know where you are going you

will never get thereb) If you don’t know where you are going you

might end up somewhere more interesting

Which statement would you say comes from someone with a preference for judging and

which comes from someone with a preference for perceiving

J - P Which resonates the most with you?

Seek to establish closure and order in external world, prefer to start in good time, plan ahead and stick to plan, dislike last minute rushes, enjoy finishing ahead of deadline

Seek to gather information, and explore the external world, prefer to allow action to emerge and enjoy following own line of interest, deadlines force disclosure, often very productive at last minute

Task set DeadlineTask set Deadline

When given a choice are you more ..

Judging or PerceivingHow clear are you about your preference?

J ? PClear Moderate Slight Slight Moderate Clear

Self Assessed Type

The preferences that you have chosen so far combine to give your ‘self assessed’ type.

E or I S or NT or FJ or P

eg ESTP, INTJ, ENFP, INTJ etc

Please print your ‘self assessed type’ on your handout.

Reported Type

Self Score Your Questionnaire

Best Fit

Compare your reported preference with your self assessed preference

Remember preferences are not the same as skills – you may use one preference at work, but in an ideal world you would choose to use the other

The numbers indicate clarity not strength Between 70 – 75% agree with their reported type If your reported type and self-assessed type are the

same read about your type .. Does it feel like you?

Best fit continued

Possible reasons why the two don’t fit include: circumstances in which you completed your inventory; nature of your job; pressure from family or childhood

Do feel that you ‘should’ prefer one side to the other? What does this tell you?

The MBTI information is to create new insight

Not to fit you in a box or pigeon hole

Group Exercises E - I

ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

E - I

In groups of extraverts and introverts discuss your ideal work environment.

E - I

For the E’s what frustrates you about the introverts on your team

For the I’s what frustrates you about the extroverts on the team

Group Exercise S - N

ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

What do you see?

T – F Exercise

ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

T - F

You are driving along a country road and a dear runs out in front of you and you hit it.

What do you do?

J - P

ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

J - P

Go and stand at the flipchart next to thestatement that you feel you are drawn to

1) I have to get my work done before I can play

2) I can play anytime

Discuss in a group why you placed yourself where you did

Applying the MBTI to the real world... Usefulness of opposite types for teams

N’s can benefit from the natural inclination of S’s to…

Bring up pertinent facts Face realities of current

situation Apply experience to

solving problems Focus on what needs

attention now

S’s can benefit from the natural inclination of N’s to…

Bring up new possibilities

Anticipate future trends Apply insight to solving

problems Focus on Long-term

goals

Applying the MBTI to the real world. Usefulness of opposite types for teams

F’s can benefit from the natural inclination of T’s to…

Analyse situations and their implications

Hold consistently to a policy

Create rational systems Be fair

T’s can benefit from the natural inclination of F’s to…

Forecast how others will react and feel

Make needed individual exceptions

Organise people and tasks harmoniously

Be just

Nobody is crazy.. They are just not like you!!

NotesPaulette Liptrot delivered this training with Tara Vandana

The End

Any Questions Thank you