Understanding Yourself and Your Audience: The Power of Myers-Briggs in Business

Understanding Yourself and Your AudienceThe Power of Myers-Briggs in Business

January 4, 2014

For more information, contact: [email protected]@hawkpartners.com

Created by HawkPartners

Source: Myers & Briggs Foundation. (2003)

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http://www.hawkpartners.com/

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Common Uses of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• Understand self

• Explore implications for communication– Understand that others are different from you – Understand others’ preferences and how to speak their

“language”

There are several important uses of MBTI:

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It is important to remember what MBTI is, and what it is not

• A theory describing observable personality distinctions

- Use of survey

• A measure of individuals‘ (stated) preferences in communication

- Differences do exist

• A way to explain perceptual biases and decision-making styles

What It Is• Based on actual empirical data or

“provable” experiments

• A statement about who someone is or about their skills

• An all-encompassing explanation of personality, thought process, and individual psychology

What It Is Not

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The Four Scales

Extravert Introvert

Where do you get energy?

Sensing Intuition

Thinking Feeling

Judging Perceiving

How do you deal with the outside world?

How do you take in information?

How do you make decisions?

E I

S N

T F

J P

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Extraversion vs. Introversion

• Focused on outer world of people and external events

• Prefer to communicate by talking

• Tend to speak first, reflect later

• Sociable and expressive

• Drawn to inner world of ideas and thoughts

• Prefer to communicate in writing

• Tend to reflect before acting or speaking

• Private and reserved

Extravert Introvert

Where do you get energy?

E I

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Extraverts and Introverts within the U.S. Population

49%

51%

Extraverts (E)

Introverts (I)

Men: 48% E 52% I

Women: 50% E 50% I

Source: Center for Applications of Psychological Type

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Sensing vs. Intuition

• Take in information through five senses

• Focus on what is concrete/present• Value practical applications, common

sense• Want information step-by-step• Trust experience and facts over gut

instinct

• Take in information through “sixth sense”

• Focus on possibilities/future• Value innovation and imaginative

insight• Jump around, leap in anywhere• Trust inspiration, “gut feel”

Sensing Intuition

How do you take in information?

S N

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Sensors and Intuitives within the U.S. Population

30%

70%

Inuitives (N)

Sensors (S)

Men: 68% S 32% N

Women: 72% S 28% N


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Thinking vs. Feeling

• Use cause-and-effect reasoning• Look for outcome that “makes

sense”• Strive for impersonal, objective

truth• Reasonable

• Guided by values and feelings• Look for outcome that “feels

right”• Strive for personal harmony

• Compassionate

Thinking Feeling

How do you make decisions?

T F

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Thinkers and Feelers within the U.S. Population

55%45%Thinkers (T)

Feelers (F)

Men: 61% T 39% F

Women: 29% T 71% F


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Judging and Perceiving

• Systematic, organized, structured• Plan – and stick to it• Like closure – to have things decided• Like to make lists – and want to get

everything crossed off• Create agendas – and stick to them• On time

• Spontaneous, open-ended, flexible• Adapt – strive for quality• Like things open to change• Avoid lists, or at least completing

everything on them• Don’t always stick to agendas• Casual about time

Judging Perceiving

How do you make decisions overall and about your time?

J P

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Judgers and Perceivers within the U.S. Population

43%

57%

Judgers (J)

Perceivers (P)


Men: 58% J 42% P

Women: 56% J 44% P

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Tips for Communicating with…

Es• “Rope-a-dope”• Meetings• Respond quickly

Is• Materials in advance• Breaks from meetings• Respect personal space

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Tips for Spotting…

Es• Speaking with their arms• Talking with their mouth

Is• Quiet• Polite, don’t interrupt

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Ns Ss• Start with the headline,

conclusions, big pictures• Get to the point• Use analogies• Focus on

possibilities/future

• Start with the data…let them play with it

• Exhaust all questions• Be specific• Focus on process

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Ns Ss• Casual about specifics• Interested in big picture;

implications

• Detail-oriented• Focused on reality

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Ts Fs• Appeal to logic; “I think…”• State criteria first

Include human issues as a criteria if appropriate

• Deal with logic, structure• Appear organized

• Appeal to emotions “I feel…”

• Focus on the human implications Include the need for

people to think the decision is good

• Deal with values, impact on others

• Appear friendly

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Ts Fs• Not a hugger• Says “think”• Interest in rules, criteria

• Smiler/hugger• Says “feel”• Interest in people

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Js Ps• Expect, respect

schedules, deadlines, etc.

Come to a conclusion

• Provide a time for a decision to be made

• Set expectations for outcome

• Don’t (appear to) force a decision

Provide choices, outcomes

• Provide a time (in the future) for a decision to be made

• Do not appear to expect a particular outcome

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Js Ps• On time• Lists• Worry about schedules

• Late• Spontaneous• Not (overly) concerned

with schedules

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Exercise Scenario

Imagine that you are working on a multi-phase research project. You company has already completed and reported out on the first phase, which involved qualitative research. We now have to put together a report and presentation on the second phase related to the subsequent quantitative research.

Your client has just informed you that the report and presentation are to be shared with the CMO. The CMO is new to the organization and no one on your team has ever met or spoken to her / him. In addition, your client has never presented to the CMO before and knows nothing about her / his style.

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Exercise Instructions

Please put together the report / presentation topic outline in the sequence you would use assuming the audience is the CMO

Assume that potential topic areas include, but are not limited to, the following:1. Objectives2. Executive Summary 3. Recommendations4. Conclusions / Implications5. Methodology6. Data Tables7. Background / Context8. Detailed Findings

NOTE: you do not have to include all of the topics above – only use the ones you would recommend in this scenario

Be prepared to share your recommended outline and rationale with the group

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The 16 Types – General Population

ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

Sensing Types Intuitive Types

Extr

aver

tsIn

trov

erts

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

5% 9% 4% 3%

12% 14% 2% 2%

4% 9% 8% 3%

9% 12% 3% 2%

Source: Myers & Briggs Foundation. (2003). How Frequent Is My Type?. Retrieved March 14, 2014, from http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/my-mbti-results/how-frequent-is-my-type.asp

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16 Type Descriptions (1)

ISTJQuiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized – their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.

ISFJQuiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Committed and steady in meeting their obligations. Thorough, painstaking, and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember specifics about people who are important to them, concerned with how others feel. Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at work and at home.

INFJSeek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.

INTJHave original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance – for themselves and others.

Source: www.myersbriggs.org

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ISTPTolerant and flexible, quiet observers until a problem appears, then act quickly to find workable solutions. Analyze what makes things work and readily get through large amounts of data to isolate the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and effect, organize facts using logical principles, value efficiency.

ISFPQuiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what’s going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others.

INFPIdealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values. Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their potential. Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is threatened.

INTPSeek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.


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ESTPFlexible and tolerant, they take a pragmatic approach focused on immediate results. Theories and conceptual explanations bore them – they want to act energetically to solve the problem. Focus on the here-and-now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment that they can be active with others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best through doing.

ESFPOutgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life, people, and material comforts. Enjoy working with others to make things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a new skill with other people.

ENFPWarmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.

ENTPQuick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another.


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ESTJPractical, realistic, matter-of-fact. Decisive, quickly move to implement decisions. Organize projects and people to get things done, focus on getting results in the most efficient way possible. Take care of routine details. Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically follow them and want others to also. Forceful in implementing their plans.

ESFJWarmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative. Want harmony in their environment, work with determination to establish it. Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time. Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others need in their day-by-day lives and try to provide it. Want to be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute.

ENFJWarm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.

ENTJFrank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems. Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas.


Want to learn more?To learn how the MBTI can be applied to your company, please contact:

[email protected]@hawkpartners.com

Or, visit our website:www.hawkpartners.com





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