Myers Briggs Type Indicators

Personality Types and Thinking Styles

Why Most People Don't Think Like You

The Myers Briggs Type Indicators are based on the theories of Carl Jung, which he developed to attempt to explain the differences between normal healthy people.

Based on observations, Jung came to the view that differences in behaviour are the result of innate tendencies of people to use their minds in different ways.

This is a brief introduction and an overview of the Myers Briggs Type Indicators and their significance in relation to individual differences, and how this applies in change leadership and management.

This is a subtle, complex and dynamic method and needs to be applied and administered in practise with trained accredited support.

---

If you are a leader - less than 1 in 50 people think like you do

The Myers Briggs type of a leader [ENTJ] is only shared by approximately 1.8% of the population.

There are significant differences in how you think and how many other people process things and how they think.

A key aspect of successfully working with and interacting with people lies in your recognition of these individual differences.

In summary:

You need to understand:


• The drivers of individual motivation

• The difference in individual motivational drivers

• Individual differences in mental processing functions

People have different motivational drivers and different thought processes, and they are not necessarily the same as yours.

---

More blind to this than we realise

I know this may seem obvious, and it may be so, yet over the years I have heard so many CEOs and directors complaining that their managers "just dont get it".

In my experience, most of us are more blind to this than we realise. And that includes me!

I worked with a guy as a close colleague and friend for 17 years and I could not figure out why he didn't grasp and respond to some of my ideas and initiatives. He is a highly intelligent, gifted and experienced businessman with great people skills and yet this was a significant source of friction between us for years.

It was only when I became acquainted with the Myers Briggs Type Indicators, a few years ago, that I saw quite clearly - for the first time - that our types were very different and thus we functioned completely differently, our mental processes were very, very different.

---

The components of the Jungian types

Myers Briggs types are based on 8 basic mental functions observed by Jung.

The start point is that when people's minds are active they are involved in one of two mental activities:

• Taking information in = Perceiving

• Processing information to reach to conclusions = Judging

He identified two ways in which people take in information, based on:

• Real time tangible data = Sensing

• Holistic,"big picture", pattern/connection data = Intuition

He identified two ways in which people process information, based on:

• Analytical logical, objective, "tough" evaluation = Thinking

• Empathic, subjective, "tender" assessment = Feeling

---

Jung also observed that people tend to be energised by one of two orientations:

• People, experience, activity, external focus = Extraversion

• Ideas, memories, emotions, inner focus = Introversion

Finally, Jung observed that people use these different functions in a form of hierarchy of preference, described by Jung as functions:

• Dominant

• Auxiliary

• Tertiary

• Inferior

The Myers Briggs model brings these components together into 16 types.

There are many caveats and qualifiers as how all this is applied and they do not describe fixed states but rather dynamic preferences that can change and develop in reponse to changing environment and personal development.

I repeat what I said above, this is a subtle, complex and dynamic method and needs to be applied and administered in practise with trained accredited support.

I recommend the Myers Briggs Foundation for full information.

---

Summary of Myers Briggs Type Indicators

Just click on any link in the table below to open a summary and brief description of the type.

ISTJ Doing what should be done	ISFJ A high sense of duty	INFJ An inspiration to others	INTJ Everything has room for improvement
ISTP Ready to try anything once	ISFP Sees much but shares little	INFP Performs noble service to aid society	INTP Loves problem solving
ESTP The ultimate realists	ESFP You only go round once in life	ENFP Giving life and extra squeeze	ENTP One exciting challenge after another
ESTJ Life's administrators	ESFJ Hosts and hostesses of the world	ENFJ Smooth talking persuaders	ENTJ Life's natural leaders

---

Books

Amazon Books re Myers Briggs

---

Tests

Take the Myers Briggs Test 

[Note: This currently costs $49.99. I have no commercial relationship with this company and do not receive any commission or financial payment if you do the test.]

Free Online test - Identify Your Type with Jung Typology Test

---

Return to: Managing Personal Change