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:
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:
He identified two ways in which people take in information, based on:
He identified two ways in which people process information, based on:
Jung also observed that people tend to be energised by one of two orientations:
Finally, Jung observed that people use these different functions in a form of hierarchy of preference, described by Jung as functions:
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.
Books
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
LATEST ARTICLES
How To Stay Connected To Your True Source Of Power
"Your ego's desire to be in control,
your ego usurping the role of your higher self, disconnects you from your true source of power." A stone of help is a constant reminder to stay connected to your…Dying To Self - To Gain All Give All
"If You Want To Be Given Everything - Give Everything Up". “Tao Te Ching” Your ego is essential and does a wonderful job of running things for you and marshalling your mental and emotional resources t…My Experience Of Mindfulness In Situations Of Imposed Change
I found that the biggest key to all this is to behave and respond in ways that may seem completely alien to you by cultivating a very deep acceptance of what is. Many years ago my fortunes had change…The Balanced Life
The Key To Keeping Your Balance Is Knowing When You Lost It. The balanced life is one where you recognise the full spectrum of possible responses and have develop sufficient experience, insight and se…Self Motivation - How To Motivate Yourself In Tough Times
Our focus here is going to be on the heavy duty / big picture level motivation that you need to get you through tough times often involving imposed change that have large and perhaps dramatic impacts…Your Higher Self - Your Hardwired Portal To The Universe
Think of your conscious mind as a ship floating on the ocean of your subconscious mind, and above is the sky of your higher consciousness. When things are tough and you are starting to think that no…How Can I Change My Mind?
Whilst it is true that we can be taught, generally we won't change. Your mind is either working for you or, more typically, working against you. There is a part of your mind that is very happy with h…Managing Personal Change Is Hard - Here's How You CAN Make It Work
Whilst it is true that we can be taught, generally we won't change. You can waste years of your life (as I have done) and spend a fortune in various forms of introspection, analysis and therapy diggi…Change Comes From Within
"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate." For much of my life I didn't understand that change comes from within, I used to believe that change wa…How Things Are - The Inbuilt Design Flaw
This is the nature of things.
This is how things are.
Nobody has the perfect life. We all struggle and strive to attain health, wealth and personal happiness. Yet these three big areas: our health, o…