Career self-assessment - Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Reposition yourself to re-enter the workforce; join me on my personal branding journey.

Last week we touched upon the MBTI as an assessment tool that is often used for assisting in career choice and professional development.  In their interpretive guide (1), Hirsh and Kummerow describe how the MBTI functions as an organizational tool in a genereal sense - helping people in organizations to:

• understand themselves and their behaviors.
• appreciate others so as to make constructive use of individual differences.
• see that approaching problems in different ways can be healthy and productive for an org.

Specifically, organizations use the MBTI for:

• communicating more effectively
• solving problems
• improving teamwork
• understanding and adapting to differences in management style.
• understanding contributions to the organization.
• conflict resolution.

Again, I will use my type, INFP, as an example of what you can learn by doing this assessment.

INFP - Inroverted Feeling with Intuition (the questor)-

• Focuses on what might be, not on what is.
• is sympathetic and makes decisions based on values.

Leads by:

• promoting group effort through creation of a positive atmosphere and affirmation of individual members.
• eliciting group consensus to facilitate goals and closure.
• providing vision by speaking about ideals and values.

Irritates team members by:

• being overly perfectionistic or idealistic.
• appearing out of touch.
• becoming fiercely attached to a value not held by others.

Influences team members by:

• challenging, stimulating, provoking, and convincing.
• encouraging others to look at new possibilities.
• focusing on common ideals and underlying issues.

Contributes to team by:

• presenting provocative ideas with "big picture" possibilities.
• creating unity and harmony within the team by listening w/sensitivity.
• motivating and inspiring others to go beyond norm.
• supporting team members and team goals with quiet good humor.

Can Maximize effectiveness by:

• realizing others may value quick results, even if less than ideal.
• cultivating a logical and active orientation to use when needed.
• acknowledging the merit in others' viewpoints.

Is irritated by team members who:

• take themselves too seriously.
• require too much detail or technical logic gets in the way of understanding.
• won't admit when they don't understand an idea.
• won't pay attention to the overall goal and consider all opinions.

I feel this description really describes who I am and gets to the essence of  why I do things. If you do not feel your type description resonates with you, look around and see which type does. 

Next week I will examine several other assessment tools available, specifically Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (CISS) and Skillscan. 

1.  Hirsh, Sandra, K. and Kummerow, Jean. Introduction to Type In Organizations, 2nd edition., Consulting Psychologists Press, Inc., Palo Alto, CA.  1990.

See you next Friday...