Dealing with Differences Personality Types for Team Building One Day Training

Tara Vandana HR 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

Carl Jung

Theory of Pyschological Types 1923’

Isabel Myers 1897 -1980

60 Years of Research!

Katherine Briggs 1875 - 1968

Personality Inventory 1942

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

S ensing

How we channel Energy

E xtraversion I ntroversion

How we take in Information

I n tuition

How we make decisions

T hinking F eeling

Our lifestyle (orientation to external world)

J udging P erceiving

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 Verbal Action Breadth Experience People Outer Expand Do-think-Do Introversion 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 ? I

Clear 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 senses to discern what is actually there

Intuition

looks at the big picture through association, patterns and meaning

S – N

Key Words

Sensing Practical Facts Perspiration Evidence Realistic Present Idea Tester Senses How? What?

Intuition 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 make decisions 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

Thinking Objective Impersonal Reason Logic Consistent Criteria Analysis Head Task

T – F

Key Words

Feeling Subjective Personal Values Individual Humanity Circumstances Sympathy Heart People

T - F

Differences

Thinking  Decisions from logical analysis  Fair and Firm  Applies rules and policies consistently  Head can rule heart  Weighs up objective evidence  What others have done is of little interest Feeling  Decisions based on values  Trust and empathy  Applies values consistently  Values harmony and consensus  Heart can rule Head  Wants to like and be liked  What 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 ? F

Clear 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

Judging Systematic Decisive Settled Goals Organised Planned Scheduling Execute

J - P

Key Words

Perceiving 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 there b) 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

Task set Task set Deadline Deadline

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

When given a choice are you more ..

Judging

or

Perceiving

How clear are you about your preference?

J ? P

Clear 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 N T or F J 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?

ISTJ

J - P

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 the statement that you feel you are drawn to 1) 2) I have to get my work done before I can play 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!!

Notes

Paulette Liptrot delivered this training with Tara Vandana

The End

Any Questions Thank you