What is your personality type?

In the course of my working career, I've had the opportunity to take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test several times with several different groups. MBTI is described fully on the MBTI Web page:

http://www.myersbriggs.org/my_mbti_personality_type/mbti_basics/

MBTI® Basics

The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI) personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people’s lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic difference in the way individual prefer to use their perception and judgment.

Favorite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I).

Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition (N).

Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).

Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).

Your Personality Type: When you decide on your preference in each category, you have your own personality type, which can be expressed as a code with four letters.

So you all can better understand me, here is my type

ESTP -- Extraverted Sensing with Thinking.
ESTPs are action-oriented, pragmatic, resourceful, and realistic individuals who prefer to take the most effective route. They enjoy making things happen now and typically find a way through difficult situations.

Order Preferences

1. Sensing
2. Thinking
3. Feeling
4. Intuition

Contributions to the Organization

• Negotiate and seek compromise to move things along
• Keep things lively; make things happen
• Take a realistic and direct approach
• Embrace risk in a calculated way
• Notice and remember factual information

Leadership Style

• Take charge readily in crises
• Persuade others to their point of view
• Have a direct and assertive style
• move along the most expedient route
• Seek action and immediate results

Preferred Learning Style

• Active, hands-on, trial and error in determining what works
• Practical and focused on something they can apply now

Problem-Solving Approach

• Want to make a realistic and concrete assessment of the situation (S) and logically analyze the next steps (T)
• May need to consider the impact on people (F) and search for alternate possible views (N) for optimal results

Preferred Work Environments

• Contain lively, results-oriented people who value firsthand experience
• Have rules, but space is given for deviations
• Allow time for fun
• Provide for flexibility in doing the job
• Have a technical orientation with all the latest equipment
• Are physically comfortable
• Respond to the needs of the moment

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Potential Pitfalls

• May appear demanding, blunt, and insensitive when acting quickly
• May focus too much on the immediate and miss the wider implications of their actions
• May sacrifice follow-through by moving on to the next problem
• May get caught up in off-work activities, such as sports and other hobbies

Suggestions for Development (as if perfection can be improved)

• May need to curb their task focus and factor in the feelings of others
• May need to look beyond the quick fix, plan ahead, and consider the wider ramifications
• May need to complete the tasks at hand
• May need to keep work and play in the proper perspective

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That pretty much sums me up. Funny thing is I married an I and a J. She tells her friends that the thing that bothers her most about me is the size of my "P"-ness. The Introverts reading this will laugh about this in an hour or so...the Extroverts just called somebody into the room to show it to and they laughed together.

If you've never taken the indicator, it is one of those good team building exercises where you can learn a lot about yourself as well as your co-workers.

BTW, I am in no way associated with MBTI -- just somebody who constantly looks for ways to control the world and convince them to my way of thinking. This is one of the tools that keeps me under control and in line. One of those things that reminds me, much to my surprise, that there are people in the world who actuallly think and act differently than I do. And all this time I just thought they were idiots.

Somehow in the world of work, I tend to end up inheriting teams of Introverts with strong F tendencies. The F's reading this want to give me a hug, the T's are cringing and feeling pity on me.

Take care, Gio