Dealing with Differences — Personality Types

Why Test for Personality Type?

Psychometric testing is widely used in the work-place to help measure and identify the different ways people respond to real-life situations. By completing a questionnaire based on extensive research, and discussing the results with a qualified expert, people are able to understand their own ‘type’ better. The assessment reveals characteristics unique to each personality type, and as a result, individuals understand more about how they interact with others and how they deal with all kinds of real-life situations.

This allows individuals, teams and communities to increase their ability to:

• Recognise and appreciate individual approaches and strengths
• Deal with differences in ability, attitude and personality traits
• Complement each other’s different styles and strengths
• Face interpersonal challenges with greater ease and understanding

The greater your coach or trainer’s understanding of the depth and subtlety of the assessment tool, the more beneficial the results.

What is The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®)?

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) is one of the earliest and best-known tools, now used worldwide for assessing personality types. It has numerous applications across team building, group working and in the sales environment. Based on the work of Carl Jung, it allows individuals to understand both themselves and others in real depth. This, in turn, enables them to recognise and appreciate personal differences and preferences in how they approach tasks, tackle challenges and engage with other people.

Course participants find MBTI® easy to grasp, insightful and thought-provoking. Respondents often experience ‘light bulb moments’ as they navigate the various applications of type preference. A safe, yet in-depth, exploration of how we relate to the world, and to others, can be transformative and life-changing.

How Does MBTI® Improve my Work?

Team-building and development

Using the instrument within a team-building setting increases one’s awareness of the team’s overall working style. Through this the team is able to address internal team needs, harness individual strengths and identify areas for development. Using the MBTI® instrument can help to improve communication, enhance problem-solving and encourage an appreciation of diversity demonstrating that different working styles can be complementary, rather than a source of friction. The benefits will reach beyond the team, as they begin to understand and develop the impact they have on other teams.

Individual development

MBTI® also helps individuals to understand their preferred working style, and how this can be developed to be more effective with others. It also encourages individuals to value difference, as a way of improving working relationships.

Management and leadership development

MBTI® is highly recommended for management and leadership development programmes, as it helps individuals to appreciate the impact of their personal style on others. In addition, it helps to identify aspects of their role that may come naturally to them, and other areas where they may need to focus more energy and attention.

Sales

The quintessential aspect of sales lies in understanding your clients and their needs rather than in ‘just selling’ a product or a service. Understanding the communication style and decision-making strategies of your clients will ultimately strengthen your sales approach and accelerate your business development efforts.

MBTI® worldwide

MBTI® instrument is a truly international tool, helping your organisation develop a common framework across borders. It is available in a wide range of languages, and the questionnaire has been adapted to be sensitive to cultural differences, ensuring that it retains its validity in these contexts.

Personality Types and Communication — Our Contribution

Life at Work’s contribution to training in Personality Testing is our ability to integrate the learning about differences with the needs-based approach to human interaction. As we learn more about our core preferences and responses, we understand how we relate to — and habitually meet — our needs at work or at home. This opens our eyes to the validity of other strategies for meeting needs. In turn, we learn to respond to other people’s needs in ways that are more constructive and creative.

This increases our ability to:

• Understand our values/needs and the strategies we prefer to meet them
• Connect better with people who use strategies different to our own
• Discover why others (colleagues, clients, customers) express themselves in ways we like or don’t like
• Bring out the best in ourselves and others
• Make requests more effectively for others
• Respond to other peoples’ requests more effectively
• Appreciate how differently we all see the world
• Find ways to make a difference and contribute from our strengths