Steve Myers, BSc
"Myers Briggs" is a way of understanding people that is based on
the teachings of Carl Jung, one of the pioneers of modern psychology. It has
been extensively researched, and people all over the world have found it
valuable in areas such as communications skills, personal counselling, career
guidance, increasing the effectiveness of education programmes, marital
counselling, team building, enhancing sales skills, and many more.
Learning to understand your own and others' Myers Briggs preferences can be
immensely valuable in the workplace. For example, it will reduce time spent on
unproductive work due to personality differences, enable you and colleagues to
reach better decisions more quickly, and improve your enjoyment of work. This
article looks at one of the Myers Briggs preferences - "Extroversion vs.
Introversion" - and gives you some guidelines on ways to work better with
someone of the opposite preference.
Extroversion vs. Introversion, identifies whether your essential stimulation
or source of energy is from the outer world (e.g.: actions and words), or the
inner world (e.g.: thoughts and emotions).
Some of the ways in which the different preferences are manifest in the
workplace include:
Consider two colleagues whose preferences for
extroversion and introversion are opposite. What sources of friction might
there be in the relationship?
Take for example a typical scenario where an
extrovert wishes to resolve an issue that involves an introvert colleague. She
pops her head round the office door of the introvert and, as he is not in a
meeting, starts talking. She prefers to talk things through, and assumes that
because the introvert does not appear to be busy, he will not mind, or even
enjoy, a brief interruption. Immediately, the introvert's reaction may be one
of mild annoyance. The extrovert may have interrupted important work (i.e.
sorting out issues by thinking them through). He has not been given any
advanced notice of the discussion, to allow time to think or prepare.
Furthermore, as the discussion develops, the extrovert goes from topic to
topic, causing the introvert to think on his feet, and discuss subjects in,
what he feels is, a superficial manner. Consequently, the introvert does not
give of his best to the discussion, as he is looking to end it as soon as
possible, and return to thinking about his own important issues.
Later in the day, after he has thought through his
own issues, the introvert decides that he needs to communicate his conclusions
to the extrovert, and therefore sends her an electronic mail message to arrange
a meeting. When the extrovert reads the message, she also is immediately
annoyed. The introvert's office is only 20 feet away, so why doesn't he come
and talk to her? The extrovert can give some immediate feedback, but the
introvert doesn't want that response until 3pm tomorrow, when he wants a
meeting just to discuss that one subject! What a waste of time, thinks the
extrovert.
This story is, admittedly, somewhat of a
caricature. Yet these types of interaction can happen quite frequently, and
often unnoticed to the participants. Rather than recognising the differences in
personal preferences, colleagues often experience irritation with each other,
and spend time try to convince the other to behave more according to his or her
own preferences.
A far better approach is to recognise and
accommodate the differences in preference.
If you can, go and talk face-to-face. If that's not possible, use the telephone
If you have to write, use E-Mail rather than paper, and use short notes.
Maintain frequent contact - even if its only to 'touch base'
Have informal discussions in preference to formal meetings
Be prepared for a discussion that covers a wide range of subjects
Don't force the discussion too deeply into one subject
Solicit immediate reactions - don't tell the extrovert to go away and think
about it
Allow the extrovert to think aloud, and develop ideas as he/she is talking Be
prepared for the extrovert to take, or expect, immediate action
Give advanced warning of the need
to discuss an issue
Arrange a time to meet, rather than just interrupting the introvert at his desk
Provide something in writing for the introvert to read first.
If you have more than one issue to discuss, provide an agenda (in advance of
the meeting)
Between meetings, communicate using E-mail or paper
In meetings, don't keep jumping from topic to topic, and be prepared to go more
deeply into one subject.
Don 't force the introvert to take action - allow him time after the meeting to
think about the subject and come to his own conclusions.
This article is an adapted extract from
"Using Myers Briggs in the Workplace". If you would like a copy,
in the UK send 11.49 (sterling) to Team Technology, 36, Gorse
Lane, West Kirby, L48 8BH. Please make cheques payable to Team Technology, and
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Technology, 36, Gorse Lane, West Kirby, L48 8BH. Please make cheques
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"Using Myers Briggs in the Workplace"
includes: