Using Myers Briggs in the Workplace - an extract

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:

Extroversion
·         Prefers to try something first, and then evaluate how effective it was
·         Prefers to communicate face to face
·         Prefers to respond to issues as they come up
·         Prefers to discuss a broad range of issues
Introversion
·         Prefers to think something through first, and then act
·         Prefers to communicate in writing
·         Prefers some advanced warning of discussions
·         Prefers to discuss a few issues in depth

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.

For example, if you are an introvert, looking to communicate with an extrovert, then:


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

If you are an extrovert, looking to communicate with an introvert, then:

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,

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"Using Myers Briggs in the Workplace" includes: