MBTI: Myers Briggs Type Indicator

The MBTI, based on the psychological types theory proposed by Carl Jung, was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. It is now a widely used instrument for psychological assessment and self-awareness. This article will delve into the theory, the types, and the application of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator.

The Theory Behind MBTI

The foundation for the MBTI is deeply rooted in Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types. This theory suggests that people have specific psychological preferences for how they perceive the world and make decisions. Jung’s theory focuses on four categories: thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuition.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

The MBTI assessment is a questionnaire designed to measure psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. The test encapsulates four dichotomies, extrapolated from Jung’s types:

Extraversion/Introversion:

 It indicates if a person prefers to focus on the outer world or on their own inner world.

Sensing/Intuition:

It signifies if a person prefers to focus on the basic information or interpret it and add meaning.

Thinking/Feeling:

 It represents if a person prefers to look at the logical implications or consider the people and special circumstances while making decisions.

Judging/Perceiving:

It reveals if a person prefers to decide or stay open to new information and options.

The answers to the MBTI lead to 16 possible psychological types. Each individual is said to possess one of these personality types, defined by their preferences across these four dichotomies.

Application of MBTI

The MBTI is applied in a variety of settings, from corporate to educational to personal growth. Companies use the MBTI assessment during the hiring process or team formation to identify how potential employees may respond in specific situations. It’s also used in leadership development and conflict management.

What is team coaching?

Team coaching is a process focused on enhancing the performance and growth of teams within an organization. Unlike individual coaching, which concentrates on the personal development of an individual, team coaching involves working with the entire team to improve their collective functioning, communication, and effectiveness. Key aspects of team coaching include:

Collective Goals and Objectives:

Team coaching helps align the team around common goals and objectives, ensuring everyone is working towards the same end.

Enhanced Collaboration:

Coaches work to improve the collaboration skills within the team, helping members to work together more effectively.

Conflict Resolution:

Addressing and resolving conflicts that may arise within the team, ensuring that they do not hinder the team’s progress.

Developing Team Dynamics:

Understanding and optimizing the dynamics and relationships within the team, recognising the unique contributions of each member with a team coaching programs.

Feedback and Reflection:

Encouraging continuous feedback and reflection, allowing the team to learn from experiences and adapt their approach.

Building Trust:

Creating a trusting environment where team members feel valued and motivated.

Team coaching can be applied in various settings, from corporate teams to sports teams, and involves a mix of coaching techniques, team-building exercises, and facilitated discussions. The goal is to create a more cohesive, effective, and high-performing team.

Understanding the DISC Model

The DISC model, developed by psychologist William Moulton Marston, is a behavioural assessment tool that classifies people’s behaviour into four types: Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S), and Conscientiousness (C). It’s based on the premise that people tend to exhibit a certain style or behaviours depending on their environment.

Each person might display behaviours from all four types, but usually, one or two styles are more dominant. Also, the model takes into account that people can adapt their behaviour according to their situation.

The Four DISC Styles :

Dominance (D)

People with a high D style are driven, assertive, and like to take charge. They are goal-oriented, competitive, and problem solvers. They thrive in environments where they can lead and make quick decisions. However, they may come off as impatient or insensitive.

Influence (I)

Those who score high in the I style are outgoing, enthusiastic, and persuasive. They are often seen as social butterflies and are excellent at building relationships and inspiring people. However, they can be impulsive and not detail-oriented.

Steadiness (S)

Persons with high S style are calm, reliable, and patient. They value stability and consistency and are great team players. They tend to be good listeners and are empathetic. However, their tendency to avoid change can make them resistant to innovation.

Conscientiousness (C)

People with a high C style are analytical, detail-oriented, and careful. They value accuracy and quality and are often more focused on tasks than people. They can be seen as perfectionists but may struggle with over-analysis or indecisiveness.

Using DISC Profiles in the Workplace

The DISC assessment is a valuable tool in the workplace to improve communication, teamwork, and productivity. By understanding each person’s preferred communication style, managers can adjust their approach to get the most out of their team members. In short, DISC enables you to get to know yourself better, to better understand the people in your environment, and to find strategies for adapting your communication and management accordingly.

Team building

Team building is a process that involves various activities and strategies aimed at improving the cohesiveness, collaboration, and overall performance of a group of individuals working together towards a common goal. Here are some key aspects of team building:

Collaboration:

Effective teamwork involves collaboration and cooperation among team members. Team-building activities can encourage individuals to work together, leverage each other’s strengths, and achieve common goals.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement:

Regular feedback helps teams identify areas for improvement and adapt to changing circumstances. Team building activities can provide a platform for giving and receiving feedback constructively.

Team building can take many forms, from off-site retreats and workshops to in-office activities and games. The choice of activities should align with the team’s specific goals and challenges. It’s essential to customize team-building efforts to the unique needs and dynamics of your team.

How to successfully implement Change management

Change management is a structured approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and organizations from their current state to a desired future state. It is a critical process for organizations seeking to implement significant changes such as new technologies, processes, organizational structures. Effective change management helps minimize resistance to change, and increases the likelihood of success in achieving the desired outcomes. Key principles of change management typically include:

Clear Vision and Objectives:

Clearly define the reasons for change, the desired outcomes, and the benefits it will bring to the organization. A compelling vision helps motivate and align stakeholders.

Training and Development:

Ensure that employees have the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt to the new changes. Specific training programs on Change Management may be required to bridge the gap.

Change Readiness Assessment:

Assess the organization’s readiness for change by evaluating its culture, capabilities, and capacity for change. This helps identify potential obstacles.

Celebrating Success:

Recognize and celebrate milestones and achievements along the way. This boosts morale and reinforces the positive aspects of the change.

Successful change management requires a commitment to ongoing communication, flexibility, and adaptability. It also involves addressing the human side of change, as people often resist change due to fear, uncertainty, or a perceived loss of control. By addressing these concerns and actively involving employees and stakeholders in the process, organizations can increase the likelihood of successful change implementation.

Key conflict management skills

To manage conflict effectively, start by actively listening to understand all perspectives. Maintain calm and respectful communication, focusing on the issue, not the person. Acknowledge different viewpoints and emotions involved. Use clear, assertive communication to express your own position without aggression

Active Listening:

This involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the other party is saying. It’s crucial for uncovering the root causes of a conflict, understanding the other person’s perspective, and showing respect and empathy. Active listening helps in creating a safe environment where all parties feel heard and understood.

Effective Communication:

Clear, and respectful communication is vital in conflict management. It involves expressing thoughts and feelings in a straightforward manner without being aggressive. Using “I” statements to articulate personal feelings and needs without blaming others is key. This skill helps in avoiding misunderstandings and provides a clear pathway to resolution.

Problem-Solving:

This skill involves identifying the underlying issues in a conflict and collaboratively finding solutions that satisfy all parties involved. It requires creativity, open-mindedness, and the ability to look beyond the present disagreement to foresee long-term outcomes. Effective problem-solving ensures that conflicts are not just temporarily resolved but are dealt with in a manner that prevents recurrence and promotes a positive, cooperative environment.

What are the benefits of time management training?

Learning time management offers significant benefits: it boosts productivity by enabling individuals to prioritize tasks effectively, leading to more efficient accomplishment of goals. It reduces stress by providing control over workload, fostering a clearer mind and focus. Improved time management enhances work-life balance, allowing more time for personal interests and well-being. Additionally, Time Management Training cultivates discipline and decision-making skills, leading to better professional performance. Overall, mastering time management skills contributes to a more organized, efficient, and balanced life.

Time management trainings typically cover subjects like prioritization techniques, goal setting, time thieves, scheduling, dealing with procrastination, strategies for handling distractions and interruptions.

Management Consulting

Management consulting and change management, while interconnected, focus on different aspects of organizational improvement and transformation. While management consulting provides a broad range of business improvement strategies, change management is a subset that specifically addresses the human and cultural aspects of these changes.

Effective management consulting often involves aspects of change management, especially when significant organizational transformation is part of the consulting project. The success of strategic initiatives proposed by management consultants often hinges on effective change management to ensure buy-in and adoption by the organization’s workforce.

Broad Scope:

Management consulting encompasses a wide range of services aimed at improving an organization’s overall performance. It involves advising organizations on various aspects such as structure, management, HR.

External Perspective and Objectivity:

Management consultants offer an unbiased external viewpoint, which can be crucial in identifying issues that internal staff might overlook.

Cultural and Behavioral Change:

Change management consultants work on altering organizational culture and employee behavior to align with new ways of working.

Long-term Sustainability:

It’s not just about implementing change but also about making it stick. Change management ensures that new processes, approaches, or strategies are sustainable and embedded into the organization’s culture.

Our Intercultural Management support tools

Among the management tools that make it easier to understand these multicultural differences, I suggest looking first at Hofstede’s model: it’s a six-dimensional model. The hierarchical distance represents the relationships of power and authority. This seems to me to be particularly relevant in management.

I also use Erin Meyer’s model in intercultural management training. It adds interesting new components to Hofstede’s model, such as how to express disagreement or how to give feedback to the employee. However, this model lacks numerical data that can be accessed via the web.