An MBTI Approach to More

Effective Team Working:

understanding self and others

Kathy Duffy
Education Development Manager, NWD
Objectives of session
• Introduction to MBTI personality types
• Exploration of own type
• Understand how team working can be
affected by difference in personality
• An opportunity to explore strategies to
develop own approach to working with
others.
So, why are team dynamics
important?
• Think about a difficult team you have worked
in, where you felt other personalities were
hard to work with.
• Discuss in trios and highlight some of the
issues and consequences.

 Understanding self and others in terms of

personality types can help to inform more
effective approaches to team working
So… What is the MBTI?

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator is a tool or

framework for understanding our own Personality
Type and that of others.
• It is an indicator not a test so there are no right or
wrong answers
• It looks at normal behaviour
• It identifies preferences rather than
competencies, abilities or skills.

Remember…there is no better or worse Personality

Type to be!
 About MBTI

• Purpose: Learn about Self & appreciate differences between

people
• Application: a development tool e.g. Developing your approach to
more effective team working
• History: Jung’s theory of leadership
• Research: Strong support for the reliability and validity of the
MBTI.
• Ethics: Each individual owns their data and can choose to share
it or not as they wish.
What is a preference?
The concept of ‘preference’

“Natural” “Unnatural”
“Easy” “Difficult”
“Quick” “Slower”
“Comfortable” “Awkward”
“Effortless” “Took more Energy”
Basic Assumptions of Type Theory

• The MBTI questionnaire assesses preferences.

• Preferences are not absolutes: everyone uses all eight.

• Preferences are not abilities: MBTI preferences do not tell

you what you can and can’t do.

• There are no better or worse types: all types have potential!

• People are the best judges of their own type

 The Four Dimensions of Type
Preferences are not absolutes: everyone uses
all eight
Extraversion and Introversion
Where you prefer to get and focus your ‘energy’ or attention

Sensing and iNtuition

What kind of information you prefer to gather and trust

Thinking and Feeling

What process you prefer to use in coming to decisions

Judging and Perceiving

What process you prefer to use in coming to decisions
E : I Where you prefer to get and
focus your ‘energy’ or attention
Extraversion Introversion

Get energy from the Get energy from the

outer environment of inner environment of
people and experiences reflections and thoughts

Focus energy and Focus energy and

attention outwards in attention inwards in
action reflection
Analogy

E I
 Ask yourself…

• How do you prefer to relax at the end of a stressful

week?

• How do you prefer to behave in meetings?

Characteristics
Extraversion vs Introversion
Do-think-do vs Think-do-think
Action vs Reflection
Talk things through vs Think things through
Expressive vs Contained
Interaction vs Concentration
Breadth of interest vs Depth of interest
What is your preference?

While everyone can operate in both modes,

we do not prefer them equally.

E ? I
Clear Moderately Not Moderately Clear
Clear Sure Clear
Sensing and iNtuition
What did you see?
 S : I The kind of information you
prefer to gather and trust

Sensing iNtuition
Prefer information coming Prefer information coming
from the five senses from association

Focus on what is real Focus on what might be

Value practical applications • Value imagination and

insight
What do you see?

S N
See the specifics See patterns
then the pattern then the specifics
Characteristics
Sensing vs iNtuition
Facts vs Ideas
Specifics vs Big picture
Realistic vs Imaginative
Here and now vs Anticipating the future
Practical vs Theoretical
Observant vs Conceptual
What is your preference?

While everyone can operate in both modes,

we do not prefer them equally.

S ? N
Clear Moderately Not Moderately Clear
Clear Sure Clear
Thinking : Feeling

T F
Makes decisions by Makes decisions by
stepping out of the stepping into the
problem to be problem to be
objective compassionate
 T : F What process you prefer
to use in coming to decisions
Thinking
Prefer to make decisions on the
basis of logic and objectivity
Feeling
Prefer to make decisions
on the basis of values
and personal convictions

Quick to see errors and Quick to show appreciation

give a critique and find common ground

Step out of situations in Step into situations to

order to analyse weigh human values and
motives
dispassionately
 Ask yourself…

• What would you do if a friend was burgled?

• How do you show appreciation?

Characteristics
Thinking vs Feeling
Guided by cause-and-effect Guided by personal
reasoning vs values
Logical analysis vs Understand others’ point of
view
Seek objective truth vs Seek harmony
Impersonal criteria vs Personal circumstances
Critique vs Praise
Focus on task vs Focus on relationship
What is your preference?

While everyone can operate in both modes,

we do not prefer them equally.

T ? F
Clear Moderately Not Moderately Clear
Clear Sure Clear
J : P How you prefer to deal with the
world around you : your ‘lifestyle’
Judging Perceiving

Prefer to live life in a Prefer to live life in a

planned and organised spontaneous and adaptable
manner manner

Enjoy coming to closure • Enjoy keeping options open

and being decisive and being curious

Avoid stressful last-minute • Feel energised by last-minute

rushes pressures
J : P Illustration

J P
Characteristics
Judging vs Perceiving

Planned vs Emergent
Organised vs Flexible
Controlled vs Unconstrained
Structured vs Go with the flow
Scheduled vs Spontaneous
 Ask yourself…

• If tomorrow’s work were cancelled, what would you do?

• How do you do your food shopping?

What is your preference?
While everyone can operate in both modes,
we do not prefer them equally.

J ? P
Clear Moderately Not Moderately Clear
Clear Sure Clear
Preference Type

When combined your preferences indicate your Preference Type:

E or I
S or N
T or F
J or P
There are 16 preference types (e.g. ESTP, INTJ, ENFP, INTJ etc)

31
Type of Type?!
√ Self Assessed Type
The preferences you have chosen so far combine to give your “Self
Assessed” Type.

Reported Type
The preference type reported after you have completed the MBTI
questionnaire. You will also get a ‘preference score’ showing how
consistently you chose one preference over the other.

→ Best Fit Type

You are the best judge of your own type!
Type Table (guide only – refer to detailed
descriptors / reference material)

ISTJ ISFJ INFJ INTJ

Inspector Protector Counsellor Mastermind

ISTP ISFP INFP INTP

Crafter Composer Idealistic Architect

ESTP ESFP ENFP ENTP

Promoter Performer Champion Inventor

ESTJ ESFJ ENFJ ENTJ

Organiser Provider Coach Leader
Now you know your type…

• Read your type descriptor

• What effect does this have in how you
interact in the workplace?
• Can you begin to see where personality
type might have an effect?
• How might different personality types
clash?
Group exercise
• In small groups, complete the following
task:
– Plan a training session for junior doctors on
‘Improving interview skills’
– Produce a flyer advertising your event
• One or two observers for each group
• Notice how the team works and how
individual personalities contribute.
Feedback from groups
• What different types of interaction did
you notice?
• Did you notice your own personality
affecting how you interacted?
• What aspects of the activity did you find
frustrating?
• Did you notice behaviours/actions of
others that surprised you?
Interactions with colleagues:
Intuitive types
Bring up new possibilities
Anticipate future
Apply insight
Focus on long-term
Feeling types
Assess how others will react
Make exceptions for individuals
Attach importance to values
Aim for harmony
Sensing types
Bring up pertinent facts
Realities of situation
Apply experience
Focus on what needs doing now
Thinking types
Analyse implications
Be consistent
Attach importance to principles
Create logical systems
 Working in teams:
MBTI developments : MTR-i looks at team ‘types’
Coach Crusader Explorer Innovator
ESFJ/ENFJ ISFP/INFP ENTP/ENFP INTJ/INFJ
Sculptor Curator Conductor Scientist
ESFP/ESTP ISFJ/ISTJ ESTJ/ENTJ ISTP/INTP

• Stretch = Difference between preferred and

actual team role
• Stretch can be developmental/motivating
• However, large/prolonged difference can result
in stress
In summary
• Greater understanding of self and own
personality
• Appreciation of and respect for
difference in approach to work/team
• Questions / observations you might use
to give you better insight into those with
other personality preferences?
• Initial thinking on ways to be personally
more effective within teams, and
develop own team role/s
 Contacts/References/Further reading
• Kathy Duffy BA Hons, RGN, MA Ed, MBTI Part 1 qualified; CIPD
Certificate in Coaching k.duffy@nwpgmd.nhs.uk

• MBTI resources materials: © OPP 2006

• http://www.businessballs.com/personalitystylesmodels.htm

• Introduction to Type (2000) © OPP

• Introduction to Type and Leadership (2008) © OPP
• http://www.opp.eu.com/psychometric_instruments/mbti/Pages/default.aspx
• http://www.slideshare.net/malpascoe/mbti-team-dynamics
• http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/myersbriggs.html