How can you use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to create a diverse and effective team?
If you are a team leader, you might have wondered how to create a diverse and effective team that can collaborate well and achieve your goals. One way to do that is to use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a popular personality assessment tool that can help you understand yourself and others better. In this article, you will learn how to use the MBTI to create a diverse and effective team by following these steps:
The first step is to identify your own MBTI type, which consists of four letters that indicate your preferences for how you perceive and judge the world. There are 16 possible types, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. You can take an online test or consult a certified practitioner to find out your type. Knowing your type can help you recognize your own leadership style, communication preferences, and potential blind spots.
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MBTI aids in forming diverse and effective teams by understanding personality preferences. Teams can encompass various personality types, like extroverts, introverts, sensing, intuitive, thinking, feeling, judging, and perceiving, to leverage their unique strengths and communication styles. Recognizing these differences is key to improving communication, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and role allocation. MBTI also guides tailored training, feedback, and recognition, while shaping team-building activities to match individual preferences. Regularly reassessing MBTI profiles is essential for adapting to changing team dynamics and maintaining productivity and harmony.
The second step is to understand the four dimensions that make up the MBTI: extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. Each dimension represents a continuum of opposite preferences that influence how you interact with others and approach tasks. For example, extraverts tend to be outgoing and energized by social situations, while introverts tend to be reserved and drained by them. Sensing types tend to focus on facts and details, while intuitive types tend to look for patterns and possibilities. Thinking types tend to make decisions based on logic and analysis, while feeling types tend to consider values and emotions. Judging types tend to prefer structure and order, while perceiving types tend to prefer flexibility and spontaneity.
The third step is to assess your team members' MBTI types, either by asking them to take the test or by observing their behaviors and preferences. This can help you understand their work styles, motivations, and needs, as well as how they might complement or conflict with each other. For example, a team composed of mostly judging types might benefit from having a perceiving type who can bring some creativity and adaptability, while a team composed of mostly feeling types might need a thinking type who can provide some objectivity and clarity.
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Keep in mind that while the MBTI can be a useful tool to assess personalities, it is not exhaustive. Things like personal values, skills, experiences or cultural background are beyond the scope of an MBTI assessment. Aside from that, the environment with its external factors which a person operates in are also not taken into account. Therefore, you must be careful when making an assessment of your current team or when looking at which personality types could be valuable additions. For example, you might have three introverts who do excellent work due to their vastly diverse cultural backgrounds. Or it could be that your team ended up having mostly Intuitive types, but it just so happens that this is exactly what your work requires.
The fourth step is to create a balanced team that reflects the diversity of the MBTI types and leverages their strengths. A balanced team can benefit from having different perspectives, skills, and approaches that can enhance the quality and efficiency of the work. However, a balanced team also requires careful management and communication to avoid misunderstandings and clashes. As a team leader, you need to respect and appreciate the differences among your team members, and create an environment where everyone can contribute and learn from each other.
The fifth step is to communicate effectively with your team members, taking into account their MBTI preferences. Communication is essential for any team to function well, but it can also be challenging when different types have different expectations and preferences. As a team leader, you need to adapt your communication style to suit your audience, and encourage your team members to do the same. For example, when communicating with an introvert, you might want to give them some space and time to process information, while when communicating with an extravert, you might want to engage them in dialogue and feedback. When communicating with a sensing type, you might want to use concrete examples and data, while when communicating with an intuitive type, you might want to use metaphors and concepts. When communicating with a thinking type, you might want to be clear and concise, while when communicating with a feeling type, you might want to be empathetic and supportive. When communicating with a judging type, you might want to be organized and punctual, while when communicating with a perceiving type, you might want to be flexible and open-ended.
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Adapting communication to MBTI preferences is important but as a remote ENFJ manager I find that in a virtual setting, understanding your team's individual styles becomes even more crucial. I communicate through Slack with introverts who thrive with asynchronous discussions, whereas with extraverts, I schedule video calls. I share data for sensing types but also use metaphors for intuitive types. I'm concise with thinkers and spend more time with feelers. I schedule meetings on set dates to accomodate judging types who need structure, and welcome impromptu meetings from perceivers who value flexibility and open-ended dialogue. My approach ensures effective communication and fosters inclusivity, enhancing productivity in a virtual workspace.
The sixth step is to develop your team, using the MBTI as a tool for learning and growth. Developing your team means helping them improve their performance, relationships, and satisfaction, as well as fostering a culture of trust and collaboration. As a team leader, you can use the MBTI to identify the strengths and areas of improvement of your team members, and provide them with feedback, coaching, and training accordingly. You can also use the MBTI to facilitate team-building activities, such as workshops, games, or discussions, that can help your team members appreciate and leverage their diversity, as well as overcome their challenges and conflicts.
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