#49 - Personality
What makes some people so easy to get along with and others so annoying? In 1943, Katharine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Myers created the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test. This personality analysis tool is the most widely used in the world. Katharine became interested in personality when she met her daughter’s future husband and noticed how differently he saw the world and made decisions. So, with a desire to help people understand themselves and others better, she developed what is now known as the Myers Briggs questionnaire.
The test itself places you in one of sixteen categories based on how you answer the questions.
As you can see, the combinations in each of the four categories result in sixteen distinct personality types.
The first letter represents introversion versus extroversion—how we get our energy.
The second letter is how we gather information; if you focus on basic information you’re a Sensor. If you like to make interpretations and add implications that’s Intuition (N).
The next category is how you make decisions. If you first consider logic and consistency you get a T. If you tend to begin the process with people and special circumstances, you get an F.
The final category measures how you like to deal with the outside world. If you like to get things decided in advance, you’re a J. If instead you prefer to keep your options open and “play it by ear,” you get a P.
The idea that every person fits perfectly into one of sixteen boxes is obviously over-simplified. Personality is far too complex to boil down to just four letters. However, taking a personality test like the MBTI can be very helpful for learning about ourselves. It also makes it easier to understand why some people are easy to get along with or “annoying.” Below are my results for taking the MBTI.
Ranking very high on thinking and judging traits, I have very strong opinions about what is right, how things should be done and what is acceptable. This tendency helps with organization and driving action. I am willing to take charge and develop a strategy for goal achievement but I have to be careful to solicit input from others and realize that there may be multiple “right” ways to do something. One of the most significant characteristics of this classification that I exhibit is strong-will. This personality trait can be both a positive and a negative. I strictly adhere to my values, ideas and goals which drives intense determination. While these characteristics do generate success via tenacity and hard-work, at times it can become stubbornness; I must be convinced with hard evidence to change my ways and I am unlikely to change something that is already working. I am also extremely direct. I express myself honestly at risk of bluntness and expect the same of others. Clear expectations are very important to me and so my leadership is characterized by direct communication and feedback. Many people thrive under this approach but I must consciously recognize those who are uncomfortable with this directness and adjust my approach.
As you can see, the personality quiz itself doesn’t mean a whole lot—but careful thought about the results can uncover some pretty important information about how I work with people, how I lead, what stresses me out, and what drives me. It also explains that the “annoying” person just has a different personality and you can understand better why they do the things they do.
I encourage you to try out the MBTI. You can take the quiz free at www.16personalities.com. It takes about ten minutes—just be sure that you answer honestly and consistently. Have a great day!