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Myers-Briggs

You Might Be Surprised: Thinking or Feeling – Part II

by Ron Potter May 23, 2016

After years of being totally compatible in almost every area, are Dave and Charlie discovering that they’re really quite different?

Spoiler alert!!! To fully appreciate this blog take just a minute and read our last blog that sets the stage for understanding the apparent conflict between Dave and Charlie and how they view each other.

After Dave erupted in utter disbelief which was turning into complete distain for the validity of the Myers-Briggs instrument we tried to calm things down long enough to turn this into a good learning opportunity. After a few false starts we finally hit on a question that fairly and accurately painted a picture of the differences between Dave and Charlie.

We asked Charlie if he felt he was located in an accurate position on the Deciding (Thinking-Feeling) scale now that he had learned the difference between the two approaches. With Dave still staring at him in disbelief Charlie indicated that he felt it was a fair and accurate assessment and he actually felt very comfortable with the outcome. Once again Dave couldn’t contain himself with a very loud “No Way!”

But then the question: Dave, what process do you use to purchase a new car? Dave was quick and precise; he would first determine the class of vehicle he currently needed (truck, SUV, sedan, etc), then he would research all new entries into the market, do a complete analysis of performance, maintenance and long-term care and finally use all the modern tools available on the web to find the absolute best price before finally approaching a dealership armed with all of the ammo he needed to make his purchase.

Charlie, what process do you use to purchase a new car? “Well, I’ve had one car salesman that I started using right out of college. He’s taken good care of me through the years and we’ve actually become pretty good friends. I trust him and I believe he has my best interest at heart so when he calls and says it’s time for me to purchase a new car, I ask him for his recommendations and have always purchased what he suggested. It’s always worked just fine for me.” Charlie made his decision based on the values of friendship, loyalty and trust. It works for him. Charlie comfortably fit on the Feeling side of the Deciding function.

Dave of course sat there with his mouth wide open. When he regained his composure enough to control of his jaw muscles, he finally said to Charlie “You have always seemed to have cars that fit your need and personality so I guess we can still be fishing buddies.”

Be very careful when you think you really know someone and their Myers-Briggs functions, they might just surprise you.

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be Surprised

You Might Be Surprised: Thinking or Feeling – Part I

by Ron Potter May 2, 2016

Dave and Charlie had been best friends for most of their lives. They had met in college and seemed to share common interests in both the classes they were taking and in the great outdoors. Both of them loved camping, hiking and most of all fishing. As their careers began their work took them in different directions but they used their outdoor activities to stay connected and would schedule at least one fishing trip together each year. Families began to grow and the distractions increased but their annual fishing trip was never abandoned.
And then a wonderful thing happened about half way through their careers. All of a sudden they were working for the same company and ended up in the same city. As it turned out their children had all gone away to college and they had a bit more time to spend together and they took full advantage of it by adding some weekend outings and expanding their fishing adventures to all kinds of venues.
You probably couldn’t find two guys more compatible then Dave and Charlie. They knew their similarities added to their mutual bond.
Then one day Dave and Charlie ended up in one of my Myers-Briggs team building sessions. As I run the sessions I rearrange the people in the room around the conference table based on their positioning within each scale. This allows me to talk with those in the middle of the scale about their ability to adjust their behavior depending on the situation. It also allows me to talk with those who are solidly on one side or the other of the scale about how clear their preferences are and how they will default to those preferences in many situations and often without even much thought. It’s just natural.
As we progressed through the scales of Energizing (Extraversion and Introversion) and the Attending/Perceiving functions, Dave and Charlie weren’t far apart and I could often see them exchanging knowing looks. Then we came to the deciding function, the one identified by Thinking and Feeling.
Once we’ve taken in our information through either our Extraversion conversation or Introversion reflections and processed it through our Sensing attention to detail or our iNtuitive conceptual view, we then will decide. This Deciding function shows us how we approach decisions from either a very logical, practical angle or a Values based approach. While Thinking types will consider emotions and feelings as data to weigh their decisions will be made based on logic. And while the Feeling types will consider logic and objectivity as data to value, in the end they will make their decision based on values.
Well now the dynamics between Dave and Charlie had changed. Dave was solidly on the Thinking side of the table and Charlie was well into the Feeling side of the table and Dave was staring at Charlie in utter disbelief.
Finally, Charlie almost erupted. “There is no way this instrument can be valid! Charlie and I have known each other all of our lives and we are completely alike. There is no way he could be on the Feeling side of this category. That’s not who we are!!!”
Can you guess how Charlie reacted? Did he truly belong on the Feeling side of this preference? Did Dave really not know Charlie after all of these years? In our next Myers-Briggs based blog we’ll continue the story of Dave and Charlie. Please join us. You might be surprised.

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be Surprised

You Might Be Surprised: Intuitors Acting Like Sensors – Part II

by Ron Potter April 25, 2016

Is Sally the data miner a Sensing type or Intuitive type?

Spoiler alert!!! To fully appreciate this post take just a minute and read our last post that sets the stage for understanding Sally.

When we left Sally she was preparing a presentation to the leadership team. She really wanted them to “get it” so she had asked her staff to gather every shred of data available on the issue. After her staff had assured her that there was no more data to be had, Sally went to work pouring over the data, learning and understanding every piece of it.

At this point it might be easy to assume that Sally is a Sensing type. Sensing types like to present the details of their work first, they usually proceed step-by-step and seldom make error of fact. But what we haven’t yet seen is how Sally views and uses the data that she so meticulously gathered.

Sally always wants her projections to be fact-based. She knows that several members of the leadership team will check her facts and she wants to be prepared. But what Sally actually does with the data is to look for trend lines, inflection points and other “implied” results that the data can suggest. She is always looking into the future. “What does this data produce in the long run?” “What opportunities or threats does the data lead us to think about ahead of time?” “How does this align with our long-term goals?” Sally isn’t worried about what needs to be done by Friday, she wants to know of we’re preparing ourselves for the future. Sally is a very Intuitive thinker.

It’s not just the Sensing types that make sure the facts are correct or are the only ones who base their decisions on the facts. Intuitive types are fact based as well. But they want to both start with the long-term projections and implications and understand where the trends are going to lead us. They also want to know about the decisions we’re making today and if they will lead us in the intended directions.

Sally is an Intuitive type on the Myers-Briggs scale. That doesn’t mean she ignores the facts or makes her decisions on “gut instinct” only. It simply means that her search for meaning and direction in the data will influence her decision making.

Most of the mistakes that amateurs (and even some Myers-Briggs practitioners) make is bases our assumptions on behaviors that may lead us to assume that a person is a Sensing or Intuitive type. Be careful. You might be surprised!

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be Surprised

You Might Be Surprised: Intuitors Acting Like Sensors – Part I

by Ron Potter April 11, 2016

Sally runs a division of a company in a highly technical industry. At her disposal is a team and technology that can dig into any question and come up with reams of data to support the analysis. Sally with collect this data, cross-reference it, put as much of it into spreadsheets and data base systems that would blow your mind. At her fingertips she can go deeper and deeper into any question or issue until she reaches the base level of data and facts that support the whole structure.

When her people approach Sally they know where the question is going to head:

Where’s the data on this issue?
To what level of depth have you uncovered?
How recent is the data?
Have we gathered it from more sources than just our own?

And on and on. Sally wants to be sure that we have all of the data that’s available to us as we search for answers and directions.

Once Sally feels that she has all the data to be had, she’ll spend hours poring over the spreadsheets of data looking for the insight and understand that she needs to present her finding to the leadership team. She really wants to make sure they “get it” based on the facts.

What do you think? Is Sally as “Sensing” or an “Intuitive” type?

Myers-Briggs gives us some quick sketches for each type:

Sensing
- Like to present the details of their work first
- Seldom make errors of fact
- Like using experience and standard ways to solve problems
Intuition
- Like to present an overview of their work first
- May make errors of fact
- Like solving new complex problems

So, what do you think? Sensing or Intuition?

In our next Myers-Briggs based blog we’ll continue the story of Sally the data miner. Please join us. You might be surprised.

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be Surprised

You Might Be Surprised: Extravert or Introvert – Part IV

by Ron Potter March 28, 2016

Is Rob the talker an Extravert or Introvert?

Spoiler alert!!! To fully appreciate this blog take just a minute and read our last blog that sets the stage for understanding Rob.

As we closed our last look at Rob, he was preparing to share a presentation with colleagues by

Pulling concepts together
Reordering ideas
Thinking through the time allocated and what concepts will provide the greatest value
Noting a great deal of backup and background material and research but
Summarizing and putting the best idea into a framework that’s quick to understand and easy to remember

But, the part that we missed were those quick conversations that Rob often had with his colleagues along the way or in specific preparation for his presentation. After Rob would do a great deal of reading, recording, thinking and noting ideas he often felt nearly there. He was comfortable with all of the data he had gathered but he just needed one more piece. He needed to talk. You see Rob was an Extraverted thinker. And even though Extraverted thinkers may gather a great deal of their data through means that appear to be very Introverted in nature, in the end they need to talk it through with someone. Rob would seek out several individuals and small groups of people to “bounce his ideas” off them. As Rob would begin to explain the gest of what he wanted to present, other people would begin to chime in on their reactions, thoughts, questions and ideas about his work. Rob would find this incredibly stimulating and right during the conversation would finally “see” the close, the hook, the hammer, the main point that needed to be clarified or driven home.

Rob was an Extraverted Thinker. He needed that final conversation to help him conclude and solidify his final beliefs about all of that data he had gathered. Don’t conclude that just because Rob spends a great deal of time reading or isolated thinking or seems to spend a great deal of time preparing for presentations that his is an Introvert. He still needs that final conversation to help reach conclusions on his own thinking.

Extraversion and Introversion are functions related to energy, not behavior. While you may see some of the classical talkative extraversion or quiet introversion don’t assume you know how they rank on their Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I’ve worked with quiet extraverts and talkative introverts but if you know when they reach their final conclusions, finally solve that tough problem, come up with that great new idea you’ll begin to get some insight of their Extraversion Introversion preference.

Rob was a quiet Extravert. It might surprise you.

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be Surprised

You Might Be Surprised: Extravert or Introvert – Part III

by Ron Potter March 7, 2016

Rob is a reader. You’ll almost always catch him getting in a few more pages while waiting for an airplane or waiting for the oil change on his car. He will often (sometimes too often) respond to an idea or a question with “I was just reading about that…”. Reading helps him think. Often after reading in the evening Rob goes to bed with ideas about how to apply what he has just learned to his work and personal life. Many times it will result in him rising back out of bed after 30 minutes or an hour to write down a few of the thoughts that clarified in his head. Usually to be followed by further thoughts as soon as he hits the shower in the morning.

Rob not only reads, he takes notes. While reading he will often highlight key points and afterward collect all of those notes into a Word document that becomes his personal “cliff notes” on what he reads. Many of the people he works with have discovered this little treasure of book summaries and often ask Rob for a copy. Rob averages fifty plus books a year. Rob is a reader.

Rob is also called upon to present ideas, concepts and mental models before his colleagues on many occasions. Teams that are exploring how to be more innovative or become more agile or face great change in their structure or market place will often use Rob’s insights to help them navigate an uncertain future. One such team even gave Rob the title of “Explorer/guide”.

When Rob is preparing for these opportunities to share with colleagues, he’ll spend a great deal of time

Pulling concepts together
Reordering ideas
Thinking through the time allocated and what concepts will provide the greatest value
Noting a great deal of backup and background material and research but
Summarizing and putting the best idea into a framework that’s quick to understand and easy to remember

What do you think? Is Rob the reader an Extravert or Introvert?

Myers-Briggs would offer these quick sketches for each type:

Extravert
Communicate energy and enthusiasm
Respond quickly without long pauses to think
Focus of talk is on people and things in the external environment
Introvert
Keep energy and enthusiasm inside
Like to think before responding
Focus is on internal ideas and thoughts

So, what do you think? Extravert or Introvert?

In our next Myers-Briggs based blog we’ll continue the story of Rob the reader. Please join us. You might be surprised.

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be Surprised

You Might Be Surprised: Extravert or Introvert – Part II

by Ron Potter February 22, 2016

Is Tom the talker an Extravert or Introvert?

Spoiler alert!!! To fully appreciate this blog take just a minute and read our last post that sets the stage for understanding Tom.

As we closed our last look at Tom we had just spent the day walking around one of Tom’s plants listening to him tell stories and respond quickly to problems presented to him. After all, Tom was the president, who else to better solve the problems that had been presented? But then we were headed to the next plant visit.

So we buckled in and I remained quiet for a good half hour of our drive. At about that point in time Tom would get on his phone, give the plant manager a call and reverse about 70% of the decisions he had made on the spot while we had walked around the plant that day. Satisfied that the plant manager and he were now on the same page Tom would hang up.

I had to ask Tom what had just transpired. Tom’s response, “Well now that I’ve had a chance to think about it, I believe the latest decisions are the best in the end.” When I asked him what was now going on back at the plant, his response was “Ron, I trust that team. I know that after they had time to think about it they probably came to the same conclusion that I did and I was just confirming with them that we were on the same page.” No Tom, they’ve been telling me how disruptive your visits are because they’ve been carrying out the decisions that were “made” during the walk around and now they’re trying to figure out how to reverse all those actions.

Tom was an Introvert. Tom needed some quiet time to think about and process decisions. Tom was also a talker. Don’t assume that talkers are Extraverts. It may surprise you.

We changed Tom’s whole routine. We still did the plant walkabout but when people tossed him an issue to solve he would say, “Give me some details and then let’s talk about it at the staff meeting later this afternoon.” Tom now had the time to think about the issues and speak more intelligently with his team about it “now that he’s had a chance to think about it.” Tom was an Introvert. It might surprise you.

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be Surprised

You Might Be Surprised: Extravert or Introvert – Part I

by Ron Potter February 15, 2016

Tom is a real talker. A Scotsman by heritage he has that wonderful Scottish brogue which makes the stories even more enjoyable. Tom will tell stories almost all the time. They are humorous, often heartwarming, sometimes tragic but almost always educational. It seems like each time you hear one of Tom’s stories it penetrates your thinking almost instantly or sometimes even over a few days. But in the end, you always seem to learn something from Tom. You always come away with the impression that Tom is very wise, knows what is going on around him, a great teacher and most of all, a real talker.

Tom was a client of mine and the president of a manufacturing company. During one great experience I had the opportunity to ride with Tom as we went on a little road trip to visit a few of his manufacturing plants.

As we entered each plant you could see the reaction in almost everyone’s eyes as they saw Tom walk in the front door. Tom was in the building! We’ll be able to talk with Tom and his wisdom and answers will help solve many of the nagging issues of the day.

Off on our plant walk we would go, Tom out in front, leading the way, greeting people as he went and telling stories. Always telling stories. Then I saw the problem-solving discussions begin.

“Tom, we’ve been having a lot of poor quality parts delivered by that new vendor we started with a year ago.” Tom would listen to the tale which included numbers, dollars and timing and finally he would say “I believe it’s time we shifted back to our old vendor. Give this one notice and make the shift ASAP.”

“Tom, really great to see you. I’ve been wanting to talk with you about the poor productivity that we’ve been getting from the third shift. They just don’t seem to be interested in putting in the effort to keep productivity up.” Again, Tom would listen to the numbers, dollars and timing issues and then proclaim his edict “It’s time to get the union leaders in here and read them the riot act.”

“Tom, I’m so glad you’re here. That new piece of equipment that we ordered from German last year and waited so long to be installed is just not giving us the productivity they promised us. What should we do?” Tom would almost instantly respond with “Let’s get that sales guy in here and let him know that we’re done ordering equipment from his company if he doesn’t get this thing up to speed.”

And so it went. Walking, storytelling, quick conversations, problems solved. Then we got in Tom’s car and headed off to another plant to repeat the scene the next day.

What do you think? Is Tom the talker an Extravert or Introvert?

Myers-Briggs would offer these quick sketches for each type:

Extravert
- Communicate energy and enthusiasm
- Respond quickly without long pauses to think
- Focus of talk is on people and things in the external environment
Introvert
- Keep energy and enthusiasm inside
- Like to think before responding
- Focus is on internal ideas and thoughts

So, what do you think? Extravert or Introvert?

In our next Myers-Briggs based blog we’ll continue the story of Tom the talker. Please join us. You might be surprised.

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Blog Myers-Briggs

The Only Team I Ever Recommended Be Split Up

by Ron Potter February 8, 2016

Diversity

The best teams I’ve ever worked with have had a great deal of diversity of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) preferences on the team. However, diversity alone is not enough to ensure a high performance team. But, it is a great foundation.

There has only been one time in my twenty-five plus years of Team and Leadership Consulting that I’ve recommended a team be split up and given other assignments. That team of seven people were all resident in one particular Myers-Briggs Type Preference. And while MBTI is certainly not the end-all measurement of team diversity, it produced a very discernable pattern.

THE answer to the question

I would find myself asking a question of one member of the team. That member often would give me a very complete and articulate answer. But then I would ask each of the other members if they agreed with the answer and the response was:

Yup,
Yup,
Yup,
Yup,
Yup,
Yup!

All of the other six members responding with a pleasant smile and a subtle nod of the head!

OK, let’s ask a different question: “Could we look at this question from a different perspective and maybe come up with a different answer?”

Nope,
Nope,
Nope,
Nope,
Nope,

All of the other six members responding with a pleasant smile and a subtle twist of the head!

Different Perspectives

Even when I tried some of the more off-the-wall approaches to perspective shifts:

“How would a gorilla solve this problem?

He would grab it by the head and beat it to death!
Yup,
Yup,
Yup,
Yup,
Yup,
Yup!

“How would a giraffe solve this problem?

He couldn’t. He’s not strong enough to beat it to death!
Nope,
Nope,
Nope,
Nope,
Nope,

Change of Scenery

After a few more tries at this I was finally convinced that the members of this team needed to be split up and combined with other people with different perspectives. My assumption is that didn’t go well. This team had been together for a long time and in the early days had been extremely productive at getting projects completed. But the environment had changed and they not only needed to be good project managers, they needed to adapt to changing environments. Most of them probably had a difficult time blending into teams that didn’t all think alike and in particular didn’t think like they did.

Diversity

Knowing your Myers-Briggs type is not about (or should not be about) what type preference you have and if that’s the “right” way to view the world or not. The point is that there are 16 healthy type preferences that will each view the world slightly differently. The point is to use the diversity for the betterment of the team. You accomplish that be showing respect for and learning from each view point and then determining together the best route for the team to pursue. Together!

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be a Jerk If

You Might Be a Jerk If: Feeling

by Ron Potter January 4, 2016

“Let’s change the topic, I don’t want to deal with this at the moment.”

“Look, it’s your fault that we’re in this mess anyway. If you had made arrangements for this while you were on vacation it wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

“I just don’t want to hear it any more, this is the way it’s going to happen!”

(If you didn’t start with the introduction to this “You might be a jerk if…” series, I suggest you make a quick review because it will help you better understand these subsequent blogs.)

Brenda is stuck! Her dominant function is Feeling which helps her know what’s really important in most situations and appreciate input from just about anyone. And normally, she’ll balance these great skills with either a good conceptual view of the world or a great grasp of the data, depending on her complete type.

There are four types that have this particular combination, the Introverted ISFP, INFP and the Extraverted ESFJ, ENFJ. As noted above the dominant in all four cases is Feeling and the inferior in all four cases is Thinking. These are what’s known as our Deciding functions, how do we decide what to do after we have taken in the data through our Perceiving functions of Sensing and iNtuition.

In a healthy state, these Deciding functions would then work in tandem with the “perceiving” functions of Sensing or iNtuition depending type. But, under pressure or stress, Brenda begins to lose this natural balance, falling back to her dominant function which will expose her feelings, no matter how raw they may be. Brenda will either become hypercritical or hypersensitive or both under pressure.

Balance, Balance, Balance

This is where team members and colleagues come into play. It’s difficult for any one of us to break out of these pressure packed situations. As colleagues, we want to help Brenda back into a balanced state by asking and sometimes even forcing her to use his auxiliary function. Notice that Brenda’s auxiliary function could be either Sensing or iNtuition depending on type. Let’s start with the Sensing balance.

“Brenda, we can’t ignore the topic right now, we need to make a decision this week.”

“I’m sorry I just can’t deal with it right now, there are just too many things this could impact.”

“Can we take a look at the data and see where that might be leading us and then discuss how that might impact the values of the company, if at all?”

“Yes, if you guarantee that we’ll see how these figures will impact the way we’re going to work this out with the people.”

As we begin to force Brenda to try a little balancing act, she’ll begin to regain her footing. Note that we can’t tell Brenda that his data problem doesn’t impact our overall values. Brenda has to come to grips with that through balancing her own natural Feeling and Sensing functions.

If we’re dealing with either the INFP or ENFJ than iNtuition is the auxiliary function, not Sensing. The approach is similar, but focused more on the conceptual or future view (iNtuition) rather than the data (Sensing).

“Brenda, we really don’t think this new direction will impact our care and concern for the employees but let’s see if we can see a way through this.”

“I just don’t see how it’s going to happen. I’m concerned we’ll end up in a very bad place.”

“We’ll, let’s talk through that. Describe for me the outcome you see as most likely in this case.”

“It’s just not going to end well.”

“Well, let’s get a grip on the possible outcomes and then really talk through the good and bad of the situation and see how we could mitigate any negative outcomes.”

“OK, I guess we’re just talking anyway. We can make the decisions as we figure out the best path.”

As we begin to force Brenda to try a little balancing act, she’ll begin to regain her footing. Note that we can’t tell her where the scenarios will lead. Brenda has to come to grips with that through balancing her own natural Feeling and iNtuition functions.

Stay tuned. We’ll continue to explore other ways to conduct your own “balancing” act. The best leaders have learned to balance their natural temperament functions with those of the people and teams around them. It’s when the functions get out of balance or opposed to each other that we get stuck as individuals and teams.

When it comes to your temperament, balance, balance, balance is the key to success.

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be a Jerk If

You Might Be a Jerk If: Thinking

by Ron Potter December 21, 2015

(If you didn’t start with the introduction to this “You might be a jerk if…” series, I suggest you make a quick review because it will help you better understand these subsequent blogs.)

“I don’t care what you think and don’t confuse me with facts! This is our only way out! Besides, that’s just about the dumbest idea I’ve heard this century. Have you burned out all of your brain cells?
And don’t you dare challenge my intelligence or authority. I’ll make this decision and it will be the right decision.”

Bill is stuck! His dominant function is Thinking which helps him analyze situations and spot the pitfalls in advance. And normally, he’ll balance these great skills with either a good conceptual view of the world or a great grasp of the data, depending on his complete type.
There are four types that have this particular combination, the Introverted ISTP, INTP and the Extraverted ESTJ, ENTJ. As noted above the dominant in all four cases is Thinking and the inferior in all four cases is Feeling. These are what’s known as our Deciding functions, how do we decide what to do after we have taken in the data through our Perceiving functions of Sensing and iNtuition.
In a healthy state, these Deciding functions would then work in tandem with the “perceiving” functions of Sensing or iNtuition depending type. But, under pressure or stress, Bill begins to lose this natural balance, falling back to his dominant function which has a need for logic at all expense. Bill will either lash out in an unexpected (even out of character) emotional outburst or even if he keeps a calm exterior, be begins to take any comments or feedback as personal slights and criticism.

Balance, Balance, Balance

This is where team members and colleagues come into play. It’s difficult for any one of us to break out of these pressure packed situations. As colleagues, we want to help Bill back into a balanced state by asking and sometimes even forcing him to use his auxiliary function. Notice that Bill’s auxiliary function could be either Sensing or iNtuition depending on type. Let’s start with the Sensing balance.

“Bill, what information are you missing to make this decision?”
“I’m not missing any information, it’s just that the information we have doesn’t make sense!”
“Which piece of information doesn’t seem to make sense to you?”
“This one data set just doesn’t align with what we thought we knew. If it’s correct it will have a three week impact on the coding section.”
“OK, let’s think through that. What are the consequences of the three week impact on that portion of the schedule when we put it in context of the overall project?”
“Well, when I think about it that way it probably doesn’t make too much difference.”

As we begin to force Bill to try a little balancing act, he’ll begin to regain his footing. Note that we can’t tell Bill that his data problem doesn’t have much impact to the overall project. Bill has to come to grips with that through balancing his own natural Thinking and Sensing functions.
If we’re dealing with either the INTP or ENTJ than iNtuition is the auxiliary function, not Sensing. The approach is similar, but focused more on the conceptual or future view (iNtuition) rather than the data (Sensing).

“Bill, we’re not questioning your ability in this matter, but what information are you missing to make this decision?”
“I’m not missing any information, it’s just that the information we have doesn’t make sense!”
“Well, where do you think this information will lead?”
“I just don’t know. That’s the problem.”
“Let’s go back to your gut instincts. What is your experience telling you?”
“I’m pretty sure it has to lead us in this direction, I just can’t see it yet.”

As we begin to force Bill to try a little balancing act, he’ll begin to regain his footing. Note that we can’t tell Bill where the data should lead him. Bill has to come to grips with that through balancing his own natural Thinking and iNtuition functions.
Stay tuned. Next in our series titled “You might be a jerk if…” we’ll shift our focus from the dominant Thinking style to the dominant Feeling style. This one may have the most difficulty working in the corporate environment.

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Blog Myers-Briggs You Might Be a Jerk If

You Might Be a Jerk If: Intuition

by Ron Potter November 30, 2015

(If you didn’t start with the introduction to this “You might be a jerk if…” series, I suggest you make a quick review because it will help you better understand these subsequent blogs.)

“I can’t possibly sort through all of these options. I’m already overwhelmed. We could work on this all weekend and we’d never get through everything we need to figure out. Stop! Don’t ask me again, I don’t know how were going to proceed through this morass! I need to get out of here, I’m starving and I need a drink.”

Teresa is stuck! She can’t seem to find her way out and she wants a clear path forward that cuts through all the information, data and options. Teresa’s dominant function is iNtuition (need for concepts, visions and future goals) and her inferior function is Sensing (need for detail and information).
There are four types that have this particular combination, the Introverted INTJ, INFJ and the Extraverted ENTP, ENFP. As noted above, the dominant function in all four cases is iNtuition and the inferior in all four cases is Sensing. These are what’s known as our Perceiving functions, how do we perceive the world around us? These are the functions that we use to take in the information that we’ll need to eventually make a decision.
In a healthy state, these Perceiving functions would then work in tandem with the “deciding” functions of Thinking or Feeling depending type. But, under pressure or stress, Teresa begins to lose this natural balance, falling back to her dominant function which has a need to know where all of this is going and becomes unable to combine it with her deciding function to keep things moving along. Teresa will retreat into her sensory pursuits of binge eating, drinking, TV watching, physical activities or whatever allows her to escape the fact that she’s stuck.

Balance, Balance, Balance

This is where team members and colleagues come into play. It’s difficult for any one of us to break out of these pressure packed situations. As colleagues, we want to help Teresa back into a balanced state by asking and sometimes even forcing her to use her auxiliary function. Notice that Teresa’s auxiliary function could be either Thinking or Feeling depending on type. Let’s start with the Thinking balance.
“Teresa, where do you think this will all lead?”
“I don’t know. None of it makes any sense to me yet.”
“I know, but tell me what you think will be the best answer in the end.”
“Well, it needs to provide us options once we get the product into the market place.”
“Great. Looking beyond the data for a moment, what step do we need to figure out next to give us options in the future?”
As we begin to force Teresa to try a little balancing act, she’ll begin to regain her footing. Note that we can’t tell Teresa what the final state should be. It has to be the act of balancing her own functions of iNtuition and Thinking that begins to restore her sense of balance and allows him to begin functioning on a more normal basis based on her own type.
If we’re dealing with either the INFJ or ENFP than Feeling is the auxiliary function, not Thinking. The approach is similar, just using Feeling questions rather than Thinking questions,
“Teresa, what are you worried about?”
“I don’t feel like I can figure out where this is all headed.”
“What values are you concerned that we’ll miss?”
“It could be any of them if we can’t figure out how this will end up.”
“Well, let’s talk through some scenarios and see how our values set with each of them?”
As Teresa begins to answer these very basic Feeling questions, she begins exercising her own balancing mechanisms and it begins to help her out of the rut. Teresa is regaining balance.
It doesn’t help to point out the values that we believe need to be protected. Our job is to help Teresa regain her own, natural balance.
Stay tuned. Next in our series titled “You might be a jerk if…” we’ll shift our focus from the dominant styles centered on our perceiving function (sensing and intuition) to dominant styles based on our deciding functions of Thinking or Feeling. It’s an interesting shift.

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