cpp itto binder tdl 1cd-6 informational interviewing 125 cd-7 analyzing career fit 126 cd-8 career...
TRANSCRIPT
iii
Contents
List of Exercises vii
What’s New in This Edition ix
About the Authors xi
IntroductionOrganization and Overview 2
Guidelines for Trainers 3
Part 1 Getting Inside the OrganizationCommunicating for Results 7
Entry Strategies 9
Presenting the Benefits 11
Reproducible Masters 13
Part 2 Before You Begin Your TrainingInformation You Need from Your Client 15
Information Your Client Needs from You 16
Planning Your Workshop Design and Testing 17
A Code of Ethics 22
Reproducible Masters 25
Part 3 The Introductory WorkshopSuggested Agendas 27
Room Preparation 29
The Workshop 30
I. Opening the Session 30
II. Introducing the Preferences 31
III. Underscoring Ethical Principles and Concepts 31
IV. History of the MBTI Tool 32
V. Administering the MBTI Tool 33
VI. Presenting the Jungian Model 33
VII. Describing and Self-Selecting Preferences 36
VIII. Determining Best-Fit Type 40
IX. Experiencing Type Differences 42
X. Concluding the Session 42
Exercises 45
Reproducible Masters 61
Part 4 Applications of Type in OrganizationsType Tips 64
Structuring Groups for Learning 66
Application 1: Leadership Development and Coaching 69
Preparing for a Leadership Development or Coaching Intervention 69
Exercises 71
Reproducible Masters 79
Application 2: Team Building 81
Preparing for a Team-Building Intervention 81
Exercises 85
Reproducible Masters 99
Application 3: Communication 101
Preparing for a Communication Intervention 101
Exercises 103
Reproducible Masters 113
Application 4: Career Development 115
Preparing for a Career Development Intervention 115
Exercises 119
Reproducible Masters 133
Application 5: Change Management 135
Preparing for a Change Management Intervention 135
Exercises 137
Reproducible Masters 147
iv Contents
Part 5 The Type Dynamics WorkshopGoals and Objectives 150
A Sample Script 150
Exercises 159
Reproducible Masters 163
Frequently Asked Questions About Type 165
Resources 169
Contents v
vii
List of Exercises
The Introductory WorkshopINT-1 Introduction Exercises 46
INT-2 Handedness 47
INT-3 A Day at the Beach 48
INT-4 Work Environments 49
INT-5 A Holiday Feast 50
INT-6 Giving Directions 51
INT-7 Deciding Who Should Go 52
INT-8 Definitions 53
INT-9 Meeting Agendas 54
INT-10 Starting a Project 55
INT-11 Living Type Table 56
INT-12 Leadership Styles 58
INT-13 Action Planning 59
INT-14 Letter to Myself 60
Leadership Development and CoachingLD-1 Leadership Styles 72
LD-2 Type Watching 73
LD-3 Perception Checklist 74
LD-4 Analyzing an Individual’s Fit 75
LD-5 Problem Situations 76
LD-6 Communicating Performance Issues 77
LD-7 Giving Positive Feedback 78
Team BuildingTB-1 Personal Operating Manual 86
TB-2 Living Type Table 88
TB-3 Exploring the 16 Types 90
TB-4 An Ideal Organization 91
TB-5 Team Effectiveness Analysis 93
TB-6 Analysis of a Two-Person Team 94
TB-7 Team Appreciation and Recognition 95
TB-8 Understanding Each Preference 96
TB-9 Appreciating Differences 97
CommunicationCOM-1 Communicating with Other Types 104
COM-2 Influencing Others 105
COM-3 Systematic Problem Solving 107
COM-4 Communication Styles 108
COM-5 Communication Case Study 109
COM-6 Appreciation or Recognition 110
COM-7 Conflict Resolution 111
Career DevelopmentCD-1 Career Development Icebreaker 120
CD-2 Current and Ideal Career 121
CD-3 Energizing Work Environments 122
CD-4 Preferred Task Analysis 123
CD-5 Career Search Strategies 124
CD-6 Informational Interviewing 125
CD-7 Analyzing Career Fit 126
CD-8 Career Exploration Case Study 127
CD-9 Ideal Work Relationships and Conditions 129
CD-10 Personal Workline 130
CD-11 Using Type for Job Search Communications 131
Change ManagementCM-1 Change and Stress 138
CM-2 Stress Management 140
CM-3 Type Differences and Time Perception 141
CM-4 Clarifying Longings 142
CM-5 Meaning and Purpose Sort 143
CM-6 Analyzing Change 144
CM-7 How We View Change 145
The Type Dynamics WorkshopTD-1 Stress and the Inferior Function 160
TD-2 Rest and Richness 161
TD-3 Understanding the Inferior Function 162
viii List of Exercises
1
Introduction
We recently had lunch with a group of human resources professionals. As we talked about
new trends in coaching and leadership development, one of them said, “Think of all the tools
we used for a while in this business, then threw away. The MBTI instrument is the one con-
stant in my 20 years of consulting.”
And that is why we’ve prepared a third edition of Using the MBTI Tool in Organizations. The
use of type concepts in business and organizational settings has stood the test of time. Since
the first edition appeared in 1985, countless new studies as well as real-life experiences have
confirmed the value and validity of using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) assess-
ment in a wide variety of settings, from small partnerships to large Fortune 100 companies, as
well as in educational, governmental, medical, religious, and nonprofit organizations. In
training programs, the assessment helps build both personal understanding and an under-
standing of an organization’s norms and character.
Since its publication by CPP, Inc, in 1975, millions of individuals have taken the MBTI
instrument. Worldwide, it is now the most widely used psychological assessment tool for
both individuals and groups. By using this instrument, people become more self-aware of
their preferences for gaining energy, gathering information, making decisions, and approach-
ing life.
Trainers, participants, and others in organizational settings often see dramatic results
when type is used for:
◆ Leadership development. Type concepts provide a model for personal growth as well as
information on how other people of each type have developed leadership, communica-
tion, and work skills.
◆ Team building. The MBTI instrument effectively allows project teams and functional
departments to assess, without being judgmental, the assets and developmental needs of
their organization.
◆ Communication strategies. The MBTI instrument helps people affirm and understand
not only their own preferences but also those of others.
◆ Career development. Individuals can use type concepts to evaluate the fit between them-
selves and their jobs.
◆ Change management. The MBTI assessment provides a framework around which to
understand individual needs, stressors, and contributions during times of change.
◆ Many other applications. Because it is easy to administer, professionally interpreted, and
well researched, the MBTI assessment generates reliable data that can be used for organi-
zational and individual development. It has proved effective in interpersonal relations and
conflict resolution, providing neutral language and a framework for reducing unproduc-
tive interpersonal and intra-organizational conflict.
This resource guide is organized to help you prepare for and conduct organizational
interventions, including use of the information derived from MBTI results to conduct lead-
ership development programs, team-building programs, training courses in communication,
career development or change management, and individual coaching. The group exercises in
particular clearly demonstrate the differences that underlie the 16 psychological types.
Organization and Overview
The purposes of this guide are to bring together easy and time-tested ways to use the MBTI
tool in organizations, provide practical and adaptable applications for the assessment in vari-
ous types of interventions and training, and encourage wider ethical use of the assessment in
organizations.
Part 1: Getting Inside the Organization offers guidelines for using the MBTI assess-
ment in organizations and includes advice on presenting its benefits so that you can gain
entry into an organization. The recommendations also help internal organizational profes-
sionals as they plan for effective introduction and application of this tool.
Part 2: Before You Begin Your Training provides specific questions to consider before
you undertake training, setting the stage for a successful experience.
Part 3: The Introductory Workshop outlines a flexible workshop for introducing the
MBTI instrument to groups. The designs incorporate the use of Introduction to Type in Organi-
zations, third edition [ITO] (Hirsh and Kummerow, 1998), Introduction to Type and Coaching
[ITC] (Hirsh and Kise, 2001), or Introduction to Type and Teams, second edition [ITT] (Hirsh,
Hirsh, and Hirsh, 2003). The workshop includes:
◆ Information on using the MBTI instrument in organizations
◆ The theory and history of the instrument
◆ A brief discussion of Jung’s theory of personality types
◆ Descriptions of the preferences
◆ Information on determination of “best-fit” type
◆ Suggested exercises
Part 4: Applications of Type in Organizations supplies an overview, ideas, and learning
exercises for five interventions for organizations:
◆ Leadership Development and Coaching
◆ Team Building
2 Using the MBTI®Tool in Organizations
◆ Communication
◆ Career Development
◆ Change Management
Part 5: The Type Dynamics Workshop includes a script and suggested exercises for
introducing these more advanced type concepts.
“Frequently Asked Questions About Type” provides the answers to questions we have
often encountered from workshop participants about the meaning and complexities of type.
“Resources” contains additional sources of information relevant to all of the organizational
applications discussed in the text.
The reproducible masters (RMs) found at the conclusion of most sections of this leader’s
guide include both the presentation overheads and the participant handouts. These are intended
expressly for workshop use. Exercise care that the copyright notation at the bottom of each page is kept on
all reproduced materials. The workshop “talking points” and exercises throughout this guide refer-
ence the required RMs and other resources needed.
While the RMs are numbered for easy identification within this resource binder, you
would not use all of them in any one workshop. Let participants know that the numbers
reflect their order in this guide only and that you (may) have tailored and repaginated the
materials to meet their needs. Note as well that the text references to individual reproducible
masters to be used as presentation overheads (RM 2-1, RM 3-2, and so forth) apply both to
the printed masters provided and to the electronic version found on the PowerPoint disk
included in this program.
Guidelines for Trainers
The following guidelines are intended to help you be as effective as possible in using the
MBTI tool with groups and are based on what we have learned—sometimes the hard way—
from experience.
Be qualified and prepare thoroughly
Prepare ahead A thorough understanding of psychological type, the theory underlying the MBTI instru-
ment, is the key to effective use of the assessment. Prepare by attending a qualifying training
program or by satisfactorily completing an accredited college or university course in the inter-
pretation of psychological tests that includes the MBTI instrument. Inadequate preparation is
unethical. It can be detrimental to the participants if inaccurate information is conveyed
about the nature of their personality types.
The publisher of the MBTI instrument, CPP, Inc.,states its policy regarding purchaser qual-
ifications in its catalog. Other international publishers and distributors have similar require-
ments for the purchase and use of MBTI materials and their associated scoring services. If you
work internationally, you will want to check their requirements.
Use good resource materialsThere is always more to learn about type, more proof of its richness as a tool. A full list of refer-
ences is presented in the “Resources” section of this guide, but our favorite resources for aug-
menting and updating both understanding of the MBTI instrument and skill at interpreting it are:
Introduction 3
◆ MBTI Manual: A Guide to the Development and Use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, third
edition [The Manual], by Isabel Briggs Myers, Mary H. McCaulley, Naomi L. Quenk, and
Allen L. Hammer (1998), especially chapters 1 to 5 and chapters 10 to 14. Chapter 14 is
helpful if you work in multicultural settings.
◆ Gifts Differing, by Isabel Briggs Myers with Peter B. Myers (1995), especially the pub-
lisher’s foreword, the preface, and chapters 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7.
◆ Work It Out: Clues to Solving People Problems at Work, by Sandra Krebs Hirsh with Jane A. G.
Kise (1996).
◆ LIFETypes, by Sandra Krebs Hirsh and Jean M. Kummerow (1989).
◆ The MBTI Teambuilding Program: Leader’s Resource Guide, by Elizabeth Hirsh, Katherine W.
Hirsh, and Sandra Krebs Hirsh (1992/2003).
◆ Understanding Type: A Workshop with Sandra Krebs Hirsh (audiotape, 1993).
◆ Exploring Type with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, by Sandra Krebs Hirsh (video, 1995).
◆ MBTI Applications: A Decade of Research on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, edited by Allen L.
Hammer (1996).
◆ The Portable Jung, edited by Joseph Campbell (1971).
◆ We also recommend that each participant in a workshop receive a resource containing
descriptions of each of the 16 types. Many are available, but exercises in this resource are
geared to:
● Introduction to Type in Organizations, third edition, by Sandra Krebs Hirsh and Jean M.
Kummerow (1998)
● Introduction to Type and Teams, second edition, by Elizabeth Hirsh, Katherine W. Hirsh,
and Sandra Krebs Hirsh (2003)
● Introduction to Type and Coaching, by Sandra Krebs Hirsh and Jane A. G. Kise (2000)
Join professional type organizationsJoin the Association for Psychological Type (APT), whose purpose is to promote the ethical
use of psychological type. For membership information, call 847-375-4717 or visit
www.aptcentral.org. APT sponsors international and regional conferences and provides
members with the APT Bulletin and the Journal of Psychological Type. The Association can also
help you connect with a chapter in your area.
Practice in low-risk settings Before working with groups or organizations, practice a group interpretation of the MBTI
tool in a low-risk setting with friends or colleagues. Or, co-facilitate a workshop with an
experienced MBTI professional. When you feel comfortable with group interpretations, you
can lead a session on your own and ask a more experienced person to act as your coach.
Value Myers’ comments In the 1962 Manual, The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (page 6), Isabel Myers stated, “It is difficult
to specify a particular set of qualifications required to use the Indicator as it may be employed
in many different contexts requiring different knowledge and skills.” She added that not every
person should use it—only those people with “a practical working knowledge of the uses and
limitations of such measurement devices...a pioneer make-up...a curiosity...and a detective
instinct…to following up whatever clues it presents to problems in one’s particular field”
should administer, interpret, and train others on the MBTI instrument.
4 Using the MBTI®Tool in Organizations
Adhere to ethical guidelines
Keep in mind the important ethical considerations outlined below when using the MBTI
assessment with groups, especially within a place of employment.
Taking the MBTI assessment should be voluntary◆ No one should feel that he or she must complete the MBTI instrument to participate in a
workshop or other intervention. Pressuring people to take the instrument is unethical and
unprofessional—it can affect the results of the instrument, the climate of the workshop,
and the quality of the trainer-participant relationship.
◆ Some people regard all tests suspiciously and are even more wary of personality or psy-
chological tests. Several reasons for this are:
● They took a “test” before as part of a training seminar and the results were unpleasant,
pejorative, shared with everyone else, or used to identify some way in which they devi-
ated from what was desired.
● They feel that their personal lives are no one else’s business.
● They dislike being labeled with a particular psychological term.
● They do not want their organization to obtain private information about them, particu-
larly when the nature and use of that information is unknown or unclear to them.
These are all valid concerns.
When the MBTI assessment is a part of a required workshop, respect privacy ◆ Allow people to participate in any of the exercises whether or not they choose to take the
assessment. Ask them to act as observers, selecting a group that is their preferred type or
one that is interesting to them. Take care not to call attention to those participants. When
people become aware of the nonjudgmental nature of the assessment, most choose to take
it. Have extra Form M Self-Scorable assessments available, just in case. (Remember to cau-
tion those who take the assessment after they have heard its interpretation to try to answer
as honestly as possible.)
MBTI results should be treated as a working hypothesis rather than an established fact ◆ Each person determines his or her “true” type based on self-selection, MBTI results, expe-
riential activities, type descriptions, and other resources. About 70% to 80% of the time,
a person’s self-selected type and MBTI results match on all four scales; agreement on at
least three scales occurs over 95% of the time. See chapter 9 of The Manual for more
information. A method to help determine a person’s best-fit type is described on pages
38–40, “Best-Fit Type.”
◆ Individuals should have the final say about the type they believe best describes them.
They need ample time, opportunity, and help to verify their own type preferences.
Type indicates preferences, not traits ◆ Resist telling participants that they behave in a certain way because they are a certain
type. This is using trait language (more of/less of; good/bad; higher/lower amount of;
better/worse; and causality) rather than type language, which is qualitative (categories,
clarity of preference, no best/worst type, etc.). While type can and does explain some behav-
iors, it does not account for all behavior in all situations. The “I” in the MBTI acronym stands
for “Indicator,” and its purpose is to indicate the direction of an individual’s preferences.
Introduction 5
Type describes normal behavior in normal people ◆ Organizational interventions are seldom intended to be personal therapy sessions. Occa-
sionally, however, individuals may require additional help beyond the objectives or focus
of your project. Be prepared to refer those people to internal employee-assistance coun-
selors, outside therapists, or professional coaches who are competent to interpret the
MBTI assessment and whose professionalism you trust. This may take some effort if you
are conducting the workshop in another city, but it is a necessary precaution. The mem-
bership directory for APT sorts people who are qualified to interpret the MBTI assessment
by special interest area and geographic location.
Treat all types as equal ◆ To avoid type bias, give equal time and weight to the descriptions of the eight preferences
and the 16 personality types. It is easy to describe your favorites at length and others more
quickly and less enthusiastically.
◆ Finally, beware of typecasting or stereotyping. Keep in mind, for example, that all ENFPs
are like all other ENFPs, some other ENFPs, and no other ENFPs. Personality type is a set
of concepts that aids people in understanding their own and others’ behavior. However,
many factors besides personality type account for the differences among people.
Maintain confidentiality
Many participants will be sensitive about their MBTI results and concerned about sharing
their type preferences publicly. Assure individuals that their MBTI results are confidential and
will not be given to anyone else without their prior permission, except in aggregate form.
As an MBTI professional, make arrangements to ensure that results will be used only for
purposes that you believe are ethical. This advance work builds trust. To do this:
◆ Check with the organization to be sure that you, as the MBTI professional, have control
over the data. Hold fast to the principle that no one’s MBTI data can be given to others or
to any organizational unit. You can, with prior permission, create and use type tables with
aggregate data (e.g., the group had three Extraverts and six Introverts).
◆ Perhaps have participants use the Form M Self-Scorable assessment to ensure confidentiality.
They will then control their type data. The downside when using the Form M Self-Scorable
assessment is that it is difficult for you to use the participants’ type data to pre-plan the
session.
◆ When possible, ask leaders, team leaders, or other highly regarded organizational people
to open the workshop, assure confidentiality, and/or describe how the MBTI tool was per-
sonally helpful and organizationally useful for them. When organizational leaders share
information about themselves and their experiences with type, it adds comfort and credi-
bility to your endeavor.
Trainers often ask how they can ensure confidentiality if people are grouped for exercises by
preference or by type. Address this concern by explicitly stating in the directions for such exer-
cises that participants can choose a group that matches their type or choose a group whose
preferences are of interest to them. That way no one knows for sure if all the participants in an
ISTJ group, for example, are in fact ISTJs or just people interested in learning about the ISTJ
type. You can also suggest to those who are reluctant to participate that they observe the activi-
ties. People can share as much or as little of their data as they are comfortable sharing. While
this may complicate the execution of some activities, it is worth the extra effort to build trust.
6 Using the MBTI®Tool in Organizations