Meyers-Briggs Type
Indicator
Chuck Sharrow
Steve Eickoff
Mohd Zain
Fall 2004, University of Minnesota
What is the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator?
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Popular tool for determining
personality preferences
Very popular within industry and
schools
Used for team building, career
guidance, leadership and
management
History of the MBTI
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Was developed by Katherine C Briggs and
her daughter Isabel Myers
Started in 1920’s and after a rigorous
research, validity and reliability testing it
was published in 1975
Translated into 16 languages and taken by
over 2 million people per year
Based on the work of Swiss psychologist
Carl Jung who described personality type
preferences
Characteristics of MyersBriggs Type Indicator
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It's a self-report questionnaire,
an indicator not a test, so there
are no right or wrong answers
Looks at normal behavior
It identifies preferences rather
than competencies, abilities or
skills
No personality type is better or
worse - each has its own gifts
The 4 scales of the MBTI
 Extroversion
or
Introversion
 Sensing or iNtuition
 Thinking or Feeling
 Judging or Perceiving
Extroversion and Introversion
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People who prefer Extroversion…
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Focus their energy and attention
outwardly
Receive energy from interacting with
people and from taking action
Are energized by interacting with people
Enjoy meeting and talking with new
people
Speak out easily and often at meetings
Do their thinking as they speak
Readily take initiative in work &
relationships
Extroversion and Introversion
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People who prefer Introversion…
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Focus their energy and attention
inwardly
Are interested in the world of thoughts
and reflections
Hold back at meetings and often have
trouble getting involved
Become drained and tired with people
Need time to gather their thoughts
before speaking
Prefer to communicate in writing
Take initiative when the situation or
issue is very important to them
Relationship to Management
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Neither type proven better
suited for management
Conflict resolution differences
Reaction to issues
Differences in focus
Sensing and iNtuition
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People who prefer Sensing...
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Are practical and realistic
Start at the beginning and take 1 step at
a time
Live in the present, dealing with the
here and now
Trust experience
Like set procedures, established
routines and historical precedents to
guide them
Work thoroughly step by step towards
conclusions
Sensing and iNtuition
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People who prefer iNtuition...
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Oriented to future possibilities
Are imaginative and inventive
Study the overall design to see how the
parts fit
Thrive on change, new ideas and
variety
Prefer imaginative new solutions to
problems, often becoming impatient with
details
Move quickly to conclusions, follow
hunches
Relationship to Management
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Ss favor concrete and factual
data, while Ns rely on hunches
Preferences for information
processing
Predominance in top
management
Thinking and Feeling
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People who prefer Thinking…
Make their decisions based on
impersonal, objective logic
 Focus on the facts and principles
 Don’t take their emotions or those
of others into account
 Are good at analyzing a situation
and spotting flaws and
inconsistencies
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Thinking and Feeling
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People who prefer Feeling…
Make their decisions based on a
person-centered, value-based
process
 Focus on the personal values of
people and organizations
 Are good at understanding people
and their viewpoints
 Value and trust own feelings when
making decisions
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Relationship to Management
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Decision making styles
Types of management positions
held
Conflict management
Judging and Perceiving
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People who prefer Judging…
Like to live in a planned, orderly
way
 Lives tend to be structured and
organized
 Handle deadlines and time limits
well
 Like getting to the bottom line
quickly and deciding things quickly
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Judging and Perceiving
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People who prefer Perceiving…
Want to explore all options before
deciding
 Prefer to stay open to new
information and last-minute
options
 Adapt well to changing situations
and like to respond resourcefully
 May have trouble making
decisions
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Relationship to Management
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Career decisions
Type of work environment
Management style
Personality Types
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Combined preferences indicate
your personality type
Each personality type lends
itself to particular careers
What type are you?
Typical Careers
ISTJ
management
accounting
auditing
efficiency expert
engineer
geologist
bank examiners
organization development
electricians
dentists
pharmacist
ISFJ
counseling
ministry
library work
nursing
secretarial
curators
bookkeepers
dental hygienists
computer operator
personnel administrator
paralegal
INFJ
career counselor
psychologist
educational consultant
artist
editor/art director
information-graphics designer
merchandise planner
environmental lawyer
job analyst
educational consultant
architects
INTJ
management consultant
economist
scientist
new business developer
administrator
mathematician
psychologist
biomedical researcher
civil engineer
editor/art director
inventor
Typical Careers
ISTP
surveyor
fire fighter
private investigator
pilot
police officer
purchasing agent
chiropractor
medical technician
securities analyst
computer repair person
ISFP
bookkeeper
clerical supervisor
dental assistant
physical therapist
mechanic
radiology technologist
surveyor
chef
forester
INFP
information-graphics designer
college professor
researcher
legal mediator
social worker
holistic health practitioner
occupational therapist
diversity manager
human resource development
specialist
INTP
strategic planning
writer
staff development
lawyer
architect
software designer
financial analyst
college professor
photographer
logician
Typical Careers
ESTP
ESFP
real estate broker
Chef
land developer
physical therapist
stock broker
news reporter
fire fighter
Promoter
entrepreneur
Veterinarian
flight attendant
floral designer
real estate agent
child care provider
social worker
Fundraiser
athletic coach
Musician
Secretary
ENFP
conference planner
speech pathologist
HR development trainer
Clergy
Journalist
Newscaster
career counselor
housing director
character actor
marketing consultant
ENTP
systems designer
venture capitalist
Actor
Journalist
investment broker
real estate agent
real estate developer
strategic planner
political manager
Politician
special projects developer
Typical Careers
ENFJ
Entertainer
Recruiter
Artist
Newscaster
writer/journalist
recreation director
Librarian
Facilitator
Politician
Psychologist
housing director
career counselor
sales manager
ESTJ
government employee
pharmaceutical sales
Auditor
computer analyst
technical trainer
project manager
officer manager
factory supervisor
credit analyst
electrical engineer
stockbroker
ENTJ
program designer
Attorney
Administrator
office manager
chemical engineer
sales manager
logistics consultant
franchise owner
new business developer
personnel manager
investment banker
ESFJ
Nurse
social worker
Caterer
flight attendant
Bookkeeper
medical/dental assistant
exercise physiologist
elementary school teacher
minister/priest/rabbi
retail owner
Real World Applications
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N’s can benefit from the natural
inclination of S’s to…
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Bring up pertinent facts
Face realities of current situation
Apply experience to solving problems
Focus on what needs attention now
S’s can benefit from the natural
inclination of N’s to…
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Bring up new possibilities
Anticipate future trends
Apply insight to solving problems
Focus on long-term goals
Real World Applications
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F’s can benefit from the natural inclination
of T’s to…
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Analyze situations and their implications
Hold consistently to a policy
Create rational systems
Be fair
T’s can benefit from the natural inclination
of F’s to…
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Forecast how others will react and feel
Make needed individual exceptions
Organize people and tasks harmoniously
Be just
Skeptical views of the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
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Unscientific
A Temptation to Pigeonhole
It emphasizes each person being
one specific type rather than each
person using a certain type of
thinking most of the time.
 Real people do not fit easily into
one of sixteen types because they
use different styles of thinking at
different times
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Benefits of MBTI
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PM’s can benefit from knowing
team members’ MBTI Profiles
Adjust management style for
each individual
Get variety of personality types
on project
Resources
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Gardner, William: “Using the Myers-Briggs Type
Indicator to study managers”, Journal of Management
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4256/is_n1_v22/ai_18345344
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Connecting Personality Types With Careers and Jobs
http://www.doi.gov/octc/typescar.html
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Bast, Mary: PROBLEM SOLVING--With the MyersBriggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
http://www.breakoutofthebox.com/mbti.htm
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BrainyEncyclopedia: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
http://www.brainyencyclopedia.com/encyclopedia/m/my/myers_briggs_type_indi
cator.html