Sam, a Sales Manager in a marketing organisation came to see me after being appraised by his boss.  Generally, his performance review was good.  After all, Sam had exceeded his targets and met almost all the requirements of his job – all, that is, except for one thing.  He appeared to be a loner.

Sam did not like entertaining.  He avoided cocktail parties.  On seminars Sam, unlike others, did not meet his colleagues in the bar afterwards.

Sam disliked small talk, and frivolous conversation bored him.  He also abhorred the ribald banter that inevitably followed a drinking session.  Sam was also not prone to expressing his feelings very easily.

During the performance appraisal, Sam’s boss openly expressed contempt for his apparent aloofness.

“I just don’t know how you get business”, said Sam’s manager, “and if it was not for the fact that you reach your targets every time I would have thought that you’re not cut out for sales!”

Sam argued that his job was to establish and meets his customer’s needs in the most efficient and effective manner.  “I’m a no-nonsense person whom they trust.  To do my job I don’t have to be a buddy, I just need to be a professional”, said Sam.

Nevertheless, Sam was told that his promotional prospects were limited because he did not measure adequately on the ‘gregarious’ scale.

When Sam came to see me he was both angry and confused.  Angry, because he was getting results without recognition in the form of promotion, and confused, because when he tried to be more sociable it drained him and he didn’t how to cope with the situation.  Sam began to think that something was wrong with him.

This type of scenario is played out in thousands of different ways at work, socially and at home, causing untold human misery and conflicts.  These conflicts arise because people think that:

• there is one best type of personality (usually similar to one’s own);
• the type of person you are, determines how well you do your work;
• to be different is to be inferior.

All of the above are inaccurate judgements that come from ignorance about the nature or temperament of people:  what is sometimes called psychological type.

“Psychological Type” is a term coined by Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, and published in his book by that title in 1921.

Psychological type is based on the idea that people have preferred modes of behaviour.  At a simple level everyone knows that some people are right-handed and others are left-handed.  Some people like to exercise, others would rather not; some people enjoy being alone whilst others prefer to engage in activities involving others, and so on.

Psychological preferences focus on the fact that people are predisposed to interact with others, and the world, in different ways.  For example, some people make decisions based on how they feel, whereas others make decisions on rational factors.

The key point to remember is that psychological type deals with psychological preferences only.  It has nothing to do with what may be right or wrong. It also has nothing to do with competencies.  It is, therefore, not judgemental in any way.

Although there are literally thousands of modes of behaviours, we are able to form an accurate assessment of overall personality by clustering preferred behaviours into four main groups, or dimensions, namely:

• actions that energize (or deplete) you;
• how you gather information;
• your natural decision-making style;
• your preferred lifestyle.

Before I go on to describe the categories and preferred behaviours of each of these dimensions, it is important to bear in mind that we are only considering four,  out of many, possible dimensions.  So, although we share similar attributes with people of the same type, we will still be different in other ways.  This cannot typecast others and ourselves and say that one person is like every other person of the same type.

With this I mind, lets examine the dimensions of Energising, Information-gathering, Decision-making and Lifestyle to see how your preferences influence your career, relationships and life.

The Energising dimension

The first of the four scales is called the “Energising” scale and comprises two polarities called “Introversion” and “Extroversion”.  This scale has to do with the focusing of attention and how people are energised (i.e. what charges or stimulates them).  It is, therefore, called the Energising scale.

This may be illustrated as follows:

				Energising
	Extroversion						Introversion

People who prefer Extroversion focus on the outer world of people and the environment.  They are energised by activity and experience.

On the other hand, those who prefer Introversion focus more on their inner world.  They like to reflect, and are energised by having the space and time to contemplate.

The Information-gathering dimension

The information-gathering dimension has to do with the way in which people acquire data.  The names given to the opposite preferences on this scale are “Sensing” and “Intuition”:

			Information-gathering
	Sensing						Intuition

One way people gather information is through the use of their senses.  Their eyes, ears and other senses tell them what is there.  Sensing people prefer to use their senses for establishing facts and interpreting the realities of a situation.  They tend to be detail oriented and are realistic and practical.

The other way to deal with information is through Intuition.  Intuitive people seek meanings and possibilities that go beyond what is directly available to the senses.  Intuitive types value imagination and inspiration.

The Decision-making dimension

Having acquired information either intuitively or through the senses, decisions need to be made.  The opposites on the decision-making scale are “Thinking” and “Feeling”:

			Decision-Making
	Thinking						Feeling

People who prefer to logically weigh up the evidence to come to an objective decision are employing the Thinking function.  Such types are usually good at analysing and diagnosing what is wrong with something.

The opposite preference to Thinking is Feeling.  Feeling people prefer to make decisions based on how much they care and what appeals to them.   Personal values are paramount. It is important to understand that the term “Feeling” does not refer to emotions but to values.

The Lifestyle dimension

This last dimension describes the lifestyle people prefer to adopt when dealing with issues.  The opposites on this scale are “Judging” and “Perceiving”:

				Lifestyle
	Judging						Perceiving

Those who prefer the Judging attitude tend to live in a planned, orderly way.  They like to be in control of matters and they organise themselves in a structured manner.  (The word “structured” defines this preference quite well.)

The other lifestyle preference is one characterised by flexibility.  Thus, Perceiving people prefer to live in a spontaneous, flexible manner.  They like to keep their options open and adapt to each situation as it comes up.  They also seek to understand life rather than control it.

Eight possible preferences

Because each of the four dimensions have a scale with two opposite attributes, eight preferences are rated when evaluating psychological type.

These are:

Extroversion/ Introversion

Sensing/Intuition

Thinking/Feeling

Judging/Perceiving

These preferences are given the following initials:

E = Extroversion

I = Introversion

S = Sensing

N = Intuition (the letter “I” has already been allocated to Introver

sion so the next letter in the name Intuition is used)

T = Thinking

F = Feeling

J = Judging

P = Perceiving

Sixteen psychological types

With eight preferences we have sixteen possible combinations of psychological type:

ESTJESFJ ESTP ENTP

ENTJENFJ ESFP ENFP

ISTPISFP ISTJ INTJ

INTPINFP ISFJ INFJ

Establishing your psychological type

There are essentially two ways of establishing your psychological type.

1. Understand the meaning of dimensions and groups of preferences (i.e. E/I, S/N, T/P and J/P) and look for dominant behaviours in yourself and others to reveal psychological type.  This is known as typewatching.

1. Complete a valid and reliable questionnaire that will indicate your psychological type.  Two such instruments are:  Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and Psychological Type Indicator.  The former is available only to psychologists and other certified professionals, whereas the latter is included in my book “Discover Your Psychological Type”.  This can be obtained by phoning (011) 453 1733 or emailing Karen Jacobs at kjacobs@ihdynamics.co.za

Once you have ascertained your psychological type you are in a position to establish your natural preferences.  With this knowledge you will be able to maximise your potential strengths and strengthen your weaknesses.  Knowing about type also allows you to understand, and even cherish, different preferences found in other people.  This is the essence of team development.

To help you get a bigger picture of the preferences of psychological type I have provided you with a brief summary of each of the sixteen psychological types.

Brief Description of the Sixteen Types

ESTJ

Tough-minded, practical ORGANISER.  Focused and decisive; more concerned about getting results than about how people feel.

ENTJ

Confident, creative ORGANISER.  Competitive and innovative; good at over-coming obstacles and generating innovative ideas.

ISTP

Quiet, practical ANALYSER.  Analytical and reflective; likes to organise data to understand situations and solve practical problems.

INTP

Creative, contemplative ANALYSER.  Independent thinker who enjoys using the intellect to come up with new possibilities; stimulated by intellectual challenges.

ESFJ

Practical RECONCILER.  Outgoing and pragmatic.  Responsible and compassionate:  dislikes conflict and concerned about creating harmony and making people feel comfortable.

ENFJ

Imaginative RECONCILER.  Supportive and persuasive.  Encourages people to use their potential and accomplish as much as possible.

ISFP

Caring, adaptable HELPER.  Reserved and sensitive to the needs of others.  Shuns disagreements and likes to make the most of present moments.

INFP

Creative, committed HELPER.  Reflective and innovative in finding unusual ways of serving a cause.  Loyal to ideas and more interested in possibilities than practicalities.

ESTP

Gregarious, logical ADAPTOR.  Resourceful, action-oriented with a passion for adventure and new challenges.  Likes to solve concrete problems, impatient with theories.

ESFP

Mediator and practical ADAPTOR.  Good communicator with an ability to influence others and settle disputes.  Keen observer of detail.

ISTJ

Analytical ADMINISTRATOR.  Meticulous and systematic.  Concerned about following systematic procedures.  Takes responsibility and is thorough.

ISFJ

Sympathetic ADMINISTRATOR.  Sensitive and compassionate.  Concerned about the welfare of others.  Has a strong sense of duty and is most comfortable with practical issues.

ENTP

Imaginative STRATEGISER.  Outgoing and resourceful in developing strategies to achieve goals.  Dislikes routine.

ENFP

Gregarious, energetic STRATEGISER.  Initiator of change.  Seeks variety and individualistic expression of ideas.  Anticipates the needs of others and readily offers help and encouragement.

INTJ

Independent INNOVATOR.  Self confident thinker.  Well organised and creative in finding solutions to problems and seeing new possibilities in everyday situations.

INFJ

Person-centred INNOVATOR.  Enjoys working on issues that further the well-being and development of people.  Reserved, yet compassionate and committed.

Conclusion

Psychological type is a powerful way of identifying preferences, and therefore predispositions, in eight human categories.

A knowledge of psychological type will help you to understand yourself and others.  It can also explain why you, and others, are prone to certain types of behaviours.

It is important to remember that there is no ‘better’ or ‘worse’ type.  People who use psychological type to form judgements about others are misusing this valuable aid.

Also bear in mind that psychological type does not reveal anything about capabilities and beliefs.  One should not use psychological type to predict success or failure in any endeavour.  Rather, use your knowledge to accept yourself, develop yourself, accept and encourage others, and respect the differences that exist between people.