Newsletter #35

In this issue:

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and Communicating with ESTPs

About the Strong Interest Inventory®: Unemployment and Job Shifts

About the FIRO-B™: Team Development – Need for Control

The 16PF®– The 16 Personality Factors: Factor F – Lively vs. Serious

Communicating with ESTPs

Now it's time to talk to ESTPs. What are some good ways to communicate with ESTPs? Many of them prefer people who are logical, direct, objective and reasonable, particularly if you speak with them while doing some other activity, such as walking or eating. ESTPs will likely question your information and check if it can be used right away to solve a problem. Many ESTPs enjoy being part of goal-setting, negotiations, or compromise-seeking activities. They prefer action to words, so they will listen for facts, details, and specifics in a discussion. Like many other types, they prefer short, direct, and succinct communication. Long meetings are definitely out. ESTPs will often gravitate towards those activities that may involve risk, action, competition, or challenges. If your communications with them contains one or more of the preceding, you’re likely to maintain their interest.

Things to avoid include long, drawn-out discussions about theory or abstract concepts. People who hint at problems, speak indirectly, or who are overly emotional will rarely keep ESTPs engaged. Too-distant goals (10 years away) are unlikely to interest them. Very strict rules or procedures, particularly if they make no sense to the ESTP, will frustrate and annoy them. Illogical ideas or personal views will likewise cause many ESTPs to lose interest. Any new idea or plan that is unsupported by practical applications or enough details will likewise tend to be ignored. It's common for ESTPs not to want close supervision or someone telling them exactly how to do things. They prefer to find their own solutions. Finally, any deadlines need to allow flexibility for ESTPs to work best. Rigid schedules often are difficult for them to deal with.

About the Strong Interest Inventory: Unemployment and Job Shifts

One interesting thing about the theme codes on the Strong is how they can predict how well people will deal with job changes and unemployment. As with all statistics, these studies describe groups, and cannot predict how any one individual in a group will behave. It's possible you've been through this scenario more than once with no major issues, but your group usually does poorly. That doesn't mean the statistics are incorrect or there's something wrong with you. It means simply that many people in the group will tend to follow the pattern.

So which types handle unemployment and job changes best? If everything is equal, such as personal resources, education, job opportunities, etc., from high to low, it's Social, Enterprising, Artistic, Investigative, Conventional, and Realistic people. This holds true the greater a person's similarity to one personality type is. For example, if your pattern is clearly Social, it's more likely you'll experience change positively. The pattern seems to be that Social and Enterprising types have greater interpersonal skills that help them deal with these problems.

How effective a person deals with job change, particularly involuntary job loss (being fired or laid off), depends on how high their type consistency, identity, and differentiation is. In other words, the more clearly someone identifies with any one type, the more likely that person is to cope with job loss. So if a person clearly and strongly identifies him- or herself with Conventional jobs, for example, the more likely the transition will go smoothly.

The FIRO-B: Team Development – Need for Control

Most teams follow predictable patterns of development that are related to the FIRO-B. In some cases, the need for Control is the first need to be addressed by the group. As the team begins to form, there are typical questions and issues you might have to deal with.

In teams where the need for Control is being developed, common questions people might have include wanting to know how the group will stay on course to reach its goals. Some will want to know how people will be held accountable for their actions or output. Others will surely want to know what is expected of them, some in greater detail, others with less detail. Still others will want to make sure there is consistency in how the group handles issues, solves problems, conducts meetings, produces a product or service, etc. Finally, almost all groups want to know what they are expected to produce and the timeline for doing so.

Some ways you can deal with these questions when you find yourself as part of a new team include preparing an outline of the group’s goals and timelines. Some form of tracking system to make sure progress is coming at an acceptable rate could also be useful. You can ask all team members to state their expectations, then prepare a common list all can agree upon. Similarly, you can try to establish group standards for work, reporting, meetings, output, etc. One good discussion your group might have involves determining the best way the group can be effective, based on its goals and purpose.

The 16 Personality Factors: Factor F – Lively vs. Serious

The next 16PF scale for discussion is the Factor "F" scale, which is Liveliness. What exactly does this scale measure?

The best way to think of this scale is to consider the natural spontaneity and self-expression children have before they learn self-control. High scorers generally are spontaneous, seek attention, lively, and enthusiastic. Many enjoy stimulating social events. Very high scores can mean a person is unreliable or immature. Some high scorers are unable to determine the appropriateness of their behavior, particularly in those situations that require some restraint, such as a funeral. Many high scorers like being in the middle of the excitement or activity. They may wear eye-catching or stylish clothing. They often enjoy talking with friends about social events.

Low scorers, in contrast, frequently take life seriously. They seem to be quieter and less playful than others. These types often limit their spontaneity, and can seem restricted. To some, they might seem mature. To others, they are no fun and not entertaining. Low scorers often report they'd prefer working on a quiet hobby rather than going to a loud party.

As with all the 16PF scales, major insights come from the interactions among the 16 scales, and not from each scale in isolation.