The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and ISTPs and ENFJs in Organizations

This time we'll consider ISTPs and ENFJs and examine where they might fit best and some of the possible weak spots for each.

For many ISTPs, a good job includes being rewarded for paying attention to what is logical, allows for hands-on experiences, and gives them freedom to do the work as they see fit. They often enjoy work that is project oriented and task focused, particularly if it involves immediate problem solving. Independence and autonomy are likewise important for ISTPs at work. Action is usually more important and interesting to them than long discussions. ISTPs often lead by example, and expect each person to contribute to the group effort. They can be quite expedient, finding the best solution for the moment. They usually dislike both giving and receiving close supervision. Many ISTPs can keep track of all kinds of detailed information and can become the source of "institutional knowledge" for an organization.

Some areas where ISTPs can have difficulties include taking shortcuts to get things done and skipping important steps. They might miss sharing information with others, who then assume the ISTP is uninvolved, unconcerned, and lacks interest. Sometimes, in their hurry to get things done, they can jump to a new task before the previous one is finished. Perseverance can be a problem. Likewise, goal setting can be difficult. The focus on the immediate can make it hard to look at the long term and plan accordingly, or even create a plan in the first place.

Now let's turn to ENFJs and the contrasts. ENFJs usually prefer jobs that are social and people-oriented, that encourage support, appreciation, harmony, empathy, self-expression, and orderly. Many ENFJs enjoy working with people who are dedicated to making the world a better place. Leading and working in teams is appealing, as is the focus on reaching goals. ENFJs are likely to lead by using their enthusiasm and interpersonal skills, adding in inspiration where needed. They are likely to focus on the organization's values to make sure everyone understands and agrees to them. If the organization's actions mismatch the stated values, ENFJs are probably going to speak up. As managers, they will likely have a highly participatory style.

As always, there are areas that could be trouble. ENFJs can idealize both people and organizations, becoming blind to real flaws in them. Few ENFJs enjoy conflict, so they tend to avoid it as long as possible. Of course, conflict rarely goes away, and when it surfaces again, things could be far worse. Because of their people focus, ENFJs can ignore the routine, necessary tasks of the job in favor of interpersonal activities. They can take criticism of their performance personally. They can be overly critical too, particularly if they feel their values have been compromised. Details can be overlooked, especially if there are more interesting, fun relationship matters to tend to.