Dear Reader,

I wanted to take a moment to reflect on a lunch program the SLC3 hosted last week. Lisa Schuler spoke on Cracking the Code: Improving Communication Style and Unlocking Team Potential. It’s been my long-standing belief that understanding yourself better can and will have a significant impact on both personal and professional relationships: such as understanding personality types through tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

In today’s diverse workplace, where people come together with different backgrounds, experiences, and approaches to work, communication is even more complicated. However, effective communication is not just about words but also about understanding how people think, process information, and make decisions. This is where personality tests, such as the MBTI, can provide valuable insights.

The MBTI, based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types, categorizes people into one of 16 personality types based on four key dimensions:

  • Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)
  • Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)
  • Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
  • Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)

While no personality test can fully capture the complexity of an individual, MBTI offers a framework for understanding different preferences and tendencies that shape how people behave and communicate. I am not selling anyone on using these, however, I do want to emphasize some of its importance. One is improving team dynamics. An extravert may thrive in brainstorming sessions while introverts prefer to work independently. Appreciating these differences makes for a more inclusive environment.

Enhancing communication is also another reason. Such as someone with a Thinking preference might prefer prioritizing logic and data, while someone with a Feeling preference may value empathy and personal considerations. Tailoring communication can lead to more effective interactions, reduce misunderstandings and foster a more harmonious workplace. Sound fair?

Leadership development is critical for every organization. When leaders are aware of their own MBTI type, and those of their team members they become more adaptive and flexible in their approach. They likely better recognize how to motivate different types of people, better manage conflict, and create an environment where each person feels understood and appreciated. Have you gotten frustrated at work by your supervisor or felt he doesn’t get you? May be time for some improvement.

The younger you are the more likely you struggle with self-awareness but it could be at any age. One way to improve this is through personality tests. If your results are a surprise it is likely good you just took the test because you may need to improve your self-awareness. If it wasn’t, great as you are already on the right track but maybe not considering this for others? Either way it brings about clarity on you why might approach tasks or relationships in a certain way. Knowing your strengths can greatly impact your work and personal life as you work towards strengths and know potential blind spots or pitfalls.  If you are a perceiving type, you may naturally prefer spontaneity and are more adaptable. However, a Judging type prefers structure and deadlines.

Approaching others with appreciation, patience, and understanding can come from knowing there are unique perspectives. There are diverse approaches and we must be willing to accept those differences are being met with resistance, cultural problems, and ultimately not fulfilling objectives. Personality tests are not intended to “label” but rather be used as tools for better understanding oneself and others.  Workplaces thrive on collaboration and mutual respect, so these insights can lead to stronger relationships, more effective teamwork, and a more cohesive organizational culture.

Lisa Schuler, Jeff Koziatek, and other consultants are available to help. We do plan to host a more in-depth workshop on this topic as we know that our industry is tough enough to master. If we can make communication and understanding better, we will do our best!

Kelly Jackson