Repost –Corporate Communication and Personality Type (MBTI)

Communication, according to corporate consultants, is the #1 factor for any and all issues within the workplace. And they would be correct. However, the solutions that are typically employed are unable to solve the underlying issue– personality type amongst colleagues.

The 3 solutions implemented are:

  1. Increased communication, even “over communication”
  2. Clearer and more concise communication
  3. CC’ing a superior to accelerate response times

You can pick and choose the cases where these methods were effective, but an alternative may have longer lasting results.


Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Most are familiar with the Myers-Briggs Assessment that breaks down everyone into 1 of 16 personality types, designated by a 4-letter acronym (ex. ESFP, ENTJ, ISTJ, etc.). Each letter has a distinct opposite, as follows:


• E vs I (extroversion vs introversion)
• N vs T (intuition vs thinking)
• T vs F (thinking vs feeling)
• J vs P (judging vs perceiving)

The focus here is on the Judging vs Perceiving function that I believe is where most communication breaks down. Therefore, an increase in communication only exacerbates the problem instead of clearing it up.


Judgers have their minds made up about nearly everything. Things are black and white and there is a finality to their opinions on every topic. They tend to stick to deadlines and draw lines in the sand, remaining uncompromisingly rigid.


Perceivers weigh their options and never lock themselves into a concrete answer. New information could arrive at any moment that would negate their past beliefs. They see both sides of an argument and the pros/cons of nearly every form of action. They tend to be flexible with schedules and keep the door open to new ideas.


Example

Being as clear and concise as possible, you ask, “Can you come into the office on Monday?”
As a Judger (J), there is no possible way to misinterpret this question.
As a Perceiver (P), there are several responses and interpretations:
• “Mondays are tough for me, I might not be able to make it…”
• “What time?
• “It depends on my schedule”


This is infuriating for the Judger as the answer is clearly either Yes or No. The unclear response demands a longer conversation that to the (J) is not needed. To the (P), there is simply not enough information in the question to give the right answer. The Perceiver is frustrated with this question as it forces them to make an ill-informed decision.


Compromise

At the bare minimum, let’s compromise and start out with Yes/No and then the rationale.
• “Yes, depending on the time “
• “Yes, but only after 10am”
• “No, I am out of town that day”

Relating back to “clearer and more concise communication,” the above compromise is what should be implemented. Understand the type you are communicating with and proceed accordingly.

If you are restructuring your org chart, this is going to be the most useful way to decide how teams are put together, who leads them, and who makes the decisions.

In the following short articles, I will go over the 3 other functions of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and dig deeper into possible workplace solutions.

To message me directly, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/

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Why Am I Getting Rejected – Job Interview and Awareness

There is a common post-interview plague that is tragically infecting job seekers. It is in regards to not understanding how the interview went and going as far as to say you “killed the interview.” From my experience in being the middleman in this process, those who claim the interview went amazingly well, don’t get the job. Those who said the interview was OK, or they “think it went alright” are the ones who usually get the role.

Lack of Awareness

There is a disconnect between what you perceive as building rapport and being jovial, and the true reality of the situation. Candidates will tell me they were joking and laughing and the conversation was very light-hearted, as trademark signs that the interview was going swimmingly. What’s happening is the laughter is the nervous kind, and the jokes were off-putting. The laid back nature of the interview is because they’ve already decided you aren’t a fit and they don’t need to get deeper into the details of the job. Generally, this is recurrent theme with these candidates and is something that can be reversed by focusing on MBTI and the way in which one interacts and perceives the world.

Myers- Briggs and Interview Style

We have to start by understanding ourselves. And the way we do that is by first reading, Please Understand Me by David Kiersey. Once we discover the way our specific type (out of 16) perceives and relates to others– in a way I guarantee most of us haven’t fully conceptualized– we can fix some of the recurring potholes we always stumble in.

I think I can offer one straightforward explanation as to why your type is affecting your interviews and potential job offers. If you are an Extrovert in general, you are going to get your energy from the outer world. If along with your extroverted-ness, you also have a preference for Feeling vs Thinking, you are going to internalize your outer world. So when you get the laughter and smiles and eye contact in the interview, you are going to say, “hey, I am doing pretty well here!”

Unfortunately, you may be reading the situation on a very superficial plane. Your S and T functions will come in handy here if you make a wholehearted effort to develop them. Learning to strengthen your Sensing (S) and Thinking (T) functions will help you pick up on physical clues that can alert you to points when the interview might be taking a wrong turn and you need to course correct.

Obviously, there are millions more words to be written on the finer points of using MBTI to help with JUST how to interview better and be more aware of our faults. Though our tendency is to find a way to externalize our blame onto the interviewer, we should first make certain the interviewee truly knows themselves.

To message me directly, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/

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Workplace Motivation and Type: Bridging the Gap

A misunderstanding in regards to workplace motivation or “rallying the troops,” stems from personality type. A rousing speech, a pep talk, or a motivational meme will have starkly different results depending on an employee’s MBTI. Many articles and videos have been produced highlighting what I am going to write here. Nonetheless, it continues to be a roadblock many organization cannot navigate around.

Standard motivation

A quick list is useful to get a high level overview of which types are internally motivated and which need a polite nudge to get moving. Internally motivated types are: ENFJ, INTJ, ENTJ, ENTP, ISTJ, ESTJ, ESTP. Externally motivated types are: INFJ, INFP, ENFP, INTP, ISTP, ISFP, ESFP. Take a look at the hyperlink above to get a further analysis of each individual’s motivational posture.

Also, for managers or aspiring managers, take the assessment and know what you are working with.

The reason we have to focus on type as an imperative to great management is to recognize that, guaranteed, a percentage of your office isn’t going to process your motivational tactics the way you want them to. This is why company’s that dominate their industries use MBTI to build the strongest and most dynamic teams. For example, let’s look at Ray Dalio and his company, Bridgewater Associates. In his book, Principles, he talks about his implementation of “Radical Transparency” within Bridgewater and how it completely transformed the corporate culture. Along with the internal app that allowed each employee to view another’s profile, at every desk was a card that listed out MBTI, DiSC, and other personality assessments. This way, that vaunted communication issue could be greatly reduced.

bi graphics ray dalio principles final

When you know who you are dealing with and how they interpret and interact with their environment, you can avoid pitfalls before you step in them. That email you are about to send? That zoom meeting you are about to attend? That project you are going to lead? Well, now you know how how to approach everybody. And there’s no way you would argue against having more information about those you work with 8-10 hours per day. Work is already stressful enough–let’s do what we can make it increasingly more pleasant.

To message me directly, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/

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How to Fix My Resume

In 90% of cases, a resume does not need to be re-written. It simply needs a couple tweaks and additions that make it look reinvigorated. The only time a full overhaul is needed is when the formatting and design are unreadable and convoluted. For someone needing resume help, not requiring a complete revamp brings them tremendous emotional relief.

The first thing I always ask is, “What do you think is wrong with your resume?” The answers I get start with, “I just feel like…

A) I’m not getting as many hits as I used to…”

B) I could add something more…”

C) I keep getting passed over because of it…”

What it comes down to is making the proper adjustments in regards to keywords, job titles, format, spacing, reduction of fluff, addition of specific tools, and clarity throughout.

I worked with a sales rep recently who needed resume advice. After talking through the resume, we concluded he needed three changes: Adding his sales achievements, adding specific CRM and software skills, and adding an additional page. (I will be discussing the myth of the 1 page resume in an upcoming video/article.)

Beyond the wall of text: how information design can make contracts us…

Some minor formatting tweaks and page rearrangement for the finishing touch, and that was it. After this, any manager or recruiter viewing his resumes could see he was a top 10% sales rep and well-versed with enterprise CRM tools.

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Most often, a resume needs to be shorter, not longer. It needs to be more concise when listing bullet points, and focused on reducing ambiguous character statements. I would delete the “Objective” statement as well. At least on the staffing side of the business, this is something you can remove without suffering any damage.

We found the real Ron Swanson, and he's just like the one on TV ...

Unless you are a graphic designer, artist, or game developer, you do not need to spruce up your resume with graphics or flashy designs. Both the ATS and the hiring manager are searching for content and competence, not creativity. If you cannot resist an intricate resume with graphics and multi-colored font, my recommendation is you better have substance and content behind all the glitz or the manager/recruiter will reject your resume because its all smoke and mirrors.

There’s more debate to be had about such topics like: cover letters, references, whether or not to add short contracts, how to address job gaps, etc etc. I encourage your deliberation and input surrounding everything I’ve written here.

To message me directly, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/

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What Managers Get Wrong – Myers-Briggs Type Indicator for Great Teams

What managers get wrong about developing and using talent correctly, is not utilizing the Myers Briggs Type Indicator to bring out the absolute best in each individual. Educators, HR managers, and corporate recruiters have moved away from evaluating people’s innate nature and DNA-level talents in favor of surface-level assessments like the DiSC profile and StrengthsFinder (now called CliftonStrengths).

Speaking with certified MBTI individuals has shed some light on what’s happened in the last decade. MBTI is deemed too complex and requires a deeper discussion about psychology, temperament, and sometimes abstract concepts to fully wrap your head around its application to the business world. Thus, management has implemented broader assessments to get a general consensus about individuals. I would argue most assessments today are simply MBTI-lite and have poached the best concepts of it to make it more digestible to the masses.

Understanding MBTI was a radical shift in my understanding of team dynamics, communication, and individual values. I realized that the reason we have conflict in our work environments can be traced back to PERSONALITY TYPE, rather than our current go-to’s which are blaming intelligence, work ethic, or motivation. This does not address the underlying problem, thus managers are unable to solve inter-office disputes.

Undeniably, people have different innate abilities that make them better suited for certain roles and careers. They also have different ways of communicating and interpreting information. In previous articles I discussed how communication, the centerpiece for all workplace conflict, is largely based on MBTI type over anything else. In subsequent videos and articles, I will address in further detail the ways managers can use “typing” to get the absolute best out of their team.

Please do take a look at some of these YT channels that truly influenced me and my understanding of myself and others. You will find something here that you like.

Love Who

Lijo

Frank James

IDRLabs

To message me directly, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/

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The Concept of the Resume

A resume is designed to capture the attention of 2 different people; the Skimmer and the Scrutinizer. The perfect resume will cater to both their review styles and satisfy their internal check-boxes.

The Skimmer is somebody who is looking for keywords to judge whether or not you deserve an interview. This type is the person you want if you are a word salad writer and want to pass this filter. Specifically when a role has a must-have qualification, this is the resume reviewer that you want. The Skimmer’s downside can be quite embarrassing to you as the candidate. Say you get to the interview based on having the right keywords jammed in your resume. You are asked during the interview to explain your experience with, let’s say, Adobe Illustrator. Yes, you’ve used it, but it was one time, and it was really just Adobe Photoshop, but really it was MS Paint. And now you are backtracking and looking like a clown. This is an instant fail; much like driving on the sidewalk during your Driving Exam.

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The Scrutinizer is the guy who nitpicks your resume line-by-line just looking for a reason to reject you. The benefit of this type is that if you do manager to pass their filter, you are likely already a top candidate for the position. The downside is that this type will often reject those who are very qualified, but missed 1 or 2 crucial bullet points that would have sealed the deal.

You can make a resume that satisfies both types without exaggerating, stretching, or adding fancy graphics. Here is what is needed:

  • Include the specifics of the tool, project, application, or the final result ($$$ saved, quota achieved etc) to each bullet point. Don’t say something like, “Administered database to ensure data continuity.” Tell us it was SQL or Mongo or whatever, but make it clear what the tool was. Too many candidates get rejected by The Scrutinizer when they leave these small details out.
  • Make it obvious that your job title is in line with the standard duties of that role. If you are a Project Manager, you need direct reports, budgets specifics, and clients if applicable. The most common mistake I see is people label themselves a manager without actually having direct reports. This is where you can pass the filter of the Skimmer, and lose bigly in the interview.
  • Keep in mind that words mean things. But some words don’t have value because they are too vague or, even worse, misrepresent you. Instead of words that can be left up to interpretation like, “helped, assisted, and managed”, words like “architected, designed, and implemented” are more concrete.

At the heart of the resume is the 3 C’s: Clear, Concise, and Cnot Lying. If you stick to these, you will get more interviews and offers than you know what to do with.

To message me directly, find me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-arrigo/