Personality Tests are a Scam

You cannot improve yourself

Here’s what I know: personality tests are a scam.
Look, you are perfect as you exist right now.
There is no possible way you can improve. You cannot improve your communication with your spouse, or your colleagues, or your boss.
Everything right now is perfect.
So, if anybody comes to you and says,
“You know, if you take the MBTI assessment, you might fix some of the blind spots you have” that is a total scam. Don’t believe it!
Look, everything you’re doing right now cannot be improved.
You have reached the peak performance of your life.
So, don’t believe the hype around “personality tests.”

ENTJ’s in the Workplace

The ENTJ in the workplace is an absolute beast of action, competency, and pure will. Working alongside the ENTJ can be both a privilege and a curse depending on the circumstance. Get in the way, prepare to be bulldozed; work as a diligent teammate/manager, reap untold rewards.

Here are my tips for working with and managing the ENTJ:

  • Make sure the reasoning for a task, project, or deliverable makes practical sense. The ENTJ needs a rational reason to do something, or you will get minimal buy-in.
  • Allow them the straightest path to the finish line. What I mean by this is, don’t create roadblocks (needless administrative or busy-work tasks, meetings, red-tape, etc.) that derail their efforts. Like all NT types, inefficiency is a sin and will be ruthlessly criticized.
  • Get their opinion on how things are going –if they haven’t already given it. As an iNtuitive type, they will have a vision of the future path for your company, so make sure that their vision is heard.
  • Understand that they have a natural inclination to lead. They love a strong, competent leader, but if they view you as lacking in ability, they will quickly shift their mindset to, “I will have to start taking charge now.”
  • Expect that any question of their competency, performance, or motivation will be met with a stern rebuke. ENTJ’s are hyper-aware of when they aren’t performing or when they are crushing it. The mindset that allows them massive success is also the one that tells them they “can do better” and “need to try harder!”

ENTJ – Conclusion

Overall, it’s an honor to work with an ENTJ if you are so lucky. The best way to utilize them is to give them the tools they need to succeed, get out of the way, and watch them dominate whatever role they are in. Stifling them with bureaucracy will only diminish the return you get on the ENTJ, which can be tricky for large enterprises as it comes with the territory.

created by Joe Arrigo

I have officially begun doing MBTI consulting work and believe everyone deserves to know how about their MBTI and the best way to utilize it. Contact me on LinkedIn, and lets get started!

Continue to check out more of my content and let me know your thoughts!

Why Certain Personalities Should Start Their Own Business

Source: https://www.truity.com/

According to the book Type Talk At Work and the over 10,000 individuals the folks at OKA have interviewed over the last couple decades, over 60% of managers in corporate America are of the Thinking-Judging preference. As you climb the corporate ladder into the C-suite, this consolidates even further to about 90%. And of course this makes sense as you want to surround yourself with those who are most like you.

The issue with this is quite obvious. A whole ton of people aren’t of the T/J persuasion and fall into the Feeling-Perceiver preference. The major conflict comes with the J vs P function and the (J) manager’s inability to be flexible to the (P) employee’s agile work mindset and methodology. As a (J) Judger, deadlines are met, tasks are checked off in a linear manner, and projects plow full steam ahead with little room to change direction. And for the corporate leader, this is a very desirable trait to have. As a (P) Perceiver, flexibility is a must. There needs to be room to adjust schedules and deadlines as things come up as they are guaranteed to do. The ability to be successful comes down to having room to fly by the seat of our collective pants.

In addition, having a preference for (F) Feeling over (T) thinking will cause strife when it comes to conflict resolution and interpersonal communication. (F)’s make considerations based on the group and who it will effect. They want to make sure there is a consensus and that the group comes away harmonious after a decision is made. The (T) wants to take an objective stance and be pragmatic. What is best for the business, despite the feelings of the group? What makes the most sense? So, the conflict is awfully apparent and is one of the harder workplace conflicts to reconcile in the short term.

MBTI T vs. F. I'm an INFP but must be close to 50-50 because I ...

My advice to those who consistently find themselves in this predicament is to consider starting your own business. Or, at the very least, finding an outlet where you can put your own schedule, talent, and creativity to the test. Most recently, I have spoken to a number of F/P types who are starting an Etsy page to sell their art or pursuing other creative avenues where their flexibility won’t be challenged, their timelines can be in flux, and not everything comes down to what is most pragmatic.

There is no better time than now to start pushing for the things you want out of life. The first step is to know yourself. Once you do that, consider if you are utilizing your strengths to their absolute max, or if you are being held back.

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

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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/

Join 34 other subscribers

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/

Join 34 other subscribers

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/

Join 34 other subscribers
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