MBTI: pinpoint your personality in just 4 questions
MBTI is the “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator“, a personality typology by (daughter) Myers and (her mother) Briggs, building forth on psychologist Jung. Many people judge that MBTI is so spot-on, that the personality descriptions are almost creepy – seemingly written just for them.
Now, there are extensive tests with 80 or more questions to determine your type. But there’s a major shortcut, since MBTI is built on just four core questions – so why not simply answer those?
Micro-instructions: each of the four answers yields a piece of your MBTI-code. You will be either an E or an I, S or N, T or F, and J or P (based on the keywords involved). There are 16 possible outcomes and thus personality types. Determine yours now.
The 4 MBTI questions
Do you get your energy from interaction with the world around you (Extravert), or more from yourself, with your own activities and thoughts (Introvert)?
Does your info preferably come from observing, measuring, experience (Sensing), or from explanation, reasoning, more abstract understanding (iNtuition)?
How do you decide: by way of ratio, logic, given decision criteria (Thinking), or by looking at context, interests, what feels right (Feeling)?
How do you approach situations: should things go as planned and wanted (Judgement), or are you flexible, open to change, go with the flow (Perception)?
That will give you your MBTI-code, that’s it!
Now, two refinement remarks.
1. We all know that the answers are not that binary. But with this super-shortcut, they are. For the same reason, it is easy to ascribe yourself a different code than you would get from a long test. Therefore, also check the types that you feel close to.
2. Ignore connotations that you find inadequate (a thorough thinker may find the term “intuitive” unsuitable), or conversely desirable (one may like the idea of flexibility). Answer truthfully after the question’s idea.
Knowing your code (e.g. ESFP), now what? First, check the personality descriptions. Second, ask what you can actually do with MBTI. Answers include (but are not limited to):
- Fathom yourself further
- Understand and so help neutralize friction between people (e.g. in teams, or in a relationship), by explaining the differences
- Build better teams, by assessing which types a project needs / is missing
MBTI in the context of business
If you can see the sense of this in a business context, then insight in yourself and others by way of e.g. MBTI is one thing. Yet, other models (like Belbin) will bring complementary insights to the table.
More in general, it is valuable to know more about team dynamics and team management. As is the whole domain of “People” (HRM, team management, change management, relationship management, stakeholder management, culture). And this is just 1 of the 8 core domains of business, that you need to understand to fully grasp business in all its respects.
I have a super-complete, one-stop-shop online course for that: All of Business, in logical coherence. Do not stop at understanding MBTI. Go for the whole domain of “People”, and in fact for digging ALL of business, including the 7 other domains! Explore it below, and/or go for some free materials. And don’t forget to check your MBTI description!
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