MBTI as a Management Tool Part 4: Four Practical Tips

In my fourth and final piece about the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), certified MBTI expert Freddi Donner of Business Stamina and I offer practical tips to implement MBTI for leaders, managers and human resource professionals.

Before we dive in to the tips, let’s discuss the costs of ineffective managers. Did you know that the number one reason people leave an organization is due to the direct relationship with their manager? In addition, on average, it costs 2.5X someone’s salary to replace them. So if someone earns $50K a year and decides to leave the organization due to his ineffective manager, the organization will spend $125K to replace that employee.

The lesson here? Invest in training your people.

Assessment tools, like MBTI, are inexpensive compared to the costs of attrition! Leaders and managers can use MBTI to understand the behavior of their team members and leverage the varying personality types to create more productive teams. However, MBTI doesn’t only benefit team members. Leaders and managers can also use MBTI to increase their Emotional Intelligence (EQ). An increased EQ leads to more effective leadership. Even employee or team resistance to the MBTI assessment helps organizations identify that there is a core problem, beyond personality types, that needs to be addressed.

Team development can save you thousands of dollars, as well as help the team understand and appreciate each other, creating a culture of mutual respect. So start using MBTI, or other assessments to develop your team. Here’s how:

Tip 1: Validate assessments with a conversation

To implement MBTI successfully, validate someone’s assessment with a conversation.

1. After the assessment has been given and the team member has read about their results, set a 1:1 meeting with each team member to discuss the outcome of her assessment.
2. Ask the team member if they feel the assessment was correct across the board, only in some ways, or not at all.
3. If the team member feels her assessment is totally off mark, go back to each MBTI description and review them together.
4. Have the team member self-select what they feel better represents their personality and preferences.
5. Discuss in further detail together until a consensus is reached.

Tip 2: Always have a thorough team assessment debrief so that everyone understands the value of MBTI

Just taking the test isn’t enough. In fact, it can make things worse as stereotyping can easily occur.

1. After administering the MBTI assessment, have a team meeting.
2. Review the personality types, each dichotomy at a time. It would be helpful to have a visual aide for this part of the discussion, not only for the visual learners, but also to help the team remember each type.
3. Emphasize the value of having a diversity of each personality type on a team, when possible.
4. Discuss the problems of having too many of one type on a team, which can create group think.
5. Close the team discussion by asking each individual how s/he will use MBTI to positively impact team performance and results.

Tip 3: Use the basic principles of MBTI in a group activity, if you can’t afford assessments

1. Tape the letters I, S, T, J to floor in one side of the room.
2. Then, tape the letters E, N, F P to floor on the other side of room.
3. Bring the team into the room.
4. Using a flipchart, explain the MBTI dichotomies, starting with I (introvert) and E (extrovert).
5. Ask individuals to self-select either I or E and then stand behind the corresponding letter.
6. Encourage team members to take note of either letter that has particularly low representation in the group.
7. Continue to explain each dichotomy one at a time: S vs. N, T vs. F, and J vs. P, having team members self-select, and move to the corresponding letter after each explanation.
8. Each time team members stand behind their self-selected letter taped on the floor, remind them to take note of which letters are under or overrepresented.
9. Explain to the team that the empty areas signal what gaps need to be filled in order to have a more balanced, productive and harmonious team.
10. Emphasize the value of having a diversity of each personality type on a team, when possible.
11. Discuss the problems of having too many of one type on a team, which can create group think.
12. Close the team discussion by asking each individual how s/he will use MBTI to positively impact team performance and results.

Tip 4: Use Adaptable Leadership as needed

You can’t always select your teams, so if a team is imbalanced, then people need to adapt their preference for the betterment of the team. This is called Adaptable Leadership. For example, if the team is comprised of mostly N’s, it’s very easy to get into large group discussions about macro level concepts. What’s missing is the S level of detail to make sure that the macro concept can actually be executed.

1. If an imbalance is determined in your team, implement the MBTI assessment to find the gaps. Skip this step if the assessment has already been given, or if it seems clear to the team what gaps exist.
2. Ask someone on the team to play the role of the under-represented letter in the group. In the example above, a team member should adopt the role of S, by asking specific, detailed questions. This not only helps the employee learn to adapt; it also helps the team.

For a refresher on MBTI, including the personality types, take a look at MBTI as a Management Tool Part 1: Form More Productive Teams. For more information on building high-performing teams and the how and why of increasing Emotional Intelligence (EQ), please read, MBTI as a Management Tool Part 2: Build High-Performing Teams and Increase EQ. Finally, to prepare for employee or team resistance to MBTI, or deal with the resistance that already exists, read MBTI as a Management Tool Part 3: Facing Resistance.

If after reading this series, questions or comments come to mind, please leave a comment below, send me an email or find me on Twitter.. I am always happy to create a dialogue, which most often ends up benefiting all.