In our last post, we talked about working together as a team, and made the point that we aren’t all the same, which means (a) we can’t treat everyone the same, and (b) teamwork is hard! However, doing work on your team will almost certainly result in a better-working team!
We also introduced the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, as a tool that may help you and your yearbook team better understand yourselves and each other, as well as where friction or challenges may arise.
Now, let’s talk about each of those letters and help you understand the interesting ways that you and your team are likely different from each other!
E’s and I’s
Which world do you prefer, the external world or the world inside your own head? Where do you put your attention and get your energy?
Everyone spends some time extraverting and some time introverting. Don’t confuse Extraversion with being loud and brash; it’s not necessarily so. And don't confuse Introversion with shyness or reclusiveness; not the same thing!
"Which world do you prefer, the external world or the world inside your own head? Where do you put your attention and get your energy?"
Extraverts | Introverts |
Energized by being with other people | Energized by spending time alone |
Often enjoy being the center of attention | Usually avoid being the center of attention |
Tend to think out loud | Think things through before communicating |
Communicate with enthusiasm | More low-key |
Sociable | Reserved |
How Extraverts Work (on average) | Where Extraverts Struggle |
Need lots of interaction with people; open-door group-oriented spaces are great! | Singular, isolated activities without in-person interaction |
Prefer a variety of tasks and a faster-paced environment | Desk work or research-heavy positions may feel oppressive |
Often thinks and talks simultaneously; they may not know what they think until they say it out loud | Won’t enjoy workgroups where thinking out loud to solve problems is unacceptable |
Great in meetings...as long as they get a chance to talk | May not be very aware of what is going on inside themselves |
How Introverts Work (on average) | Where Introverts Struggle |
Need time and space to concentrate and focus on a task | When there’s too many concurrent tasks and demands or too much verbal feedback |
Prefer environments where they are able to act autonomously and solve problems on their own | Brainstorming meetings where instant ideas are expected...this is hell! |
Prefer to work independently without interruptions | Lots of chatting and large-group interactions may be draining |
What each Type can give to the team
EXTRAVERTS:
● Provide the outwardly-directed energy needed to move into action
● Offer responsiveness to what is going on in the environment
● Have a natural inclination to converse and to network
INTROVERTS:
● Provide the inwardly-directed energy needed for focused reflection
● Offer stability by considering enduring ideas and consistency
● Have a natural tendency to relish the solitary jobs an extravert would hate
For Carl Jung, the psychologist on whose work the MBTI is based, the E-I pair is the most fundamental distinction of the four. There are more Extraverts (almost two-thirds) than Introverts (just over one-third) in the population. Males on average are slightly more introverted than females.
One illustration often used is the after-a-long-day party. Both Extraverts and Introverts may enjoy the party equally; the difference is often “will this require me to expend energy?” (Introvert) or “will this recharge me?” (Extravert). For an Introvert, they may still go, but only after a deep breath and an energy drink. For an Extravert, the party is the perfect prescription to refill their tank and they can’t wait to get there. After the party, the Introvert will likely want to be alone, their daily capacity for talking exceeded; the Extravert is more awake than they’ve been all day and could talk all night.
"The difference is often “will this require me to expend energy?” (Introvert) or “will this recharge me?” (Extravert)."
Are you an S or an N?
How do you take in information? Do you pay more attention to information that comes in through your five senses (Sensing), or do you pay more attention to the patterns and possibilities that you see in the information you receive (Intuition)?
Like the other three pairs of traits (letters), sensing and intuition are a spectrum rather than a binary Yes/No. Everyone uses both sensing and intuition, but typically will use one much more than the other.
Sensors | Intuitives |
Focus on the tangible, the here and now | Future-focused |
Trust the certain and concrete | Trust inspiration and inference |
Value realism and common sense | Value imagination and innovation |
Like to use and hone established skills | Bored easily after mastering tasks |
Present (and absorb) information in a step-by-step linear fashion | Present (and absorb) information through leaps, in a roundabout manner |
Work well with details; literal | Tend to be general and ‘big-picture’ oriented; figurative |
How Sensors Work (on average) | Where Sensors Struggle |
Drawn to realistic/practical work activities that diagnose & solve immediate problems | Having to come up with new ways when the old ones work just fine! |
Will likely prefer to develop expertise in a specific area | If they’re forced to be a ‘generalist’ instead of a ‘specialist’ |
Like working with concrete issues | Abstraction and complexity may be frustrating |
Want to be able to see the end result | Dissatisfaction when no measurable progress is made |
How Intuitives Work (on average) | Where Intuitives Struggle |
Like jobs that require them to “read between the lines” and discern meaning | Jobs needing high attention to detail may be draining |
Drawn to work where insight and imagination are key | Continued long-term projects may become boring |
May prefer to remain a generalist | Having to do things “the way we’ve always done it” |
Enjoy learning a skill and then moving on to something new | Keeping focus on the present rather than jumping to future possibilities. |
What each Type can give to the team
SENSING TYPES:
● Have a mastery of the facts and attention to details
● Bring a knowledge of what materials and resources are available
● Appreciate knowing and doing what works
INTUITIVE TYPES:
● Know by way of insight and attention to meanings
● Bring a grasp of what is possible and what the trends are
● Appreciate doing what hasn’t been tried before there are