As discussed in the last post, I mentioned some tips on how to handle managing difficult people or how to handle conflict. However, in this post, I’d like to discuss the opposite – how to use the individual personality types (take the free test here!) to help you succeed.

Now obviously I’m not a professional psychologist nor did I even study it in college. My profession doesn’t even involve anything related to human behavior. However, I’ve always found the way people act and why they act a certain way very intriguing. I’m sure this is discussed in self-help books and leadership seminars, but those do not acknowledge the simple fact that no one person mirrors the exact same character traits of another. It’s not their fault, because studying a human is very, very time-consuming.

This was a new revelation I had after becoming a boss – over 80% of your day is spent evaluating personality types and how to navigate them.

As I mentioned earlier, I discussed how to handle conflicts, but it wasn’t until an old friend reminded me of this – you can discuss how to find your way to success too. Honestly, it was a refreshing reminder for me.

I understand that not everyone is going to or even has the time to spend studying a person as if they’re a scientist, so I’m just going to list some quick tips/thoughts/guidance/whatever. Since there are so many different Myers-Briggs combinations, I’m going to discuss two for comparison purposes.

1. ISTJ (Logistician). Introversion (I), Sensing (S), Thinking (T), Judging (J). This person is going to be very solution driven and probably your best problem solver. Their strength is their ability to arrive at the point very quickly and you definitely want to use this to your advantage (especially if you need a complex analysis done with a quick turnaround). Flip side: You’ve probably guessed, but this person does not handle emotion well nor do they seek it. They don’t need the “good jobs” or the pat on the back. They don’t seek validation. The downside of this is that if provoked, they can come off abrasive or cold, which may rub a teammate the wrong way.

• Tip: From a leaders perspective – show them the value of empathy. For example, if you need a deliverable from “x” (who assuming is not logic oriented), you need to change your approach. Even if you feel like your way is right, suck it up and try approaching them in either of these ways – 1) a softer way (if they are on the sensitive-side) or 2) give them validation (if they typically seek it), or 3) offer help (but in a gentler way so as to not make them defensive). You can roll your eyes when you get home. This will give you the solution you want without having to deal with the emotional mess with a colleague. (Note: This is not to be confused with coddling someone. This does not apply to repeated offenses.)

2. INFJ (Advocate). Introversion (I), Intuition (N), Feeling (F), Judging (J). Admittedly, this is what I got on the test :). Disclaimer: there are going to be varying percentages for each of these items (e.g. there can be two introverts, but one is 100% and the other is maybe 60%). For me, I think I received somewhere north of 90% introversion. I found this to be very accurate. Not to be confused with shyness, introverts typically keep to themselves and can quickly feel exhausted in social situations. To offset this, we need time to decompress by ourselves afterward. In the workplace (and in my case), I typically like to be left alone and don’t really require too much oversight. Flip side: As I rely mostly on feeling and intuition, I have trouble overthinking and obsessing over what can be perceived by others as trivial. This eats up a lot of energy and time on my end that I could spend tackling other assignments. And when it is really bad, it can lead to me not wanting to do anything. At all.

• Tip: Stick to the facts. This is very important to remember. I learned this in the past week (yes it has been a long journey for me) – repeat and reassure. Repeat the facts. Repeat again. Reassure yourself that based on these facts, you can be confident in your actions. You can be confident in whatever it is that you said. Don’t fall into the pit of rationalizing the issue. Just stick to the facts.

If you haven’t taken the test yet, please do! I’d love to hear what your results are. Do you feel they’re accurate?