Give MBTI a Chance
Posted on January 13, 2013 by Sharon Beyer, One of Thousands of Performance Coaches on Noomii.
MBTI, a preference indicator (not a personality test), provides understanding about how you regain energy, gather data, make choices & approach life.
There seems to be two types of reactions to MBTI:
1. The people who embrace it, think it’s fascinating, and love to read things about themselves
2. The people who think these type of tests are bogus and that they cannot be fit into a “type” box
It turns out that 16 preference types are just about enough to fit most of us into the “type” box. I am not saying that these type codes all manifest in the same way, but I am saying that every person can be associated with a core type. When I received my own MBTI preference results (ENFJ), I was hooked. It described me perfectly. Not only did it affirm things I knew, but it provided me the clues I needed to be able to connect my past story with my present story. It helped me understand me in all of my glory and all of my weaknesses.
Obviously, MY code being accurate was not enough proof so I had to get certified in order to give this to more people. The more and more I gave the indicator and worked with people, the more it affirmed its accuracy. Assuming someone has found their personal best fit, the type code is always dead on. Once I share the overview with someone, he or she shares with me how eerily accurate it is. I always know when we haven’t found the right fit because it doesn’t have the “awe” affect that finding the best fit has. I say “best fit” because as far as I know, none of the MBTI indicators are 100% accurate. If you provide someone with a type code and they have no connection to it, keep digging for the right one.
Preferences are just that, preferences. They are choices that we make about what we like most or feel most comfortable with. The MBTI is a preference indicator; it’s not a personality test. It assists people in understanding how they prefer to regain energy, gather information, make choices, and approach life. I choose to use MBTI as a foundation in coaching because preferences affect so much about a person– attitudes, values, behaviors, learning styles, communication, relationships, motivators, work, etc. MBTI type codes can provide awareness in understanding personal behavior preferences and how they impact all facets of a person’s life.
There are many free online resources that discuss MBTI, but it’s likely not a bad idea to take an actual test with a certified MBTI instructor who can provide you a professional interpretation of your results (like me for example). Here are some informational websites:
http://www.myersbriggs.org/index.asp – Myers-Briggs website providing nice overviews, explanations, and purposes of MBTI.
http://www.16personalities.com/ – Nicely laid-out website with a free 30 minute MBTI test. The site has some really well thought out type overviews focusing on careers, strengths, parenting, etc. Some items, such as information on relationships, personal development, and dating require a fee.
http://typelogic.com/ – Decent overviews of each type although some are better described than others. This overview does offer the first four parts of your whole type code as well. Something good for those who understand MBTI well and perhaps too much for those who do not. I enjoy the Type Relationships grid shown at the bottom of each type code. No test provided.
