I need your help. I have an amazing opportunity for you to benefit from some research into personality types and behavioural preferences. But first, some context…
Developing your understanding of personality types and thinking styles is a useful way to improve your knowledge of motivation and behaviour in the workplace.
Millions of people across the world have undertaken assessments to determine their personality type. There are a plethora of behavioural and personality type psychometric instruments out there. However, the psychology of Carl Jung, as adapted and interpreted by one Isabel Briggs-Myers and one Katharine Cook Briggs (aka the Myers-Briggs thing), is one of the most recognised and commonly used.
Personality types
Here comes the “science”. In a nutshell, your personality is determined by four dichotomies. Firstly, how you take in (or Perceive) information. This you can do in a detailed, sequential sort of way (Sensing) or a big picture, snapshot sort of way (iNtuition). Then, you need to consider how you make decisions (or Judgements) based on that information. This you can do objectively (Thinking) or empathetically (Feeling). One of these Perceiving or Judging dichotomies will dominate your approach to dealing with the world. Finally, you will put your energy into your dominant approach either by focusing on the external world (Extraversion) or by internalising it (Introversion). The answers to these four dichotomies yield 16 personality types, each identified by a four-letter acronym. Only it’s not “science”. Rather, it’s a metaphor for observable behaviour, just like the Native American Medicine Wheel or even Astrology.
How these four dichotomies apply most often to you determines which of 16 personality types you have, which in turn determines how you are likely to respond to stimuli.
I sort of have a problem with this. People are, well, people. We are just trying to categorise certain observable behaviours. Neuroscience now shows that our rational and emotional minds are quite able to be trained to respond in whatever way we choose to any given situation. So why straightjacket us with a “type”? And why make that type so darned complicated?
The concept of preference
What if some of these types were viewed simply as behavioural preferences? What would these preferences be? It turns out four such behavioural modes will suffice – Driving, Analysing, Organising and Energising.
What if we could recognise we already have relatively easy access to more than one behavioural mode, say two or even three of these modes?
I’m told I have an ISFP personality type. I know I extravert my perceptions and introvert my feelings. Apparently, this means I work with bursts of energy and makes me a P. Yet I am quite able to plan out my day too (J). I’m also happy taking in information in different ways (S and N) and applying both rational thinking and emotional feelings (T and F) to make decisions. I spend long periods of time focusing on others’ needs and taking in others’ perspectives (E) and I spend long periods of time on my own reflecting and making sense of that data (I).
I am all these things and more. Perhaps we need a behavioural psychometric that understands people and I believe I have found one such tool. I use it a lot in my organisation development consulting, coaching and facilitation practice. I’m so excited about I, I have become accredited to provide training to others to become MiRo Practitioners.
If you’d like to find out more about your behavioural preferences, and those of your teammates, I have something that might interest you. MiRo Psychometrics are currently undertaking some research into benchmarking their model with the Myers Briggs model.
Your help needed
That’s why we need your help. We need 25 groups of 20 people to take a MiRo Assessment and another Myers Briggs assessment so that we can benchmark one against the other.
In return we can give you 20 free bespoke reports and a team report, plus up to a free day of practitioner time. This package would normally be worth £2,500 in total.
We can take your team through the reports and help you to understand them and your team better in the context of your business or your situation. We want this to be a positive and rewarding experience for you. And we hope that when it’s over you’ll want to know more about MiRo and want to do even more with the tool. However, if you simply want the free reports and the free training and consultancy that comes with them, then it’s all yours and we’ll leave it at that.
All we ask in return is that you spend a few minutes completing a very short questionnaire.
If you’d like to be considered to take part in the research or just want to know more, I’d love to hear from you.
Jeremy J Lewis