Conflict management using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

"It is up to each person to recognize his or her true preferences." Isabel Briggs Myers

Conducting projects might tend to conflict between project managers and team members due to natural reasons. Humans are social beings, but basic differences in the ways people prefer to use their perception and judgement means that conflict is inevitable. While one individual might be positive about a decision made within a team, another one might perceive the action as terrifying. From a study stating the importance of conflict management by Thomas K.W. and Schmidt W.H. at the University of California, Los Angeles , it is shown that managers spend around 20 percent of their time dealing with conflicts. Another part of the survey worth pointing out is the sources of conflict which in this survey tended to be psychological factors such as misunderstanding (communication failure), personality clashes and value differences. Becoming aware of personal and other peoples preferences can help project managers handle conflicts more smoothly and be a key to build strong communication patterns that meets the needs for both the managers and the team members. This article will address the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a four-factor model within personality typology with a purpose to help indicate personal communication preferences by four letters. It is a useful tool when managing a project as the indicator helps to build communication patterns and ideally analyze and prevent sources of conflict within a team.

(specify that this is "a start" of resolving problems. the indicator alone will not fix problems To start, this article will introduce some history on how the indicator was developed followed by the structure. Section 3 will describe how the MBTI can be applied and section 4 will discuss... not done

History

The development of the MBTI began already in 1915 when Katharine Cook Briggs noticed how different her future son-in-law Clarence Myers was from her daughter Isabel. It inspired her to develop her own typology. In 1921 the swiss psychologist Carl G. Jung published Jung's personality Theory of psychological types which was similar to Myers and Briggs ideas, but much more developed. Myers and Briggs started aiming their work on making Jung's theory accessible to individuals and groups which led to the idea of creating an indicator. From 1941-43 Myers and Briggs begin to utilize the types as a measure to help people choose suitable work and to acknowledge differences. World war 2 was another huge factor on the development the MBTI, as Myers believed people would work better together and avoid conflicts if people understood each other. Myers dedicates the next 20 years creating questions and validation before the first published manual in 1962. The indicator has since then been updated by The Myers-Briggs Company.

Structure

Based on Jung's theory of psychological types, the MBTI are supposed to assign individuals into one out of four categories that describes methods in which individuals chose to make decisions and interact with others: Introversion(I) or Extraversion(E), Sensing(S) or intuition(N), Thinking(T) or Feeling(F) and Judging(J) or Perceiving(P). A person is said to tend to one of the preferences in each category, resulting in 16 unique possible personality types expressed as a code with the four letters.

The four categories

• Extraversion(E) vs Introversion(I)

This category is described by Jung as the attitude people use to direct their energy. Extraverts tends to direct their energy outwards and often feel energized by the presence of others. Introvert might on the opposite direct their energy inwards and feel energized after spending time alone.

• Thinking(T) vs Feeling(F)

This category describes how a person likes to make decisions and how they use judgement. If a person chose to focus on logic and objective principles before making a decision, the person is more of a thinker. If the person, on the other side chose to put more weight on personal concerns, the person is more of a feeler.

• Sensing(S) vs Intuition(N)

How does a person chose to gather and process information? People who are sensing-dominant focuses more on physical reality using their five senses, while a feeling-dominant person focuses more on pattern and meaning behind the information they get.

• Judging(J) vs Perceiving(P)

This category decides how a person deals with the outside world. A person that prefers a structured and decided lifestyle tends more to the judging side, while a person that is more open-minded and flexible tends more to the perceiving side.

The 16 types

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Application in project management

There are several possibilities for project managers to utilize the results of the MBTI. It is again important to point out that the indicator is a useful tool to map out how you or others preferres to communicate, which will conflict seen in the <article> was a big impact in conflict causes

Here I want to specify how project managers can utilize this tool. specify that it is only a suggestion for starting a resolution, the indicator will not solve problems.

Examples: Through interviews with four nurse managers conducted in the article "The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - A management Tool" By Castello, K., the MBTI is demonstrated.

project management

Suggested continouation

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI®)

Limitations

There might be some limitations worth being noted and critically discussed. Examples will be included.

• there are no "right answere", but the tool can help you prepare
• It is only a guidance for natural preferences, it does not take into account learned skills or abilities
• be critical when using it

against: https://www.vox.com/2014/7/15/5881947/myers-briggs-personality-test-meaningless

Start: It is important to point out that there is no right or wrong type