Newsletter #14

 

In this issue:

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and Careers for ISFPs and ENTJs

About the Strong Interest Inventory®: The Science, Mathematics, and Medical Science Basic Interest Scales

About the FIRO-B™: Team Conflict II

 

Careers for ISFPs and ENTJs

In this newsletter we'll look at two personality types and specific jobs for both. The purpose here is not to list all the jobs that might be interesting. Instead, we're going to focus on what about the jobs appeals to each type. I picked opposite types to illustrate the differences and why one career could appeal to one type yet be a poor choice for another. Other combinations have been covered in past newsletter issues.

We'll start with ISFPs. For this type I selected the career of dental assistant. What makes this career attractive for ISFPs? Some of the factors include having high inner standards of perfection (great when working on teeth!), working in a supportive, non-competitive, and affirming environment, being flexible and adaptable, and helping people using practical skills. Many ISFPs enjoy work that matches their inner values and gives them the opportunity to make a substantial contribution to people. They are often highly motivated when working in a job they care about. ISFPs frequently enjoy working independently in a cooperative workplace, although they enjoy being involved with others. Even though ISFPs like working with others, many are not particularly interested in becoming managers or supervisors. They are able to do so, yet often do not wish to. Dental assistants need to use a lot of detailed, practical information in their jobs, which is something ISFPs tend to enjoy. While many ISFPs tend to be among the quieter colleagues, they can still be enthusiastic and happy folks. ISFPs tend to dislike too many restrictive rules and regulations, and prefer workplaces that offer them a fair amount of freedom in how they perform their jobs.

Let's contrast the above with a career suitable for an ENTJ: executive. Although ENTJs make up a small percentage of the population, they frequently show up in top level management positions. Why is that? First, ENTJs tend to focus on the big picture and the future, both important qualities to have in a leader. They tend to be more impersonal than many other types, so they can make the tough decisions without losing sleep. ENTJs tend to concentrate on problem solving, and are rarely discouraged by difficulties. Instead, they often see them as challenges to be overcome. ENTJs often dislike inefficiency, incompetence, and indecisiveness, and can surround themselves with like-minded people. Further, they like to be in charge and give orders, and rarely enjoy working for another person, unless he or she is clearly more knowledgeable or competent. Many ENTJs are competitive and workaholic types. They tend to be analytical, and listen mostly to logical reasoning and clearly stated facts. Many ENTJs approach life and work in a systematic, orderly fashion. Frequently they have a clear vision of what's correct, what needs to be done, and the most efficient way to do it. As you can imagine, these qualities are an advantage in many jobs (and disadvantages in others). The characteristics can be quite useful for top leaders in organizations of all types.

You might be one of these two types and never have considered either profession. That's perfectly okay. It's more important to see what makes these jobs attractive to these types. If you ask enough people, you're bound to find every type represented in every profession. For example, one study on dental assistants showed about 10% were ISFPs, while ENTJs made up about 1% of the group. Conversely, in a study of top level executives, less than 1% were ISFPs and about 16% were ENTJs. Again, finding a career that matches your interests is more important than picking one from a list for your type.

 

About the Strong Interest Inventory: The Science, Mathematics, and Medical Science Basic Interest Scales

The Basic Interest Scales (BIS) on the pages 1 and 2 of the Strong Profile show how your interests match those of people working in various careers. Your BISs show the things you like to do, as opposed to just interest you. This time we'll look at three BISs on the Strong and which careers they match. You'll notice these three BISs are all from the Investigative General Occupational Scale. We'll look at the jobs that match these BISs to give you a better idea of where you might enjoy working.

Let's start with the Science BIS. The six professions with the highest scores on this scale are Physicist, Medical Technologist, Chemist, Science Teacher, Mathematician, and Geologist. In contrast, the lowest six professions on this scale are Life Insurance Agent, Business Education Teacher, Interior Decorator, Advertising Executive, Secretary, and Child Care Provider.

For the Mathematics scale, the highest scorers were Mathematician, Mathematics Teacher, Actuary, Physicist, Research and Development Manager, Engineer, and Computer Programmer/Systems Analyst. The lowest scores were found among Public Relations Director, Child Care Provider, Interior Decorator, Art Teacher, Social Worker, and Advertising Executive.

On the Medical Science BIS, the highest scoring professions are Dentist, Athletic Trainer, Medical Technologist, Science Teacher, Veterinarian, and Physician. The lowest are Business Education Teacher, Farmer, Interior Decorator, Bookkeeper, Advertising Executive and Banker.

You'll notice that the same professions cluster in the highest and lowest scores. Science Teachers score high on all two scales, while Advertising Executives score low on all three scales. This makes great sense, as the Investigative scales are most dissimilar to the Enterprising scales, followed by the Social scale. This makes it quite difficult for those who have high scores on both scales to find a job that combines both scales. One profession that combines Investigative with Enterprising is Computer Saleperson.

It's important to remember the matches on your BISs are frequently a better indication of where you might like to work than the General Occupational Themes. That's because your answers are compared to people who are working in these particular professions.

 

The FIRO-B: Team Conflict II

One of the many uses of the FIRO-B is to help teams work together better. Conflict is unavoidable whenever people come together, particularly in a work environment. This issue we'll look at several common types of conflict and which FIRO-B results likely indicate this could be happening to your team.

First, let's look at the scenario where decisions are poorly or weakly implemented. While it might have appeared there was consensus at the time the group decision was made, it turns out not to be the case. Instead, what frequently happens is some people go along with the group rather than expressing conflicting views or alternate solutions. Rather than appear to "rock the boat," some people on the team might just suppress their differences with the group than voice them out loud. This is more likely with team members who have high levels of Expressed or Wanted Inclusion. This need can lead them to value being accepted in the team as more important than their personal views.

Related to this phenomenon is the case where no differences in opinion come up during meetings, only afterwards, in private. Many of you have experienced this. The leader will ask if there are any questions or problems, and will be met with silence. Back at the water cooler, some people will state their true views. One reason this happens is if teams have ineffective methods of dealing with disagreements. If people are fearful of speaking up, this is more likely to happen. You'll see this behavior most often with people who have high scores on Expressed or Wanted Affection. They may fear being disliked or criticized for views that are counter to the group's, so they say nothing until they feel safe (in private).

Finally, you might encounter the situation in which people outside the group feel the group is too insulated from the rest of the organization. When outsiders make this observation, there is often more than a grain of truth to the matter. Many groups fear a loss of autonomy or control if too many others are aware of what they're doing. The group might worry there will be reprisals if the rest of the organization really knew what was going on, so it's best to keep it confidential. You might notice this pattern among teams with many members who have low scores on Wanted Inclusion or Wanted Control.