The Myers-Briggs rates an individual’s preferences—not their limitations. It is important to understand that each individual can still function in situations for which they are not best suited. For example, a project leader who is more Thinking (T) than Feeling (F) would need to work harder to be considerate of how a team member who is more Feeling (F) might react if they were singled out in a meeting because they were behind schedule. If a person knows their preferences and which personality types are most successful in each type of project or project phase, they can set goals for improvement in their ability to perform in those areas that are not their natural preference.
Another individual goal is to examine which conflict resolution styles are least comfortable and work to improve those styles so that they can be used when they are more appropriate than your default style.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Emotional intelligence is the ability to sense, understand, and effectively apply emotions.
- Two common tools for describing personality types are DISC (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness) and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is the most common. It rates personalities on the position between extremes of four paired terms: Extroversion (E)-Introversion (I), Sensing (S)-Intuition (I), Thinking (T)-Feeling (F), and Judging (J)-Perceiving (P).
- Leadership styles are usually related to the personality of the leader. The type of leadership style that is most effective depends on the complexity and the phase of the project.
- Negotiation and conflict resolution require skill at listening and an understanding of emotional intelligence and personality types.
- Delegation is the art of creating a project organizational structure that can be managed and then matching the team members with the right skills to do that work.
- Individual goals can be set for improving abilities that are not natural personality strengths to deal with projects and project phases.
EXERCISES
- Ability to sense and understand emotions is called (two words).
- A personality assessment tool that is commonly used that identifies preferences between pairs of terms is the MBTI, or more commonly known as the - .
- What is emotional intelligence?
- What do the letters INTJ stand for in a Myers-Briggs personality profile?
- How does delegation involve the organization and its people?
Internalize your learning experience by preparing to discuss the following.
Identify which leadership style you think is most suitable for your personality and which is least suitable. Next, identify a level of project complexity or project phase where your preferred style is least suitable. Describe an individual goal and how you might pursue that goal for strengthening your ability to lead on that type of project or during that phase.
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