So You’re INTJ – now what?

If you’ve ever completed a Myers-Briggs or other type of personality/work style assessment, the personality acronyms are the brunt of jokes, of stereotyping, but seldom for action. And for many in our industry, that INTJ label is a reality to be reckoned with – driven by accomplishment and data, difficult to change course. We know who we are.

The problem with these personality assessments is they tend to tell you how people react to different types of information and situations. They seldom tell you “how” to pull distinctly different folks together for a more productive environment.

This despite the fact that “teaming” is one of the most critical skills a project, program or business leader needs. We know that dysfunctional teams fail. We know that people leave their jobs, most often, due to conflicts.

That’s why a new human resources tool is interesting – it looks at compatibility in terms of improving productivity. The supervisor receives a list of recommendations on how best to engage the employee, based on personality characteristics, as well as details on “how” to put the prescription to work. 

It’s an interesting gambit, given that retention of key talent is critical in terms of an organization’s ability to create and produce. And it’s especially interesting given that today’s workforce wants to be managed as individuals versus as a group.