Meg Ellis Consulting   Creating Powerful Conversations

Ask a Type or Temperament Question

I’d be delighted to respond to your questions or comments regarding understanding or applying the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®, Type Theory, and Temperament Theory in your personal and/or professional life. Post your comment or question below.

You can expect a 1 word to 3-5 paragraph response within a reasonable timeframe. Consider this a give and take of ideas since no one is an “expert” on the mysterious complexity and adaptability of any human being.

The Introvert Advantage

An MBTI® qualification program participant who prefers introversion introduced me to a 300+ page book devoted entirely to the topic of introverts. I wondered what could one possibly say about one of Myers-Briggs® eight preferences (Extroversion, Introversion, Sensing, iNtuiting, Thinking, Feeling, Judging, Perceiving) that would take up that much space. I recommend you check this one out.

Retooling on the Run: Real Change for Leaders with No Time

Dr. Stuart Heller wrote this timeless book in 1995. In 2006 I attended his 3 day class found a him a genuine, insightful, likeable expert in somatics and their application. I “got” the profundity of the somatic approach working with Stuart. How could simply moving your hands or being aware of your feet create shifts in your attitude and actions? The simple turned out to be profound.

Your Body and Coaching: Try Walking…

Much has been written about the importance of coordination of mind (expressed through language), body, and emotions in being effective in your professional and personal life.

The body is the focus here. Not how tall, how short, or how fit you are, but about how you hold your body and how it supports or undermines your efforts to be successful.

It would seem obvious that we are aware of our bodies, but that is not always true. For instance, after a challenging day leading a group, I have noticed that my thighs ache indicating that I’ve tensed them during the day to keep my balance and focus. I was not “in my body” while facilitating. It’s only in the last few years, that I’ve begun to learn and practice postures that help me achieve what I deem important.

Trust and Organizations

Trust issues frequently surface in conversations with clients. It’s the elephant that no one will talk about.The context is usually around getting the work done. People don’t trust that managers are telling them the real motivation behind their assignments. Managers don’t trust that their employees will deliver on their goals on time. Or people don’t trust that a teammate has anything but her own self-interests at heart. People are protecting their backs. Or, the more naive are stunned when left holding the bag on less than satisfactory work.

This article examines what trust is, what builds trust, and what breaks trust followed with an outline of a conversation to the stage for productive work environment, satisfying relationships, and authentic trust.

Verbal Clues to Myers-Briggs® mental functions: Ni, Fe

Caveat: I DO NOT recommend solely using phrases people say to make an hypothesis about what their Myers-Briggs® Type code might be. It may be an indicator of what cognitive process (also known as a mental function or function-in-attitude) they are using at that moment.

I do find that people using the same mental function use similar phrases that provide hints as to which function they are using at that moment.

For instance, I know several people who have preferences for ENFJ.

If you are a qualified MBTI® practitioner, you probably know that the ENFJ’s dominant function is extraverted feeling (Fe) , or making decisions based on what is important to others. Usually you will hear them talk about

Myers-Briggs® Type Theory and the Enneagram

I participated in a weekend introduction to the Enneagram, an ancient typology that dates back to early Sufi’s and popularized by Russian Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff in the early 1900s. I’ve read books, discussed it with knowledgeable colleagues, been to a one-day workshop on how Myers-Briggs® and the Enneagram work together, taken tests on the web to identify my Enneagram type, all to no avail. I continued to sort between 2 (Giver), 3 (Performer), and 9 (Mediator).

Andy Goldsworthy: Rivers and Tides

Yes, I’m into documentaries these days. They’ve become more interesting to me than most movies available today. I’m not a White Chick movie kind of person, though I hear it’s quite funny. (But I actually am a white chick, perhaps a few years beyond the “chick” category. Go figure.)

What a feast for the eyes and heart. If you love nature, love beauty, love creativity rent or buy this one.

Andy Goldsworthy is a sculptor. Some of his pieces last only seconds. Therefore he photographs all his work. The books of his work draw me in again and again.

I would venture a guess that Andy Goldsworthy is an Artisan, ISFP.

My Architect: A Son’s Journey

Nathenial Kahn directed this visually intriguing and surprisingly moving documentary about his father Louis I. Kahn. It chronicles his journey to get to know the man and his works. Kahn, a celebrated architect near bankruptcy, died alone in Penn Station when Nathaniel was 11.

The viewer learns about architecture, the man, and the curious life he led. Only Kahn’s closest associates knew that Kahn had three families, and one child from each alliance. But he was really married to his work.

I highly recommend it on its own merits, not because Kahn seems to be a classic example of a Rational. Perhaps INTP, perhaps INTJ. I lean toward INTP. Interestingly, INTPs are sometimes referred to as architects because of their natural design abilities. They don’t always design buildings.

While I’m tempted to tell the story, I’ll focus on Keirsey’s Temperament and Myers-Briggs’ Type clues.

Ontological Coaching

Ontological Coaching is an approach to exploring the coachee’s way of being. Who is this person who has coped successfully until now yet has run into areas where help is needed?

An ontological coach helps the client to consider who she is by the language she uses, the emotions and moods she lives, and in the way her body supports her in living the life she strives for. We do have the ability to change and grow and much of that depends on her choices.

There is no denying that clients are looking for the tools, skills, and processes to be more effective in their lives. In other words, they seek new behaviors to help them achieve a higher order of satisfaction both professionally and personally. These are necessary ingredients of the coaching toolkit.

These behaviors can be found in many books or modeled by others they know or taught in leadership and management programs. They are available.

What prevents people from incorporating the beneficial behaviors is how they see the world. For instance, if you see the world as hostile, you would become equipped for battle. If you see yourself as incompetent, you are less likely to promote yourself.

While language has for eons been considered a tool to define the world so we share a common vocabulary, it is also a tool for crafting the life we wish to lead. We need the distinctions language gives us so we understand our universe better.

Language also creates new worlds. There are 5 categories of speech that we examine. These are requests, offers, promises, assertions, and declarations. Briefly, requests make it possible for us to gain support. Offers are ways to extend our contributions to others and the world. Promises are commitments to take action. Assertions are facts and evidence to ground our statements. Declarations set the context for future action. “You’re hired” shifts the world for both the manager and the new person coming on board.

One huge area for exploration are our assessments (rather than facts) of a situation, a person, or ourself. We often just plain make stuff up about what a person meant or what caliber of individual someone is. We just might be wrong. If we assess that someone is not dependable based on limited information, we might bypass an opportunity to work with someone who really is just the person you needed for a project.

Clients, and me too, benefit from exploring which we do too much of, to little of, or too poorly.

Emotions and moods determine what we are motivated to do or to avoid. We can change those moods. We need not be at the affect of them.

Leaders must pay attention to others’ moods and address them in order have more motivated people on the job.

Our body either works for or against us as we broadcast our moods or emotions, our intentions, our ideas, our confidence, our credibility, our caring. Try telling someone how excited and enthused you are sitting slumped in a chair with your eyes looking down. You can’t. People are stumped. Should they believe the message in the words or in the body? They’ll choose the one they want to believe and be disappointed later.

Once the body, language, and emotions are congruent, then the tools and new behaviors, tools, or skills can be incorporated easily. Otherwise they are only spray paint that makes you look good temporarily. The structure has not been prepared to maintain the new paing.