What now

After my last session at the Curtin Business School Centre for Entrepreneurship, the participants asked for a few extras. I should have charged them a standard and exorbitant consulting fee, but, unfortunately, it would have been a counter-profile request.

My profile: extraverted, intuitive, feeling, perceiver, ENFP. What it means in practice is that I am a bit of a dreamer hippy idealist type and money is peripheral and not an aim.

First question: How do we implement this knowledge in business?

Damn good question and the answer will, naturally, depend on your own profile and the rest of the puzzle that has gone into making you who you are.

For example, remember the four intelligences of the model of four, the temperament model, the one based on what drives us?

The Improvisor-SP has a tactical intelligence so he or she will probably just dive in without any preparation but take particular note of body language and try to find ways of working with colleagues or employees while in full participation mode. And probably make sure they have some fun with their new knowledge. 

The Stabiliser-SJ has a logistical intelligence and this person might note the salient points, then create a time-line of to-be-implemented instructions, guidelines, work books.

The Theorist-NT has a strategic intelligence and these folks might analyse, make a strategic plan that could be an integral part of a broader plan, then implement it, in particular if they were an ENTJ, or lose the plan, if they were an ENTP.

The Catalyst-NF has a diplomatic and emotional intelligence and given these people are my brothers and sisters, better just write what I would do. It is also important to remember that my NF profile is tempered by other components – I am a man, grew up in a small town on a farm and in a shop, spent first 16 years an intense Christian, was a hippy for as long and for most of my life I have kept a journal.

First thing I would do, is nothing, almost, because although an extravert, I am a reflective version. I would return to my workplace, be a little less conversational and observe. After work, even during, I would make notes. At night I would attempt to line up my notes with my new knowledge and look for commonality, characteristics I shared with each individual in the workplace, so I could attempt connections.

Now for some general tips.

- Read the Know Yourself Booklet, particularly pages 10 -13, 22 – 29.

- Jung’s type gives you a template with which to work through personality conflicts

Rather than saying: “He’s a prick and I refuse to work with him.”
You could say: “Hang on, it looks like you are the kind of person who likes precise detail and you do not take things personally. Whereas I am big picture and tend to be a bit sensitive.”

- Always useful to remember that relationships are inevitably negotiated settlements.

And now here are a few key questions to ask to help determine, or guess, a person’s type.

So when we meet, would you like me to tell you everything (Ext), or would you prefer notes on paper (Int)?

(If “yes” to notes)

You want extensive notes? Dot points? Graphics? Big picture stuff (iNTu) or concentrate on detail (Se)?

(If “yes” to tell me)

How much time do you have to meet, because I can could go on for hours?

Thinking and feeling preferences you can put out feelers, or pointers.

           Current analysis suggests the bottom line means we have to close the business down (Thi).

That’s a very good suggestion but what about the impact on staff (Fee)?

With this dichotomy, you can always get an idea in a preamble to a meeting, or conversation. Are they interested in talking about personal matters, or do they just want to get on with it?

If you look through the “Know Yourself” booklet, almost any of the listed characteristics can be turned to a question.

Examples.

Breadth and depth: Have you got a lot of friends (Ext), or just a couple of very close mates (Int)?

Justice and mercy: That guy who got 10 years, I mean, that was the maximum, so he should have expected it (Thi). or: He was pushed, his wife had only recently died and his cat was run over. I think the court was a bit harsh. (Fee)

If you have a dilemma, flick me an email. – jon@doust.com.au

There’s more, but I’m going to end here. Next instalment soon.