How the Myers-Briggs personality assessment can make you a better manager

Managing a workplace requires being able to adapt your leadership style to a variety of different personalities on a team. But how can leaders truly understand the types of employees working under them? 

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality assessment that looks at four major personality areas: Extroversion or introversion (how someone directs and receives energy); sensing or intuition (how someone takes in information); Thinking or feeling (how someone makes decisions); and judging or perceiving (how much structure someone needs). 

By identifying the personality specifics of each team member, leaders better understand them, and know their areas of strength and what they value, says John Hackston, head of thought leadership at the Myers-Briggs Company. 

"We all have our own way of looking at things — our own particular strengths and needs," Hackston says. "When you put all four areas together, they combine to say something about a whole person. Once you know a little more, you can start to understand yourself better, and obviously more about other people as well."

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Eight-eight percent of Fortune 500 companies have used the assessment to analyze members of their workforce, and the insights can provide a clearer understanding of how an employee does their best work. For example, if an employee's personality is aligned with the judging and perceiving category, a manager can understand whether they easily adapt to change, or if they work better with more structure and change could cause them stress. 

Similarly, while an extroverted employee may appreciate and even have improved engagement when a manager regularly asks about their family, a more introverted employee may find the questions intrusive, says Hackston. The same care should be taken in team meetings with these particular personality types, with managers knowing whom they can call on for feedback and whom they should approach in a different manner, he says. 

"If we start to realize where other people are coming from, we can appreciate their point of view," Hackston says. "Suddenly voices who [were] quiet are heard, and you get a more well-rounded discussion. It helps not only the managers, but the [other employees] as well."

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In addition to identifying personality details, employers can implement consistent behaviors that support all types of workers. For example, more introverted workers would benefit from being sent meeting agendas ahead of time, so they have time to think about their feedback. Managers should engage fully when any employee is speaking. Additionally, Hackston suggests being sensitive to people's preferences for cameras on or off during virtual meetings, and paying attention to the chat box, where some people may be more comfortable communicating versus speaking aloud. 

Whether small or large, having different approaches is helpful, but the most important thing is for efforts to be authentic, Hackston says.

"Part of that is about knowing your personality type and their personality type," he says. "But the key bit is recognizing that the person you're trying to support isn't necessarily the same as you, so we're supporting them in a way that works for them."