Myers-Briggs® Test ENFP Personality Types and Communication in The Workplace

According to Dunning (2003), “Communication is key to a successful business and personal interactions” (Dunning, p.1). Not only can improving your communication “increase your effectiveness as an employee, supervisor, trainee, coach, team member, and/or leader” (Dunning, p. 1), but it can also increase the efficiency of communication between employees or team members, ultimately increasing the output of your team or organization. Fortunately, recent developments in applied psychology have shed light on how individuals’ Myers Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) Personality Type affect their unique communication styles, and how these features can be anticipated, used, or counterbalanced in the workplace. In this post, we discuss some communicative features of ENFP’s, how they can communicate more effectively with others, and how others can communicate more effectively with them.

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ENFP’s, Extraverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving personality types, are know as “Compassionate Explorers” (Dunning, p. 36). They are extremely innovative, and are driven by developing strategies, products, and initiatives that better peoples’ lives and life styles. They tend to be outgoing and compassionate, and enthusiastically support others in finding their strengths and bolstering areas of weakness. They often find ways to more effectively develop human potential without adding significant strains to workplace organization or limited resources. These innate characteristics carry over into ENFP’s communication with others. While some may be intimated by their eagerness to participate, they are also sensitive to group dynamics and are empathetic to the needs and feelings of others. To this end, they are willing to challenge the status quo in order to align workplace practices more fully with the values and needs of team members or employees. In other words, ENFP’s tend to be confident but quiet leaders who at the end of the day represent the people with whom they work.

Moreover, ENFP’s are empathetic and supportive when they are offering constructive feedback. They take the time to reinforce individuals’ contributions to team efforts, and err on the side of being overly supportive. When they are critical – though “critical” may be too strong of a word – they tend to be forward-looking and action-oriented. In other words, their focus is on how individuals can develop personally and professionally and how they can make their input even more valuable in the future. ENFP’s often unconsciously expect the same behavior and kind of feedback from others. When communicating with an ENFP, try to focus on growth, learning, and development (Dunning, 2003), and on how collaboration can continue to be fostered. They tend to be a bit sensitive about critical feedback, especially when it is overly objective rather than personal. As you offer them tips for improvement, be sure to affirm their value and past contributions. Also, due to the fact that ENFPs are so highly innovative, they function better given general guidelines and a target to achieve, rather than specific, step-by-step instructions.

If you are an ENFP, try not to take feedback personally and keep in mind that not everyone communicates in the same ways than you do. Don’t hesitate to ask follow-up questions (even if they seem a bit intrusive!) to find out where people are really coming from and what they intended to communicate to you, even if it comes off a little bit stauncher or distant than you would have liked. Creating a more positive workplace environment starts with you, and a small investment of time or even just giving someone the benefit of the doubt can go a long way in fostering a more caring, supportive, and ultimately productive environment.

Learn to communicate more efficiently by understanding how your personality type best interacts with others with the MBTI test below:

Learn about your conflict-resolution style to help you resolve problems and issues as effectively as possible with the TKI test below:

Reference

1. Introduction to Type and Communication. (Dunning, D. CPP, 2003)

Learn More About the MBTI ENFP Personality Type

• Explore Our ENFP Personality Type Page

Explore additional information that delves deeper into the ENFP Personality Type by examining various personality and career based subjects:

• How the MBTI ENFP Type relates to Innovation
• How the MBTI ENFP Type relates to Project Management
• How the MBTI ENFP Type relates to Emotional Intelligence
• How the MBTI ENFP Type Relates to Leadership
• How the MBTI ENFP relates to Decision-Making 

ENFP Careers

Click on one of these corresponding popular ENFP Careers for detailed information including Career Stats, Income Stats, Daily Tasks and Required Education:

Bartender, Counseling Psychologist, Director of Religious Activities or Education,Fitness Trainer or Aerobics Instructor, Hairdresser, Hairstylist, or Cosmetologist, Psychiatrist, Public Relations Specialist,Recreation Worker, Rehabilitation Counselor, and Reporter or Correspondent.

Click On Your Personality Type in The Graph Below & Read About Your Communication Style

Click on a link below to read more about different MBTI Personality Types