MBTI® ENTP Personalities and Decision Making

It may seem obvious, but different people make decisions in very different ways, depending on their personality. Some people are social decision makers—they like to discuss their ideas with different people, get feedback, and workshop them until they are perfect. Others prefer to conduct careful analyses by themselves, considering different data sets and implications. Still others prefer a combination of strategies, for example brainstorming in a group, then vetting options individually, and finally presenting a clarified idea for a final round of critique. There is no one right way or wrong way to make a decision, there is just your way and how you prefer to decision make and what works best for you.

LEARN ALL ABOUT MYERS-BRIGGS® ENTP PERSONALITIES AND THEIR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

That said, when people with different decision-making styles work together, tensions can run high. Understanding one another is key to maintaining communication and getting the job done. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) can provide the key insights you need to increase your efficiency and reduce your stress levels.

For example, Extraverted-Intuitive-Thinking-Perceiving (ENTP) personality types make decisions in energetic, enthusiastic ways. They are also highly social, and involve others from the very beginning in order to source diverse opinions as soon as possible. They tend to approach decisions in an organic way, and rarely see the value that a structured, organized decision-making process can offer. They take a similar approach to generating options—ENTPs tend to think creatively and consider non-traditional or off-beat ideas that nonetheless address the issue at hand. However, again, they may lose focus and become so enthralled with their own ingenuity that they fail to take a step back and ask whether they are still addressing the issue at hand. Whether it comes to their initial approach or brainstorming, ENTPs should try even a loose structure to see if it streamlines their process. Brainstorming strategies, like writing every idea on a separate notecard, can provide a fast and reliable way to organize ideas and, when necessary eliminate them.

Even when ENTPs commit to a decision, they remain flexible. They anticipate the need to adapt in the future. However, they may not consider the impact this flexibility may have on interpersonal relationships, both within and outside their organizations. Furthermore, staying flexible can cause problems with implementation, especially if they afford individual team members a high degree of independence. Maintaining standards over time and across multiple contributors can get out of hand. Furthermore, some team members may require more specific instruction or guidance in order to stay productive.

After implementation is complete and ENTPs reflect on their decisions, they often focus on how processes and outcomes can be improved. They may fail to recognize how well an initiative actually achieved its stated goal, however, and instead get sidetracked by smaller and even irrelevant details.

If you are an ENTP, you may wish to challenge yourself and become an even more effective decision maker by carefully considering the empirical information and current context as well as paying more attention to interpersonal consequences of your decisions. Even taking the time to ask questions like “who will this impact?” could take your decision making skills to the next level.

Learn More About the MBTI ENTP Personality Type

• Explore Our ENTP Personality Type Page

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

• How the MBTI ENTP Type relates to Innovation
• How the MBTI ENTP Type relates to Project Management
• How the MBTI ENTP Type relates to Emotional Intelligence
• How the MBTI ENTP Type Relates to Leadership
• How the MBTI ENTP Type Relates to Communication

ENTP Careers

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

Human Resources Manager, Landscape Architect, General and Operations Manager, Insurance Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator, Economists, Food Scientist, Technologist, Financial Analyst, Advertising Sales Agent, Insurance Sales Agent, Industrial Health and Safety Engineer

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

References

Introduction to Type and Decision Making. (Hirsh, K., & Hirsh E. CPP. 2007)