MBTI® ESFJ Personalities and Decision Making
Each of us makes dozens of decisions every single day, from developing a strategy for an important meeting to evaluating career options or even having difficult conversations with co-workers. We approach even the simplest of decisions in very different ways. Some people prefer to resolve misunderstandings through direct, face-to-face conversations. In sharp contrast, others may prefer to send an e-mail, or to avoid the potential conflict all together. Working with people who think in different ways can be challenging—people who are impulsive may be frustrated by co-workers who carefully assess their options, and those who value emotional well-being may feel unsatisfied in operationally-focused work environments.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) can provide a window into how people make decisions, which will not only help you improve your own decision-making process, but also understand that of your co-workers.
Extraverted-Sensing-Feeling-Judging (ESFJ) personality types approach decisions in a straight-forward and methodical way. They refer to authoritative sources and value tradition to a great extent; if something has worked well in the past, an ESFJ will likely adhere to it. At the same time, ESFJs also value the preferences and opinions of others, and actively seek out their needs. While this level of consideration can be helpful, ESFJs should learn to gauge how strong others’ opinions are—not every opinion necessarily needs to be followed up with action. Considering options strategically can also help reduce the amount of time it takes to make a decision.
At the end of the day, people are key to ESFJs’ decision making process. They ground their decisions in the practical, daily needs of the people who will be impacted by the outcomes of those decisions. At times, ESFJs may overly prioritize short term benefits and lose sight of the big picture. As they continue to grow, ESFJs should learn to consider whether the challenges they and their teams may be facing right now will have benefits in the long term.
ESFJs take their time and carefully weigh their options. However, once they make a decision, they follow through passionately and energetically, eager to finish one task before moving on to the next. This passion may cause them to resist altering or adapting their approach, even if new information becomes available. It might also cause them to over-promise and under-deliver, due to their desire to positively impact as many people and as quickly as possible. As ESFJs continue to mature in their decision making, they should learn to take a step back and be realistic about their time and commitments. Furthermore, passionate work is wasted if it is not appropriately directed.
As ESFJs reflect after making a decision, they instinctively value and appreciate the contributions of every individual. While they may on occasion take criticism personally, they generally understand that maintaining relationships and accomplishing goals are both essential to continuing to grow as an organization and as a team. With a little strategic thinking and process development, ESFJs can be on their way to becoming strong and confident decision makers.
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MBTI® Career Report
Find your best occupational match with this ten-page Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Career Report
Choosing a career path can be difficult. The revised MBTI® Career Report helps point the way by showing you how your type affects your career exploration and discusses the benefits of choosing a job that is a good fit for your type. You will explore preferred work tasks and work environments as well as your most popular and least popular occupations and receive strategies for improving job satisfaction. This completely updated report includes expanded coverage of popular fields such as business, health care, computer technology, and high-level executive and management occupations. It is based on your four-letter MBTI Personality Type, which is additionally explained within The Career Report.
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MBTI® Career Report + Strong & MBTI Combined Career Report + Strong Profile
Use these reports to find a fulfilling career that matches with your personality and interests, and develop a plan for achieving that career.
Set yourself up on the path to a career that fits with your MBTI® personality type as well as your interests and preferences. With these three reports, you’ll discover the ideal career for who you are at a base level, offering you a future of satisfying and fulfilling employment. Read about each report below.
Download sample MBTI® Career Report
Download sample Strong & MBTI® Combined Career Report Plus Strong Profile
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® Profile Report
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MBTI® Step II™ Profile
Further investigate the intricacies of your personality with this detailed report of your MBTI® type and its features.
The MBTI® Step II™ Profile further dissects your MBTI® type, providing you with more in-depth information on your personality and preferences. Four pages of detailed graphs show why you received the Myers-Briggs® test four-letter type that you did (given at the beginning of the profile), and what it is about yourself that makes you that type (five detailed subcategories, or facets, for each letter). The information gained from the MBTI Step II Profile can be beneficial to your work life, your relationships, your home life, and your schooling.
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Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report
Delve deeper into what your interests, hobbies, favorite topics, and locations can mean for your career and personal life with the help of this extensive and personalized Strong profile.
Your Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report starts with the same foundational information found in the Strong Interest Inventory Profile, but goes even further into analyzing your likes and dislikes by offering you a detailed look at how following your interests and preferences can help you lead a more fulfilling, satisfied life. The report presents you with the closest matched occupations for people with your interests, an in-depth breakdown of certain areas matched to your Strong Interest Inventory test results, and insight into your likes and dislikes.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® Interpretive Report
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iStartStrong™ Report
Plan your future career based on your interests and preferences, leading you down the path to a successful work and personal life.
Use your interests, preferences, and favorite subjects and leisure activities to assess which career or career field works best with who you are and what you like. Through the web-interactive and thorough iStartStrong™ report, you’ll get set off on the right foot toward finding a career that you’ll enjoy for years to come.
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Strong Interest Inventory® & Skills Confidence Profile + Strong Interpretive Report
Discover your interests and preferences as well as your confidence in your abilities to use these interests to your advantage.
Your strengths, interests, and preferences, when understood and well known, can lead you toward a successful and satisfying career. With this custom package, you’ll learn which occupations, strengths, and skills work best with your likes and dislikes and how confident you are in your ability to fulfill the needs of certain occupations, allowing you to formulate a career path that you’ll enjoy for years to come with the help of the Strong Interest Inventory test.
Download sample Strong Interest Inventory® & Skills Confidence Profile + Strong Interpretive Report
Learn More About the MBTI ESFJ Personality Type
Explore additional information that delves deeper into the ESFJ Personality Type by examining various personality and career based subjects:
- How the MBTI ESFJ Type relates to Innovation
- How the MBTI ESFJ Type relates to Project Management
- How the MBTI ESFJ Type relates to Emotional Intelligence
- How the MBTI ESFJ Type relates to Leadership
Click on one of these corresponding popular ESFJ Careers for detailed information including Career Stats, Income Stats, Daily Tasks and Required Education:
Hotel, Motel, or Resort Clerk, Kindergarten Teacher, Meeting, Convention, or Event Planner, Personal or Home Care Aide, Radiologic Technologist, Receptionist or Information Clerk, Registered Nurse, Secretary, Teacher Assistant, and Teller.
Click on a link below to read more about different MBTI Personality Types
ISTJ | ISFJ | INFJ | INTJ | ESTP | ESFP | ENFP | ENTP |
ISTP | ISFP | INFP | INTP | ESTJ | ESFJ | ENFJ | ENTJ |
References
Introduction to Type and Decision Making. (Hirsh, K., & Hirsh E. CPP. 2007)