How Do Myers-Briggs (MBTI Test) INFP Personality Types Deal with Change?
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Responding to Organizational Changes as an INFP Personality Type
INFP (Introverted-Intuitive-Feeling-Perceiving) Personality Types are known to be visionaries, who often have the innate ability to motivate and influence others in the workplace. This quality makes them great candidates to be leaders in their field who are commonly skilled in decision making and solving organizational obstacles. When doing so, these individuals typically will ensure others’ needs are being acknowledged and their colleagues are being supported emotionally (especially during a time of change). INFPs are also known for being enthusiastic and may even become energized during an innovative transition. They customarily are the type of people who appreciate the challenge involved with what an organizational change may bring. However, if the changes being introduced interact negatively with their morals, they may find it difficult to transition and lose their ambition to grow. Having an appropriate amount of time to process adapting situations will allow an INFP to fit the changes into their value system. Additionally, If the changes do not pose the potential for the possibility of promotion for themselves or for their colleagues, they may resist implementation of the change. If the proposed changes conflict with their personal value systems, INFP Personality Types are known to become outspoken in a group of people, representing possible negative underlying company motives, pointing out unaccounted for information, and emphasizing conflicting ethical beliefs. This may be due to these individual’s innate behavior of dedication and loyalty. “When they are committed to a person, idea, or institution they can be fiercely loyal.” (Introduction to Type and Change, Barger and Kirby, p.34, 2004, CPP Inc.) Individuals who assess with the INFP Personality Type generally will reference these commitments when making a decision and even when they are internally processing information.
As INFPs process change, they tend to do so on their own time. This can be problematic at times when they may be preparing at a quicker or at a more passive rate than their colleagues. However, once they have internally processed a plan to conform their values with the proposed adaptations, they generally will implement new developments quickly and with ease. On the contrary, if an INFP is forced to follow elaborate plans which have been constructed by others, they may experience difficulty, becoming vocally critical about their need to have their personal values included. They may overthink small details and even be prone to resentment of others, especially if they are being pressured to change too quickly. INFP Personality Types are better placed in a position to introduce new developments to others due to their innate ability to influence and create positivity for the changes. After a change has been implemented, INFPs are known for providing a support system for their colleagues. This is commonly a behavior which manifests after these individuals have had some time to reflect on how the changes have affected their own lives. They often carry out this reinforcement by stepping outside of their internalization to speak with others about their experiences concerning handling the situation. They may take time to reorganize their thought patterns and seek out encouraging motivations for others. Implementing change for an INFP typically is a gateway for their visionary development, and if they are able to incorporate others in their vision, they will typically find successful developments towards an overall company goal.
When an INFP is dealing with losses which occur in response to an implemented change, they commonly will process them by reassessing their value. This personality type is known for their attentiveness to detail when a change triggers a loss of an individual in their immediate circle. For example, if an INFP experiences a change of department within an organization, leaving them to break away from the people they have grown accustomed to in their previous department, the individual may have trouble separating from their current environment. They may worry about how the individuals in their previous department are handling the changes and experience difficulty letting go of commitments they had made with previous colleagues. INFPs may react to this by putting off their new assignments. However, if an INFP is given the appropriate amount of time to adapt to their new surroundings in order to allow them to see the positive evolution of their new position, they generally will have no trouble with the change. This personality type will also generally respond well to a certain level of independency and not to be rushed into new familiarizations as well.
Learn More About the MBTI INFP Personality Type
Explore additional information that delves deeper into the INFP Personality Type by examining various personality and career based subjects:
- How the MBTI INFP Type relates to Innovation
- How the MBTI INFP Type relates to Project Management
- How the MBTI INFP Type relates to Emotional Intelligence
- How the MBTI INFP Type relates to Leadership
- How the MBTI INFP Type relates to Decision Making
Click on a link below to read more about different MBTI Personality Types
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References
Introduction to Type and Change (Nancy J Barger and Linda K. Kirby, 2004, CPP Inc.)