ISFP Personality Types and Efficient Team Building

Different people behave in different ways in large part due to their personalities. Developing a nuanced understanding of team members’ Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) Personality type provides a way of better anticipating how they may behave in various situations as individuals and in cooperative environments. In this post, we will take a closer look at the Introverted- Sensing-Feeling-Perception (ISFP) personality type.

Individuals in the ISFP category value personal connection and harmony, sometimes even more than objective achievements or milestones. Meeting others’ emotional and circumstantial needs is significant to ISFPs. Many ISFPs are intuitively aware of the most fitting gesture that will make a colleague feel supported. They meet others where they are, and their efforts are typically well-received because they come from a genuine place.

Utilize the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to best understand how to create efficient and effective corporate teams.

ISFP Communication in Groups

When it comes to communication on teams, ISFPs tend to be reserved. They are content to let others take the helm and instead present their ideas to provide guidance rather than assert the “best” or “right” course of action. They often provide feedback by presenting specific facts or data and allowing other team members to draw their conclusions from the information they present.

Because of ISFPs inherent value of flexibility and adaptability, they may feel pressured or even policed by team members who are overly driven by deadlines or constrained by technical or procedural restrictions. Managing this potential tension will take understanding on both sides – ISFPs may need to keep calendars, set alerts, or remind themselves that others may have different priorities than they do. Team members with Thinking personality types who work closely with ISFPs should try to see ISFPs’ human values as essential assets and find small ways to accommodate their need for flexibility. For example, it may be helpful to set aside a minute or two at the start of a meeting to check in with everyone at the table before getting down to business.

ISFP Leadership Tendencies

ISFPs’ interpersonal priorities extend to their leadership style. As leaders, they prefer to offer guidance and support their team members in achieving their own goals instead of taking a more traditional top-down approach. An ISFP leader is adaptable to change and acknowledges their teams’ challenges when asked to alter routines, habits, standards, or expectations. This is vital for team building.  If others are skeptical of such changes, ISFPs generally address questions openly and honestly. They are genuinely interested in others’ perspectives and ideas but can also demonstrate why the plans they recommend are optimal.

Taking the time to examine peers’ and colleagues’ Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Personality Type can have enormous benefits when team building and increasing your ROI. Teams who leverage these insights operate more effectively and efficiently, and executives and managers might be surprised at the positive impact a few small changes can make!

Reference:

Introduction To Type and Teams Second Edition. Hirsh, E. et al. (CPP, 2003).