MBTI® Test and Team Culture

In Careers, MBTI, Team Culture by Jonathan Bollag, Owner and Founder

MBTI Test and Team Culture

If you are a team manager, leader, business owner, or simply part of a team that might be sputtering, The Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator Team Report can help you and your team self-manage successfully. By administering this assessment, you will discover your team’s combined personality type and apply your results to team action and problem solving. The Team Report can include up to 20 team members and a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® Team Facilitator’s Report is included.

Team Culture can be defined as a pattern of shared basic assumptions invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration.

Each Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Personality Type relates to Team Culture in different ways. Every MBTI® pesronality type has strengths and weaknesses within teams and groups. In addition, as part of a team, the 16 different personality types each function, contribute, and approach team problem solving in different ways.

A team’s personality type consists of many individual types, and it is these individual types that result in a Team Personality Type, which equates directly to Team Culture. Team Culture is not only seen as team operations, but also as a sense of being that leads to a path of success and efficiency.

Extroverted Types versus Introverted Types in Team Culture
When speaking of Team Culture, the Extroverted Type Team generally offers a variety of experiences to the team, seeks and values input, looks for outside assistance when having difficulty, and responds to external expectations. An Introverted Team Culture, or Introverted Team Type, consists of members who offer in-depth experiences, seek and value input from few individuals, and rely on resources within the team when having difficulty.

Sensing Types versus Intuitive Types in Team Culture
The second pair of MBTI opposites, Sensing and Intuition, differ a great deal in their contributions to team culture.  A Sensing team culture is more likely to be successful when using established procedures focusing on specifics while appreciating practicality. The Intuitive Type, on the other hand, flourishes when using creativity and innovations, new ideas and insight. The Intuitive Type tends to trust and rely on inspiration and appreciates imagination.

We can start to see the differences here between Sensing and Intuition. A team manager would in fact want to respect both sides of personality type, though pay more attention to the team type preferences. Team members are almost always included in team type in at least one aspect of their personality; it is rare that a team member would differ in all four categories of Type. If a team member does indeed differ completely, the team leader would consider parting ways with this team member, or use this team member for critical thinking outside of the Team’s main preferences.

Thinking Types versus Feeling Types in Team Culture
Thinking Team Cultures usually include principle-centered decision making. Team members are usually crisp and businesslike; members usually want critical feedback that leads to improvement and Thinking Teams prefer to apply policies consistently. Feeling Team Cultures use value-centered decision-making, and are warm and friendly. They want positive support and prefer to make exceptions to policies.

Judging Types versus Perceiving Types in Team Culture
An expression of the Judging Type in team culture includes steadiness and thoroughness; the Judging Type finds these two characteristics important in team functioning. The Judging Type Culture adheres to routines, wants defined goals, and almost always puts work before play. On the other hand, Perceiving Team Cultures find flexibility and adaptability important. This Team Culture maintains minimum routines, wants general parameters and openness while combining play and work; quite different from the Judging Type.

The important lesson here is to understand and respect the wants, needs and preferences of your teammates and most of all the majority personality type that equates to your team’s type. Keep in mind that recognition in teams is necessary. Recognition, even for an Introverted Type, is important within a team. An Introverted Type does not usually enjoy the attention, though they still want their strengths to be noticed as we all do. To be a successful team manager or leader, one must recognize each team member’s differences while building on the common ground of the Team Culture.

To check out our various MBTI tests, check out our Myers Briggs Assessment Section HERE.  To check out all our Business related assessments, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, check out our Corporate and Business Assessment section HERE.