[Ailist] Efficacy of the MBTI

[Cheri Torres]

Bill,

What a great post, thanks for offering all of us the chance to step back.  I
am continuously marveling these days at how easy it is to get caught up in
living through my frame.  That joyful statement or question that invites me
to step back just long enough to see my frame and perhaps a larger picture
is such an opportunity for learning.  As you suggest, it doesn't mean we
have to change our frame, but realize that it is one and take a look.

Please say more about self-efficacy and the work you are doing.  This is an
area we are beginning to focus on as well.

Cheri

-----Original Message-----
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of Bill Scott
Sent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 10:49 AM
To: ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
Subject: [Ailist] Efficacy of the MBTI

Hello all,

At the expense of starting a firestorm of controversy on an appreciative
list ...

I have found the recent posts with respect to the MBTI and its interaction
with AI to
be very interesting. I have a lot of interest in self-awareness tools and
the MBTI is
certainly one of those. I also teach organizational behaviour periodically
and the
most recent research on the efficacy on the MBTI is, at best, mixed. In
fact, more
recent work suggests that the Big Five Inventory is a better predictor of
personality
types. I think all self-awareness tools are useful when they are used in
combination
so that the many aspects of personality are covered and re-covered so that
the
individual can make their own choices about where to go rather than have the
test or
indicator map their direction for her/him.

Like everything in life, as we progress through our history we learn more.
The MBTI
is now more than a half century old and its formulation has changed little
since its
original development. If one were to draw a parallel with AI, at this point
in our
history, we would be using revamped, revised and improved problem solving
methodologies rather than an appreciative exploration of the good, the
life-giving,
the positive. So ... I personally take the results of the MBTI as one piece
of
information to use in my personal and professional development.

It is not my intent to trash any individual's particular preferences or
professional
attachments -- after all, I know how I'd feel if someone wanted to trash AI.
I just
wanted to offer another perspective on the subject and perhaps, offer food
for
thought and discussion.

(BTW, I'm an INTJ, at least when I last took the test.)  :-)

Regards,
Bill
 
WJS Consulting Inc
Vancouver, B.C., Canada
wjs.consulting at shaw.ca
604-574-1856
 
Engaging human potential
 


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