[Ailist] Efficacy of the MBTI

[Sandy Weiner]

Greetings, David your  note resonated with my feelings. IN 70's I was a
special education teacher and as such was certified in many assessments, a
broad range of psychological and personality assessments that we used to
call tests. In time, I grew to hate these, as they put my students into
little boxes that many believed that were to live in for the rest of their
lives. Apparently, there wasn't much appreciation going on there. Yet, I
found that when these instruments were used to appreciate our strengths and
to find ways to compensate for and improve our weaknesses (I am referring to
IQ tests at the moment), these kids would sour. First of all, they grew to
understand their frustrations and where they excelled... Students from 5
years to college students benefited over the years. Students who previously
couldn't read in the 11 grade would learn to read in a short period of time
(of course, finding their motivation, personal vision and integrating
supporting  its realization was part of hteprocess, too). But, the important
thing was that when they were appreciated for their strengths and understand
their weaknesses they soared.
In the early 80's I became certified in the Meyers Briggs and grew away from
using it, not because the of its value, but because of its abuse. Many
companies were using it for screening purposed and abasing hiring and career
decisions on it. It was being used as a test with right or wrong responses
in essence. That is not the intent of the assessment. Until last year, I
found myself shying away from all formal assessments because of this reason.
Early last year, I was asked to speak at an International  Women's
Organization Conference at the Key Note Speaker. They chose the top, MBTI
and the conference title was Tearing Down Walls.. I gave it much thought and
then realized two things bothered me... The box that  the MBTI could create
if used in that way and The Feeling the Conference theme gave me. I
expanding the theme to building bridges and spoke and facilitated exercises
around the value of difference. All approximately 140 women had taken the
MBTI before the conference via the web. They walked away with a stronger
sense of what they each need to enjoy their lives, work and interactions
more AND the value of differences and how these differences create a
healthier, more creative, productive, enjoyable whole. Can you imagine what
it would be like if EVERYONE were the same?
So, like you, I too, have  grown to  value the MBTI (and other assessments
and have let go a long standing prejudice to the point that my partner whose
expertise is in assessments and I have been developing our own). To me it is
not the assessment that is the problem, it is the application or frame from
which it is used.... Appreciate the differences, value them and you have one
result... Oust people for being different and you get a different one....
'wishing you a wonderful weekend, Sandy 

Sandy Weiner, Master Certified Coach, Systemics Organizational Consultant
Managing Partner, 1-Focus International       "Where Passion Creates
Results"    www.1-focus.org
To subscribe to our leadership & personal development monthly musings please
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-----Original Message-----
From: ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu
[mailto:ailist-bounces at lists.business.utah.edu] On Behalf Of David J. Snider
Sent: 16 March, 2007 04:58
To: Bill Scott
Cc: ailist at lists.business.utah.edu
Subject: Re: [Ailist] Efficacy of the MBTI

Hi Folks

Bill, your assessment of the MBTI has created an occasion for me to re-think
and share why I appreciate it.

Before I do that I need to address your comment that the MBTI has "changed
little since its original development" more than a half century ago.  I
pulled out my MBTI Manual: A Guide to the Develoment and Use of the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator by Myers, McCaulley, Quenk and Hammer.  In their
history of the development of MBTI forms the authors appear to believe there
has been substantial change.  The "Mothers and Fathers" of the MBTI take
seriously the need to revise and update the instrument.  This report
provides some information on how leaders of different generations have done
that.

Now I want to say why I value the MBTI,  I also want to provide information
that Ai List folks not acquainted with the MBTI can explore to discover
whether it might be a useful tool to complement your use of AI.

I love the MBTI for giving us a positive language for talking about our
differences.  I like how it appears to be relevant across  
national cultures, race, gender, age.   I also value the fact that  
the MBTI Indicator is taken as giving us an indication of our type
preferences.  It is not regarded as giving us the "last word" on who we are
regarding personality type.  That decision is regarded as the responsibility
of each person choosing to use the MBTI indicator.  In consultation with
someone qualified to use the MBTI the persons taking the indicator look at
their own experience and behavior and then decide what are their natural
preferences.

I have my workshop participants take the MBTI online, and then that data
becomes part of our conversation about how we are different, how we can
value and complement each other.  From how my folks experience the MBTI it
appears to be useful.  That is one reason I keep enjoying using the
Indicator.

A second reason I like it is the impressive amount of research that
practitioners have done and published on how type differences affect our
behavior in different settings.  Titles that I use regularly include
Introduction To Type and Teams by Hirsch et al, WorkTypes by Kummerow, et
al, and MotherStyles by Janet Penley.  These and a long list of other titles
give me and others who value the MBTI as an indicator and conversation
starter a sense of what different type preferences "look like" in everyday
life.  They also help me keep increasing my understanding of myself and of
other people.  These sources also help me identify type behavior more
easily.

A third reason I value the MBTI is because there is a rich reservoir of
practitioners who support and develop use of the Indicator through
national/international associations.  Folks who want more on these
associations with primarily Canadian and United States members can go to
2007 APT International Conference Program at
http://apt.timberlakepublishing.com/files/Complete program.pdf

For books in English see the CAPT site
https://www.capt.org/research/mbti-bibliography-search.htm or Consulting
Psychologists Press (CPP) http://www.cpp-db.com/

For associations and sources in Europe go to the European Type Conference
site http://www.europeantypeconference.org/associations.htm

I know that Yuki Sonoda, a Japanese woman who lived her teen-age years in
New York led the creation of a Japanese version of the MBTI that was
published around 2002 or 2003.  If individuals need her email, contact me

I enjoy the richness of research and sources that come from folks who are
using the MBTI in over 30 languages.  And I love the level of connections I
am able to make between AI and the MBTI.

If you want an introduction go to the Myers and Briggs Foundation web site
http://www.myersbriggs.org/

I hope my comments and sources provide Ai List readers who do not know the
MBTI clues about whether it might support your use of AI and how to find out
more about it.  And if you already know the MBTI and find new resources in
my note, I will be delighted.

Best to you,

David (INTJ)

David J. Snider, Ph.D.
David Snider Associates
   Consultants On Personal and
   Organizational Development
17214 Wildemere
Detroit, MI 48221
O: 313 342 8060
Fax: 313 342 8650
davidsnider at mindspring.com



On Mar 14, 2007, at 10:49 AM, Bill Scott wrote:

> 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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