By A.V. Vedpuriswar
July 7, 2011
Why awareness of personality type is
important
People who know themselves and the others around are
at an advantage.
They learn how to take decisions in different situations.
They understand people better.
They know which areas to focus on in order to develop
their personality.
They know how to get the best out of the team.
They know when to seek help.
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Personality type
Every person has his or her own preferred ways of acting
and thinking.
They can be deduced from their personality profile.
When we talk about a preference in one pair of
dichotomies, this is not meant as a value judgment.
Both poles are important, even if we find one side easier
to deal with.
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Caution: Word Usage
Words used to describe preferences in psychology do not
mean the same thing as they do in everyday life.
» Extravert does not mean talkative or loud.
» Introvert does not mean shy or inhibited.
» Feeling does mean emotional.
» Judging does not mean judgmental.
» Perceiving does not mean perceptive.
Personality Dichotomies
The personality
questions:
dichotomies relate to the following
Where do I get my energy, where do I prefer to focus my
attention – outward or inward?
How do I prefer to perceive the world around me, how do I
assimilate information – by paying attention to detail or by
looking at the big picture?
How do I prefer to base my decisions – my thoughts or my
feelings?
How do I prefer to interact with the outer world, by being
ordered and structured or flexible and spontaneous?
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The Four Dichotomies
Extraversion – Introversion
E - I Dichotomy
Sensing – Intuition
S - N Dichotomy
Thinking – Feeling
Where do I prefer to focus my
attention – and get your energy?
How do I prefer to take in
information?
How do I make decisions?
T - F Dichotomy
Judging – Perceiving
J - P Dichotomy
How do I deal with the outer
world?
Pairs of dichotomies
Extraversion
Introversion
 Find contact easy
 Actively communicative
 Energy from outer world
 Rather reserved
 Consider / reflect
 Energy from inner world
Sensing
INtuition
 Gather details
 Enquire about facts
 Rely on experience
 Create a big picture
 Theories / abstraction
 Build upon creativity
Cont….
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Pairs of dichotomies ( Contd)
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Thinking
Feeling
 Logical, analytical
 Compare alternatives
 Guided by tasks
 Sympathetic, empathetic
 Take values into account
 Guided by people
Judging
Perceiving
 Systematic, planning
 Avoid time pressure
 Appreciate schedules
 Keep options open
 Energised by last-minute rush
 Spontaneous, flexible
E – I Dichotomy: Source of Energy
Most people who prefer
Extraversion
Most people who prefer
Introversion
» Prefer action to reflection
» Prefer reflection to action
» Are attuned to external world
» Are attuned to inner world
» Like to communicate by talking
» Like to communicate in writing
» Learn best through doing or
discussing
» Learn best through mental
practice and reflection
» Are sociable and expressive
» Are private and contained
» Enjoy working in groups
» Enjoy working alone or in pairs
Some Key Words Associated With E/I
Extraversion
Action oriented
Outward
People
Interaction
Many
Expressive
Do-Think-Do
Introversion
Reflective
Inward
Privacy
Concentration
Few
Quiet
Think-Do-Think
S – N Dichotomy: Assimilating Information
Most people who prefer
Sensing
» Emphasize the pragmatic
» Prefer facts & details/ specific
information
» Are oriented to present realities
» Value realism
» Use their 5 senses
» Move carefully and thoroughly
to conclusions
» Trust experience
Most people who prefer
Intuition
» Emphasize the theoretical
» Prefer general concepts/ highlevel plans
» Look at future possibilities
» Value imagination
» Use a “sixth” sense
» Move quickly to conclusions,
follow hunches
» Trust inspiration
Some Key Words Associated With
Sensing
Facts
Realistic
Specific
Present
Keep
Practical
What is
iNtuition
Ideas
Imaginative
General
Future
Change
Theoretical
What could be
T – F Dichotomy: Decision Making
Most people who prefer
Thinking
»
»
»
»
Are analytical
Use cause-effect reasoning
Solve problems with logic
Strive for objective standard of
truth
» Are described as reasonable
» Search for flaws in an argument
» Want everyone treated equally
Most people who prefer
Feeling
»
»
»
»
Are empathetic
Are guided by personal values
Assess impact on people
Strive for harmony and positive
interactions
» Are described as compassionate
» Search for point of agreement in an
argument
» Want everyone treated as an
individual
Some Key Words Associated With
Thinking
Head
Distant
Things
Objective
Criticize
Analyze
Firm but Fair
Feeling
Heart
Personal
People
Subjective
Praise
Understand
Merciful
J – P Dichotomy: Lifestyle
Most people who prefer
Judging
» Are scheduled/organized
» Strive to finish one project
before starting another
» Like to have things decided
» Try to avoid last-minute
stresses;
» Finish tasks well before
deadline
» Try to limit surprises
» See routines as effective
Most people who prefer
Perceiving
» Are spontaneous/flexible
» Start many projects but may
have trouble finishing them
» Like things loose, open
» Feel energized by last-minute
pressures;
» Finish tasks at the deadline
» Enjoy surprises
» See routines as limiting
Some Key Words Associated With
Judging
Organized
Decision
Control
Now
Closure
Deliberate
Plan
Perceiving
Flexible
Information
Experience
Later
Options
Spontaneous
Wait
Personality type and preferred
communication style
Extraversion
Introversion
 energetic; inspiring; quick to
respond,
 seek out opportunities for
personal communication
 more inspired by themselves;
think before acting
 prefer one-to-one meetings
and written communication
Sensing
INntuition
 Require informative facts, look
for a practical reference for
information
 structured in conversations;
stick to the agenda in meetings
 form generalizations; want to
think ahead to the future
 indirect approach; view the
agenda as a starting point
Cont….
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Personality type and preferred working style
(1)
Extraversion
Introversion
 are actively involved; lose
patience quickly; take an interest in
others
 act (too) quickly; enjoy working
with others
 prefer to be in quiet surroundings
in order to concentrate on work
that requires perseverance
 interested in facts, need time to
think before they act; work alone or
in a small team
Sensing
INntuition
 go by experience; standard
solutions; pragmatic; attention to
detail
 happy to build upon existing
knowledge; plan time well
 like complex material and
challenges; prone to missing facts
 value innovation; have overview;
follow inspiration spontaneously
Cont….
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Personality type and preferred working style
(2)
Thinking
Feeling
 logical and analytical; tend to be
more focused on the tasks than on
people
 decide impersonally; able to
cope with criticism; seek
recognition
 guided by values; work together
harmoniously,
 appreciative, sympathetic; show
consideration for people
Judging
Perceiving
 organizing, diligent at planning;
focused on targets;
 strive for structures and time
schedules; work with lists
 happy to involve others;
adaptable
 open to new experiences; feel
constricted by structures
Cont….
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Personality type and Holding meetings
ST
Managerial Style:
 effective organizer
 hands-on approach
Won over by
 facts and objective answers to
questions
NT
Managerial Style:
 conceptual planner
 guided by what is possible
Won over by
 showing theoretical
background and competence
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SF
Managerial Style:
 friendly person to talk to
 guided by your needs
Won over by
 showing him arguments for
the benefits
NF
Managerial Style:
 team player
 geared towards motivation
Won over by
 approaching at the
relationship level
Leveraging team diversity for effective
problem solving
Sensing (S)
S-type analyses the
Perceiving situation by
level
gathering data and
facts
Intuition (N)
N-type looks for
possible solutions
and uses
imagination
Thinking (T)
Feeling (F)
Decision - T-type analyses the F-Type considers
making options logically
the people
level
implications of the
options
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| ©2009, Cognizant Technology Solutions
Confidential
Thank You
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| ©2009, Cognizant Technology Solutions
Confidential