What is your Myers-Briggs Type?
Before the holidays, the Spend Fool and I were trading emails about personality traits in procurement, and he suggested it might be interesting to learn more about the Myers-Briggs types within procurement and operations professionals. Long-term, I'd like to have this type of testing available on Spend Matters, but for now, I'd like to suggest that if you're a practitioner -- or practitioner / consultant in this field -- send me an email with your personality type (if you've taken the evaluation). This is an unscientific measure, but I'd love to see if they're any directionally indicative conclusions we can draw from the responses. I promise to hold all data in confidence and only use it only in the aggregate. When we get enough reponses, I'll start to post the trends -- if any -- the fool and I are seeing in the data relative to the overall population set. So if you're a practitioner, drop me a line at jbusch@spendmatters.com with your type (using an existing test you've taken or the above-linked survey if you've not)!
Update: Feel free to post your personality type directly as a comment (with or without your name, but with your job title and role, if possible).
- Jason Busch
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More Es than Is ...
More Ns than Ps
More Ts than Fs
More Ps than Js
Just a thought ... do participate!
I'm ENTJ.
Yours in free trade, small government, and implemented savings,
- Jason
I think as a sourcing consultant the sensitivity is really a pre-requisite for successful supplier/buyer negotiations and relationships.
Maybe that sounds a little "squishy" but it has worked for me.
What are you? Your readership would like to know!
The following is from a website that describes the different types. it's scary how accurate it is - all the way down to likes of Jazz, Mel Brooks, Monty Python, Woody Allen. It's also scary in finding out that I'm a narcissitic psychopathic loner akin to the game theory professor in 'a beautiful mind', but other than that, it's great fun - everyone should get one done!
INTP..........
The INTP is above all a thinker and his inner (private) world is a place governed by a strong sense of logical structure.
INTPs are drawn to complexity: anything simple is too quickly understood and cannot hold the fascination for long.
He will readily see himself as a neutral observer having no personal association with that going on around him (unless forced to become directly involved through an attack on his principles). The INTP enjoys speculating about how a news item (for example) might be received by other people or how a point of view might offend certain types of people and be supported by yet other types; but to have a point of view of his own rarely seems relevant!
Mission: to be the provider of clarity
Refined competency requires too much effort and has little attraction. It would require practice and that usually bores an INTP.
INTP's put great weight on being individuals and essentially different from other people
The INTP sees himself as the independent arbiter, whether a fair claim or not. However, when someone has proved his credentials through having sensible opinions, he will be afforded great respect by the INTP. Most respected of all are those who are not only sensible but also innovative. Intelligence is above all highly prized.
Independence, derived primarily from strongly introverted Thinking, leads to perhaps the most difficult aspect (for others) of the INTP, namely stubbornness.
To know is everything, to do is a lower order necessity, if it is necessary at all. This breeds the potential for lazy aloofness.
The INTP is often satisfied simply by knowing that he could do something if he wished. This also leads to the danger of overestimating one's capabilities and losing a grip on reality.
In contrast to INTJs, an INTP will often make controversial, speculative points of argument, often annoying the discussion-partner, and make them in such a way as to leave the impression that he is very serious about what he says. In reality, the INTP is not actually even certain himself whether he really stands by what he is saying, but his Ne strongly suggests that there must be a core of truth there. The purpose then of his outspoken style of argument is to sharpen his own intuitive understanding by testing the reaction of the listener, and indeed to examine the logic of his own arguments in real time while speaking them out. On occasion, INTPs may seem brash and tactless, but for themselves it is part of their way of getting closer to the truth.
He is therefore happy to be seen as somewhat eccentric, innovative and perceptive. In dreaming about what he would like to become or achieve, his goals are invariably highly individualistic.
Humour is another aspect which marks out the INTP. He can readily dream up jokes about almost any situation. Taking things out of context is the chief source of humour and many an INTP is a Monty Pythonite. The Ne is the engine and source of this joke-generator. Needless to say, the humour of an INTP can be pretty zany and warped and may not be understood easily by others.
If you see someone smirking and laughing at some private thought, without any obvious reason, he's probably an INTP. INTPs may however make good comedy writers, with the humour of Woody Allen being particularly liked.
The preference for intuitive perception means that INTPs dislike having their lives planned
INTPs tend to be rather mistrusting of people and are rather skeptical.
INTPs preference for intuitive perception (rather than action) with respect to people results in them resembling a chameleon. The INTP can fit into many different modes of behaviour, even contradictory ones, in order to get into the mindset of the other person.
When two INTPs get togther, watch out! All forms of social graces and host-guest protocols become irrelevant. Both want only to share concepts and interests and absorb the intellectual stimulation of the other.
INTP's unite!