Doodles

If you are attempting to influence someone it is very dangerous to assume you know what they feel, what they need, what they value and how they make decisions. Get it wrong and you you can send people into resistance to your ideas and you will NEVER know why.

This week during a conversation with an Extraverted salesperson who did not know the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, I described the differences between Introversion and Extraversion and the internal processing of those with a preference for Introversion.

At first a look of surprise crossed their face and this was followed by an immediate aha moment. They went on to describe a conversation that had just occurred that morning with a client. The salesperson had been using discovery questions to explore the needs of this client and was getting MUCH MORE silence than response. The silence compelled the salesperson to push – asking even more questions. As this Extravert listened to me describe how the Introvert has a dominant function that is in the internal world not the external, they suddenly were able to reframe the clients behaviour from “being difficult (on purpose)” to being the Introvert’s natural way of reflecting before speaking. They were thrilled to have the suggestion to give the person time to reflect before pushing for an answer before the person has had a moment to ponder their response

(For any email subscribers -The “doodle” that accompanies this post can be viewed by clicking on the link in the title)

What is the logical rational first thing that needs to happen when you are making a significant life or business decision? If you have a preference for Thinking, your answer to this question might just be that you need to identify your criteria for a successful outcome. That way you will be able to compare and decide if the option before you meets that criteria.

While this makes sense in theory, in practice someone with a preference for Feeling will typically have a different approach. They may eventually come up with a very rational and objective set of criteria but a more subjective approach will lead them there.

I am currently on the West Coast of Canada in Victoria B.C.. Yoga studios, coffee shops, organic gardening and healthy living are in evidence everywhere. I am here hanging out with my kids so it could also be that the laid back active healthy lifestyle is a total reflection of their life choices.

In any case I have met Steve. Steve is a fascinating ENFP, as if all ENFP’s myself included, aren’t fascinating. As of February 1st Steve announced the end of his Fall/Winter regimen. Steve is the UBER outdoorsman and he is going into serious training to be ready for all the activities the warmer weather brings.

Canadians typically shift our eating patterns from the warm comfort food we crave in the cold weather to eating lighter fare in the summer. However, Steve was so intentional about his approach. It struck me that the simplicity of this focus made such sense and works for a “perceiver” to have lots of wiggle room and not feel tied down by a rigid schedule. Such a seasonal approach is not for everyone but this definitely works for Action-oriented Steve.

I love it when real life situations inspire a “doodle” – one of my MBTI cartoons. I had scheduled a day of work with a friend, who happens to have a preference for Perceiving, when towards the late afternoon she asked if we could continue in the evening as she had other things scheduled.

Work horse that I am, I had to ask what could possibly interrupt our work flow. A big grin crossed her face as she announced that this was a “S” day and that as well as working with me she also had a swim time planned followed by Scrabble.

I laughed thinking that it was a coincidence that everything started with an “S”, but when I asked what letter day the next day was she rattled off the items all starting with “C” with such a straight face as if it was the most natural way of scheduling one’s day.

I realize this an unprofessional question but I wonder “Do P”s have more fun?”

ESTP's Hands On TO DO Bulletin Board

There may be as many ways of keeping track of things “to do” as there are MBTI types. This Dominant Sensing ESTP likes to see their To Do’s, move them around as things progress and enjoy seeing them completed with a slam dunk into the garbage can (aka trash). Booyah indeed – making a check mark or putting a line through an item seems lame in comparison.

This MBTI cartoon aka doodle shows the frustration a person with a Judging preference might feel when their organized approach meets the options oriented approach of someone with a Perceiving preference.

Cool thing is that this interaction happened right in front of my eyes while I was visiting friends. He thought his favourite Bob Marley CD was lost forever. She was wide eyed and innocent that everyone wouldn’t file that way. In fact she was really proud that the CD’s were filed at all. The really funny part for me, is that knowing her the way I do, she might have had a different filing system on a different day. The sad truth is that, I also, can never quite remember what filing methodology made sense to me at the moment. I can totally understand the frustration this creates. I frustrate myself. Grrrr…….

Now where are all those stocking stuffers I bought last July?

Aaron was inspired to do his own MBTI cartoons for his type INFJ. He tells me that the inspiration for these come from his own life. I think they speak for themselves. Thanks for sharing Aaron. You can learn more about him at his website, blog or follow him on Twitter

NFP - How to get along with me

Authenticity may be the INFP’s middle name. They seek meaning and purpose in all they do. They understand that people bring their own gifts and talents. They pay attention to the fact that each individual will react differently and have different timing needs and that all of that needs to be factored in to any process. This doodle is a reminder to value their individuality as they value yours.

Sensing and Intuitive Entrepreneurs in Action

This “Doodle” came out of a chicken and egg conversation I had this week. The natural starting point for those who prefer Intuition is with the big picture. Those with a Sensing preference may start with something more concrete and visible and build the big picture as the pieces add up.

Even though I know better – this still blows my mind.

Where do you start? AND how does it work for you?