The Change Organisation

Discover how the MBTI helped shape culture

After 21 years in the business, The Change Organisation is a market leading specialist distributor of computer hardware, software and associated services for a digital world, delivering timely bespoke business solutions to clients across the UK and Europe. With 40 employees and a turnover in excess of £30m, the organisation is seeing year on year growth.

Project background

Prior to the development work, The Change Organisation had not considered the benefits of sharing personality information amongst sales staff. Potentially useful insights into what made individual team members tick were not being openly discussed. The move towards a more open system, in which personality information could be used to the benefit of teams, and of the organisation at large, came at the instigation of management consultant and MBTI^® practitioner Philip Lennard.

Philip explained the logic and benefits of sharing MBTI type and using insights into personality differences as a driver for communication and interactions. Increased self-awareness would assist team-building and boost employees’ engagement, whether they were old hands or new to the job.

There had not been a specific problem beforehand, but the MBTI development work opened up new areas of thinking about how people can interact. It was also acknowledged that the MBTI framework could assist in a pre-emptive capacity in those rare situations where conflict was an issue.

“We had no major issues as such”, says Owain Williams, Sales Director, The Change Organisation, “but the physical environment in the windowless sales office is a rather claustrophobic space – a breeding ground for potential conflict, perhaps.”

The solution

Having considered various personal development tools and approaches, the MBTI rose to the top of the pile. "The tool is easy to understand", says Owain. "Staff find it easy to use and apply. It makes sense – we have the day to day evidence that it works."

The development work was carried out by Philip Lennard of Management Consultancy firm E3. He explained that the whole process was about getting the best out of the entire team and ensuring that by sharing information, The Change Organisation would be better able to look at opportunities and development areas within their team.

The MBTI sessions were a lot of fun, and were a hit with everyone involved. No-one quibbled with the process or the results; and there was even a degree of tongue-in-cheek kudos attached to those with a best-fit type unique within the team.

Results

The Change Organisation now wears its MBTI credentials prominently, with charts in the reception area and sales room listing staff members along with their MBTI type. This has enabled all staff to keep the concept of type at the forefront of their dealings with other members of staff. This approach is greatly assisted by the company-wide use of the Flip-a-Type Tip!, which provides thumbnail sketches of interaction between any two types. Staff now include their MBTI best-fit type in their email signatures too.

Self-awareness and mutual appreciation of personality differences have been the perennial gains. "Anything we can do to work better together towards mutual goals is of great benefit", says Owain. "The development work, and the use of type charts and Flip a Type Tips in day-to-day office life, has enabled people to ‘see via type’, and use this in their teamwork. It’s a great ice-breaker too. Type gives us something else to talk about. It leads into conversations, not just between staff but with customers too. It beats chatting about the weather!"

The MBTI assessment is now a standard part of the onboarding process for new staff after their initial probation period. Post-assessment, their names and MBTI types join the others on the staff boards.

"MBTI is now part of the Change Organisation culture", says Owain. "We are using it on a day to day basis."

Project background

The solution

Results

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