Leadership development

MBTI-centered Leadership Development Helps 16,000 Nurses Improve Patient Care

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Posted 11 March 2024 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

Delivery nurses and midwives find their voice and better leadership skills to improve patient experience on a large scale, online, in this case study

How personality type affects team performance and job satisfaction

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Posted 16 November 2023 by
Global Marketing, The Myers-Briggs Company

New research sends clear message to team leaders

Why self-awareness is not enough

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Posted 08 November 2023 by
Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

Business psychology experts on leadership and people development in organizations

People have forgotten how to work with each other

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Posted 25 October 2023 by
Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

Our consultants share the workplace trends and topics they’re hearing about

Why and how innovative organizations welcome conflict

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Posted 03 October 2023 by
Global Marketing, The Myers-Briggs Company

Effective conflict management is a pillar of high-performing organizations

Uncover the (in)visible elements of team success

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Posted 21 September 2023 by
Author Vanessa Bradford

There are many psychological factors that affect team success. This article helps managers and leaders understand how those factors affect performance – and why the MBTI personality assessment is one of the best opportunities for growth.

Leadership wake-up call: how’s your team’s orientation?

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Posted 18 September 2023 by
Vanessa Bradford

In the workplace, there are hidden elements that can make or break team success. This blog post helps managers and leaders understand the importance of team orientation – and the role inclusive leadership plays in boosting it.

To build better teams, start by building trust

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Posted 18 September 2023 by
Vanessa Bradford

At work, there are hidden elements that can make or break team success. This blog post helps managers and leaders understand how inclusion – and inclusive leadership – cultivates the trust and psychological safety that teams need to be effective.

Targeted Leadership Development and Succession Planning through CPI 260® Certification

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Posted 25 August 2023 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

The CPI 260 assessment enables HR and talent development professionals to find and develop high-potential employees, making it an essential tool for your investment in employee training and development.

Unlocking Team and Leadership Potential through FIRO Certification

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Posted 11 August 2023 by
Melissa Summer and Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

In the ever-evolving landscape of HR and training and development, organizations are recognizing the significance of assessments in unlocking individual and team potential. Among these assessments, the Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO®) assessment stands out as a powerful tool for team development and leadership growth.

How stress and personality type affect leader’s risk tolerance & decision-making

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Posted 12 June 2023 by
Sherrie Haynie, Senior Director of US Professional Services for The Myers-Briggs Company

Stress can affect a leader’s approach to risk which is strongly tied to investment and business strategy. But if a leader knows how their personality type affects their natural approach to risk-taking, as well as what stresses them out in the first place, they’re less likely to react to stress by making poor decisions.

How to foster an inclusive culture in a diverse organization

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Posted 12 May 2023 by
Global Marketing

Overestimating progress is one of the barriers to an inclusive culture

3 Types of workplace conflict – and a tool to help resolve them

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Posted 22 March 2023 by
Vanessa Bradford

There are three types of conflict that people experience at work. Fortunately, HR professionals, leadership consultants, and executive coaches can help leaders and employees improve their conflict resolution skills with the FIRO-B® assessment.

To be an inclusive leader, you need to understand and respect personality preferences

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Posted 15 March 2023 by
Global Marketing

What does inclusion look like for executives and the people they lead? 

In-person development and the importance of human synchronization

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Posted 17 February 2023 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

What is human synchronization and why is it important for learning and development trainers, consultants and coaches to consider?   

Measuring the behaviors of successful, inclusive leaders with the FIRO-B tool

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Posted 10 February 2023 by
Author Vanessa Bradford

Did you know that interpersonal behaviors can be measured in an objective way? Through the FIRO-B® assessment, HR professionals and leadership consultants can check how well a person’s behaviors cultivate inclusion and success in the workplace.

Inclusion is a priority, but how do leaders actually become inclusive?

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Posted 06 February 2023 by
Global Marketing

Research shows there’s a self-perception gap when leaders assess their inclusion efforts

Does the MBTI assessment work across cultures?

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Posted 27 January 2023 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

The world has been flattened by technology and working across county and cultural borders is now the norm. But can you use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment across borders? Here’s what you should know.  

How can you help managers develop an inclusive workplace for employees?

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Posted 25 January 2023 by
Vanessa Bradford

Inclusion in the workplace gives people a voice and drives performance. And the FIRO-B assessment can help your people understand how their interpersonal behaviors are tied to company culture and inclusivity.

Use conflict as a health check for your team

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Posted 09 November 2022 by
Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

Is lack of conflict a sign of dysfunction? And what do people feel about conflict today? 

How to build a more effective hybrid workplace

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Posted 24 October 2022 by
Global Marketing, The Myers-Briggs Company

Paying closer attention to employee needs is the way to make remote, in-office, and hybrid teams function better

What are the new sources of conflict at work?

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Posted 21 October 2022 by
Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

Learn the types and causes of conflict to be better prepared in how you manage conflict 

Conflict at work: what are your options?

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Posted 05 October 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

If conflict management is something you dread, here’s how to start turning it around

Galderma Skincare Uses the MBTI® Tool to Navigate Major Company Change

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Posted 03 October 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

How does a skincare giant smooth out the wrinkles of organizational change?

Connecting with the people you lead

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Posted 28 September 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

Dr. Martin Boult shares his expertise on leadership and connection in this episode of The Myers-Briggs Company Podcast.

Conflict Management

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Posted 24 August 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

How can conflict management save organizations money?

Leadership, Extraversion & Introversion

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Posted 24 August 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

What should leaders be aware of about these well-known personality differences?

Psychology of Change

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Posted 24 August 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

What is change management and why does it matter for organizations?

Introducing The Myers-Briggs Company Podcast

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Posted 09 August 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

The Myers-Briggs Company is launching a new podcast about psychology, personality, work life, and how to get the best from life. 

Were you asked if you wanted to go back to the office?

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Posted 24 May 2022 by
Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

If not, you might be part of a hybrid strategy that’s about to fail.

Social contracts, returning to the office and retaining your people in the new hybrid workplace

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Posted 20 May 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

As employees return to the office, they’re expecting more flexibility in their social contracts with employers. How can HR help?

International Women’s Day: Increasing awareness, supporting, and connecting

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Posted 08 March 2022 by
2021 by Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

Imagine a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated... 

Using interpersonal needs to make the hybrid model work for teams

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Posted 01 March 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

Is it possible to get the best of both worlds with hybrid work?

How to develop high potential people using MBTI personality insights

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Posted 09 February 2022 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

HR professionals get insight into team dynamics, individual strengths and more with potential leaders when using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment.

Inclusion: Who’s buying?

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Posted 26 January 2022 by
Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

Three ways to get leaders on board with an inclusion program

Using Personality Assessments for Team Building

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Posted 15 December 2021 by
Melissa Summer, Global Content Marketing Manager

How can personality assessments like the MBTI tool help teams work together more effectively and understand each other better?

Leading while Black and introverted

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Posted 27 August 2020 by
Melissa Summer, Global Content Marketing Manager, The Myers-Briggs Company

What happens at the intersection of race, type and leadership? 

Building trust through transparency

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Posted 24 March 2020 by
Catherine Ellwood, Principle Consultant, The Myers-Briggs Company

How openness and predictability make teams more effective

Who leads the way?

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Posted 08 March 2020 by
Melissa Summer, Content Marketing and PR Manager, The Myers-Briggs Company

Gender equality, diversity, leadership and International Women’s Day

Top 10 Leadership Development Books

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Posted 05 March 2020 by
The Myers-Briggs Company

Our recommended titles for you this World Book Day

Leading self

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Posted 03 March 2020 by
Claire Bremner, Principal Consultant, The Myers-Briggs Company

Why is self-awareness important for leadership?

How to think like an entrepreneur

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Posted 20 November 2019 by
Rose Collins, Marketing Content Executive, The Myers-Briggs Company

Celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week

The changing shape of teams

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Posted 22 October 2019 by
The Myers-Briggs Company

Teams and Google’s Project Aristotle

How to motivate the people you manage

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Posted 06 August 2019 by
Melissa Summer, PR and Content Marketing Manager at The Myers-Briggs Company

Motivation - more than 'get it done’

Six things managers and executives can do to improve company culture

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Posted 26 June 2019 by
Jeff Hayes, President and CEO of The Myers-Briggs Company

6 things managers and executives can do

The Psychology of Change

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Posted 15 March 2019 by
Melissa Summer, Content Marketing and PR Manager at The Myers-Briggs Company

There’s an important part of business growth that’s often overlooked – change.

Put your skates on!

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Posted 01 March 2019 by
Claire Bremner, Principal Consultant at The Myers-Briggs Company

What can Dancing on Ice teach us about the transferability of skills?

Work digital, play digital

Work digital play digital
Posted 22 November 2018 by
MBTI Talk

How social media and gamification can help employees grow

The changing world of work

The changing world of work
Posted 13 September 2018 by
MBTI Talk

PeopleFWD 2018 promises insights and practical solutions

Managing conflict

Managing conflict
Posted 24 August 2018 by
OPP

How can we help you reach better resolutions?

Is conflict holding you back?

Is conflict holding you back
Posted 08 August 2018 by
OPP

Change your approach to conflict and you can change the outcome

The power of Introversion

The power of introversion
Posted 10 July 2018 by
OPP

Are introverts being limited by misconceptions?

Developing future leaders

Developing future leaders
Posted 30 May 2018 by
CPP Connect

Fortune 10 senior OD consultant talks about CPI 260 certification experience

Raising self-awareness: What works?

Self awareness
Posted 21 November 2017 by
Helen Rayner, Lead Consultant, OPP

Do people with different type preferences use the same or different methods to develop their self-awareness?

How does personality type affect self-awareness?

Self awareness
Posted 30 October 2017 by
Helen Rayner, Lead Consultant, OPP

Continue to explore research around self-awareness – this time focusing on the role of your MBTI type.

Self awareness

Self awareness
Posted 28 September 2017 by
Helen Rayner, Lead Consultant, OPP

Research results are in! How do people benefit from improved self-awareness and how do they get there?

Improving business results using the MBTI instrument

Leadership accountability
Posted 24 May 2017 by
Sharon Richmond, Principal, Richmond Associates Consulting

How to use research to create MBTI solutions: this post looks at leadership accountability gaps

Hidden figures

MBTI leadership and organisational culture
Posted 26 April 2017 by
Katy Lyne, Principal Consultant, OPP

Gender, leadership and the pressure of organisational culture

Inside Out, Outside In: a model to accelerate leadership growth

MBTI and leadership - Sharon Richmond
Posted 13 April 2017 by
Sharon Richmond, Principal, Richmond Associates Consulting

Modern leadership in the context of core activities, blind spots and actions for results.

This girl can

International Women's Day 2017
Posted 08 March 2017 by
Katy Lyne, Principal Consultant, OPP

Myers, Briggs and International Women’s Day

Leadership strengths through the lens of Type

Barriers to early MBTI Type development
Posted 02 February 2017 by
Aidan Millar - Human Development Consultant for Psychometrics Canada

Research Study exploring leadership strengths through the lens of Type

Decisions, self-confidence and the glass ceiling: can the MBTI framework help?

Men and women in executive directorships
Posted 06 January 2017 by
John Hackston, Head of Thought Leadership, OPP

Exploring the glass ceiling using MBTI data.

10 top tips – add depth to coaching with the MBTI framework

Top tips for using MBTI with coaching
Posted 01 December 2016 by
Katy Lyne, Principal Consultant at OPP

Get the most from the MBTI assessment when coaching individuals.

That difficult woman #BloodyDifficultWoman

Gender in leadership
Posted 29 July 2016 by
Penny Moyle, CEO OPP

Personality, gender stereotypes and leadership

Introducing the Core Characters of Type

Core characters and dynamics intro
Posted 03 March 2016 by
Betsy Kendall, COO and Head of Professional Services, OPP

How can we make it easier to talk about the real power of MBTI: Type dynamics?

Team development and the power of MBTI Step II

MBTI Step II profile example
Posted 25 November 2015 by
Alexis Hutson - Coach and Mentor to Doctors

Alexis Hutson, professional coach and mentor, shares her experience of using MBTI Step II for team development. A great example of the differences between Step I and Step II.

Type tips for coaching and development

Coaching conversation
Posted 20 November 2015 by
Aidan Millar - Human Development Consultant for Psychometrics Canada

Aidan Millar explores how coaches can help clients flex between operating with their natural MBTI preferences and outside them when necessary. 

Leadership: it is rocket science… what quantum physics can teach us about leadership

quantum leadership!
Posted 15 October 2015 by
Katy Lyne - Principal Consultant at OPP

Great leaders respond to shifts and changes, riding them like a wave. Welcome to Quantum Leadership!

Five most common ways to alienate your staff

thumbs down for managers
Posted 23 September 2015 by
John Hackston - Head of R&D at OPP

The employment market seems to be improving, which is good news for jobseekers but not necessarily for employers; having more jobs available means that there are more opportunities for workers to leave. All the more important, then, that managers don’t give their people that extra incentive to start looking elsewhere. Here are five of the most common ways in which managers can (and unfortunately do) alienate their staff.

Outsight and playful porridge

Porridge
Posted 04 September 2015 by
Catherine Chapman - Product Manager at OPP

As I watch my daughter polish off her bowl of porridge at breakfast, I ask “What’s wrong with the bit that’s still left in the bowl?” – a tiny bit closest to her but hidden on the inside curve of the bowl remains uneaten. “There isn’t any left!” she replies, and we both laugh as I say “You must have a ‘porridge’ blindspot!”
How many of our leaders have ‘porridge’ blindspots – everyday behaviours that dismay others somehow and to which they are completely oblivious? Can they avoid these blindspots or should we and they just accept them as an authentic part of their personality?

FIRO – getting so much from so little

man in office
Posted 17 August 2015 by
Jenny Rogers - Executive Coach at Jenny Rogers Coaching

I am coaching the CEO of a large charity. He’s 55 and has been in his job for nine years. He looks grey and anxious, slumping in his chair. “I’m tired of my team treating me like their parent. It’s hard enough being a parent at home. I’m exhausted, our funding is under threat, I don’t think I want to do this job any more”. He tells me readily that he’s been what he calls ‘psychometrified’ many times; but he’s never taken the FIRO- B assessment...


Watch out: overconfident opinion leaders about!

the writing's on the wall for thought leaders
Posted 04 June 2015 by
John Hackston - Head of R&D at OPP

Few people would argue against the concept of thought leadership. Not listening to the views of leaders in our field, or ignoring ideas for better ways of doing things, is hardly a recipe for success. However, individual opinion leaders don’t always get it right, and the catch is that those who sound most confident in their pronouncements aren’t necessarily the most accurate.

Conflict and leadership: what does the data say?

Conflict modes
Posted 21 April 2015 by
John Hackston - Head of R&D at OPP

Leaders are quick, decisive, and know what they want; they aren’t afraid to make unpopular decisions and they can be fiercely competitive. This might be a somewhat old-fashioned view of leadership, but new research by OPP suggests there is more than a grain of truth here.

Does being true to yourself make you happier?

authentic seal
Posted 12 March 2015 by
Gaby Walker - R&D Consultant at OPP

Many leaders leave much of their ‘true’ personality at home and try to present themselves at work in the way they think a leader should operate. Leaders absorb these ‘should’ models of leadership from how they see leaders behaving around them (for good or ill), as well as from hoping to emulate leaders generally held up as great: eg Churchill, Branson, etc. On top of this, over the years leadership courses have advocated different styles of leadership, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Leaders can feel they should be all things to all men; but isn’t it better for leaders to just be themselves, natural and authentic, whether at home or in the workplace?

Trends in global leadership: where does type fit in?

What will leaders need slide
Posted 29 January 2015 by
John Hackston - Head of R&D at OPP

This world of ours is changing. That’s hardly an earth-shattering statement. What’s less obvious is that change is happening more and more quickly – it’s difficult to visualise what the world will be like in five years time, still less in 10, 20 or 30 years. And yet this is what organisations need to do. Today’s new entrants, graduates and management trainees will be tomorrow’s leaders, and we need to prepare them for the challenges ahead.

2015 - a year to celebrate coaching

coaching tree
Posted 22 January 2015 by
Penny Moyle - CEO at OPP

Coaching has always been an important part of the L&D service that OPP’s consultancy offers. It’s also the mainstay of the practice for many of our independent practitioner customers. Why is there such a demand? In short, organisations need their leaders to develop a great range of responses to the challenges they face, and to develop greater psychological resilience. Additionally, many organisations are seeking to develop coaching skills among line managers, knowing that this too can have a significant and positive impact on organisational performance.

Top five blog articles of 2014

What's your type tipple?
Posted 29 December 2014 by
OPP Ltd

Visits to our Personality Matters blog were at an all-time high in 2014, and we covered a wide range of topics in our weekly posts. Over the last 12 months we've talked about the best MBTI-based books and the various resources available for L&D teams. We’ve promoted Movember, and we’ve commented on the Paul Flowers furore. We've also continued to thrive as thought leaders in a diverse range of workplace psychology issues, from recruitment and assessment centres to polarity management. But what are the top five posts that readers have returned to again and again?

Ten more books about MBTI and type that you can't afford to be without!

16 Personality Types
Posted 12 September 2014 by
OPP

In the second of our blog posts looking at 20 invaluable books about MBTI® and type, we review another ten titles that have impressed MBTI practitioners or been a key support in their work with the MBTI assessment. As with the first batch, the books featured here are listed in no particular order, and comments are from individual reviewers who responded to our request for reviews on the Linked In group OPP Qualified Professionals.

Receiving feedback well... a question of give and take

Feedback
Posted 25 June 2014 by
Claire Bremner, Senior Consultant at OPP

I'm reading a book at the moment – Thanks for the feedback: the science and art of receiving feedback well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen (Harvard Law School). I bought it on the strength of an article in the Saturday Guardian by Oliver Burkeman, which included a comment that really made me chuckle: “Tell me what I did well, tell me what I should do differently and don't confuse the two. If I wanted a sandwich, I'd go to the office canteen.” If only receiving feedback was as straightforward as eating a sandwich!

Celebrate with 25 free resources for practitioners

OPP at 25 logo
Posted 28 May 2014 by
OPP

Few things in life are free – but OPP has some really cool free resources to support you in your work! To help celebrate our 25 years in the business, we’ve taken a trawl through the various goodies available for zero outlay on our website. They range from white papers and feedback materials to fun quick guides and infographics – many of which can also be found on our practitioner downloads page.

Why leadership development fails to make an impact

Businesswoman writing key leadership concepts on a wall
Posted 08 April 2014 by
Ben Vernazza, Senior Consultant, with Lorraine Mills, Head of Consultancy at OPP

I work with many companies wanting to improve their leadership development, and time and time again I hear the same challenges voiced. That is, previous leadership development initiatives have not actually delivered better leaders, and they want to try something different. In my experience, many programmes fail to meet their objectives – and all too often it is assumed that as long as “we are doing something”, it must be working.

The mysterious case of the assessment centre

Detective work
Posted 28 March 2014 by
Lorraine Mills, Head of Consultancy at OPP

To predict how people are going to perform in a new role takes a bit of detective work. You design an assessment centre around a series of tests and exercises, you compute the results, and the best candidates turn out to be the most suitable... don't they? Unfortunately, this is not always how assessment centres pan out. The individual assessment methods might be good in themselves, and yet all too often the sum of the outcomes is not equal to the parts. So what’s going on? How can a combination of good tests and exercises produce a bad result?

You don't have to be motivated to work here, but it helps!

Bored in the office
Posted 27 November 2013 by
Betsy Kendall, COO and Head of Professional Services, OPP

According to a recent CIPD report, job turnover has slowed significantly over the past 15 years. This means that, in general, people are choosing to stay in their current roles rather than make voluntary exits (ie resignations and retirement). On the surface it might appear to be nothing but good news for an organisation that much-valued members of staff are choosing to stay. However, for this to be a wholly positive trend, people need to be staying put for the right reasons...

Why companies shouldn’t be afraid of talking about their people-development work

Posted 23 August 2013 by
OPP Ltd

Is it just us, or has anyone else noticed that organisations seem generally reluctant to promote their people-development work? This might be understandable if a programme has not been too successful, or if it has been carried out in an area where heightened levels of sensitivity and privacy are required. But where the development work shows all parties involved in the best possible light (people-focused, progressive, innovative and adaptable, for example) why wouldn’t you want to tell the world about it?

What your type can tell you about increasing personal and team productivity

Mark McCartney
Posted 29 July 2013 by
Mark McCartney, Executive Coach, Saïd Business School

We expect employees and teams with different MBTI preferences to manage time and, more importantly, attention in the same way. Yet our experience tells us that putting a colleague on a traditional time-management course won’t work, as habits, behaviours, values and preferences run deep and are often hidden from view.

Could Andy Murray be a great leader?

Andy Murray serving at Wimbledon
Posted 08 July 2013 by
Robert McHenry, OPP Chairman

He has it all. Application, vision, guts, ambition, determination, a record of success and with it, a developing charisma. These are the very things we seek in our leaders. Should we make Andy Murray Prime Minister or Chairman of a Trust focused on getting unemployed youth into work?

Avoiding the ‘so what?’ factor with MBTI development

Posted 12 June 2013 by
Dr Penny Moyle, CEO at OPP

When I speak to people who have ‘done the MBTI’, all too often all they can recall from their experience is their four-letter MBTI type (sometimes even that is a stretch!). The initial impact has been lost, and the ongoing learning that should have opened up after cracking their four-letter code has eluded them.

The MBTI instrument through the eyes of its practitioners

Posted 28 February 2013 by
Penny Moyle, CEO at OPP

When we asked some of our customers about their use of MBTI recently, we loved the positive responses and wanted to summarise the comments we received. Just as the MBTI instrument distils the complexity of personality into a simple framework for understanding people, word clouds distil large swathes of text into an intuitive visual image, helping you get to the core of a message. We’ve picked out a few of our favourite aspects of the word clouds that we developed from answers to the following questions about the world’s favourite personality assessment. We’d love to hear which your favourites are too.

Leadership - 10 New Year's resolutions

Posted 04 January 2013 by
OPP

Having blogged on the theme of leadership through the last quarter of 2012, OPP presents 10 top tips for keeping leaders in top condition during 2013 and beyond.

Do bad bosses get a bad rap?

Posted 18 December 2012 by
opp

If bosses are to be the paragons of virtue and excellence that we would all like them to be, they need support and guidance in how to achieve such excellence. An understanding of personality can prove invaluable. For example, through training and development in a repertoire of management styles, managers are better equipped to meet the needs of the diverse range of people in their teams.