Personal development

Why knowing your personality type is critical to a growth mindset

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Posted 24 November 2023 by
Global Marketing, The Myers-Briggs Company

If people think ability is innate, it could be holding them back

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 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

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.

Can you pick up three bits of rubbish?

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Posted 10 August 2023 by
Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

How micro habits are key to the environmental mission of our new charity partner, Take 3 for the Sea

Harnessing the power of personality type through MBTI Certification

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Posted 24 July 2023 by
Melissa Summer & Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

What can you do with an MBTI certification? Learn more about popular applications of the MBTI tool like leadership and team development, and why becoming an MBTI certified practitioner could be your best professional investment.   

 

Happiness and profit are synergistic

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Posted 06 June 2023 by
Global Marketing, The Myers-Briggs Company

Why well-being is crucial to employee and organizational performance

Do ambiverts exist?

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Posted 19 April 2023 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

We all have some introverted and some extraverted parts of ourselves, but according to the theory of personality types on which the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® assessment is based, ambiverts don't exist.

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

MBTI personality type and relationships

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Posted 31 January 2023 by
Melissa Summer, The Myers-Briggs Company

How can MBTI personality type help strengthen relationships? Do people with the same type get along better? Listen to this episode of The Myers-Briggs Company Podcast to find out! 

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.

Introverts in conflict: what we learned in 2022

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Posted 02 January 2023 by
Kevin Wood, The Myers-Briggs Company

New research and data shows how different personality types approach conflict. But what does it mean for Introverted types? 

Will Gen Z usher in a new generation of work-related conflict?

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Posted 21 December 2022 by
Global Marketing

Awareness of different approaches to conflict could help multi-generational workforces understand each other and work together better. 

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

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

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?

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... 

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.

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? 

The Platinum Rule for business

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Posted 02 July 2020 by
Rachel Cubas-Wilkinson, Senior Consultant, The Myers-Briggs Company

How observing the Platinum Rule builds stronger workplace relationships

Trust and remote working

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Posted 14 April 2020 by
Helen Rayner, Thought Leadership Lead Consultant, The Myers-Briggs Company

What can you do to help maintain positive relationships remotely?

People need people!

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Posted 03 April 2020 by
Nikhita Blackburn, Thought Leadership Lead Consultant, The Myers-Briggs Company

Tips for working from home

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?

Making a social impact

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Posted 20 February 2020 by
Helen Denny, Head of Global Customer Experience, The Myers-Briggs Company

Reflections on our first charity partnership

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

Are some personality types happier than others?

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Posted 23 May 2019 by
The Myers-Briggs Company

Read our latest research on well-being

Are you a gig worker?

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Posted 05 April 2019 by
John Hackston, Head of Thought Leadership for The Myers-Briggs Company

If you aren’t sure, read on…

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?

Traditional or Original?

Traditional or Original
Posted 07 December 2018 by
MBTI Talk

MBTI Step II facets and the holiday season

Work digital, play digital

Work digital play digital
Posted 22 November 2018 by
MBTI Talk

How social media and gamification can help employees grow

Type and activism

Type and Activism
Posted 13 July 2018 by
Gill Coombs, writer and career coach

Gill Coombs, writer and career coach, shares her thoughts on Idealists and activism

The power of Introversion

The power of introversion
Posted 10 July 2018 by
OPP

Are introverts being limited by misconceptions?

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?

Reflections on my first 18 months as an MBTI practitioner in the University of Oxford

Reflections as an MBTI practitioner
Posted 10 August 2017 by
Dr Mike Moss, Alumni Careers Programme Manager, University of Oxford

Reflections on the first 18 months of an MBTI practitioner.

Type and Appreciation - Part 2

Type and appreciation
Posted 29 June 2017 by
Michael Segovia, lead facilitator for the MBTI Certification Program, CPP, Inc.

How do you show your appreciation and thanks of other people? 

Type and Appreciation - Part 1

Type and appreciation
Posted 22 June 2017 by
Michael Segovia, lead facilitator for the MBTI Certification Program, CPP, Inc.

How do you show your appreciation and thanks of other people? 

The colourful world of personality type

Colour guide
Posted 07 June 2017 by
John Hackston, Head of Thought Leadership, OPP

How you can gain instant insight from colourful MBTI type resources.

Are you an entrepreneur? Knowing your MBTI type could be useful

MBTI Type and Entrepreneurship thumb 220317
Posted 22 March 2017 by
John Hackston, Head of Thought Leadership, OPP

John Hackston explores recent OPP research. 

Top MBTI and Type books

Top MBTI and type books
Posted 01 March 2017 by
Collaboration - MBTI experts and practitioners

Which MBTI book will you add to your collection this World Book 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

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.

Early obstacles to MBTI Type development

Barriers to early MBTI Type development
Posted 11 November 2016 by
Betsy Kendall, COO and Head of Professional Services, OPP

Raising awareness of challenges to early Type development that we can all consider and explore

How to influence with impact

MBTI Type and influencing 2016
Posted 22 July 2016 by
Penny Moyle, CEO OPP

Damian Killen reveals the role MBTI Type has on successful influencing

What do you get when you fill a room with MBTI enthusiasts?

MBTI user event summary 2016
Posted 07 July 2016 by
Penny Moyle, CEO at OPP

Penny Moyle reflects on an inspiring MBTI user event

Recovering from stress: Getting back to your best

Stress recovery thm 1305
Posted 13 May 2016 by
Penny Moyle, CEO at OPP and John Hackston, Head of Research at OPP

How knowing your MBTI Type and Core Character can help you recover from stress

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?

Valentine's reflections: Sandra and Terry 20 years on

FIROrelationshipsblogthumb
Posted 15 February 2016 by
Betsy Kendall - COO at OPP

What the FIRO questionnaire can tell us about interpersonal compatibility

I feel I have an MBTI preference for Thinking

Richardoopsthumb
Posted 23 December 2015 by
Richard Stockhill MBTI Product Manager

This post explores Richard's experience in struggling to decide on his best-fit Type and how he finally felt comfortable with his preference for Thinking.

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. 

Why bother with a questionnaire when working with MBTI Type?

Self development ladder
Posted 26 October 2015 by
Betsy Kendall - COO at OPP

If the goal of the MBTI assessment is to establish best-fit Type, why bother with the questionnaire?

MBTI icebreaker exercise – it’s a numbers game

numbers exercise
Posted 21 October 2015 by
Penny Moyle - CEO at OPP

Great feedback exercise for practitioners, helping to convey the brilliance of the MBTI framework.

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.

Does all this talk of Ambiversion mean the MBTI framework is out of date?

ambiverts
Posted 17 September 2015 by
John Hackston - Head of R&D at OPP

Extraverts? Haven’t heard from them in a while. Introverts? They’re SO last year. There are some new kids on the block – the Ambiverts – and they are sweeping everything before them. Apparently, Ambiverts are better leaders, make better salespeople, and are just all round better human beings. It appears that psychologists have just discovered that Ambiverts exist (hence all the recent press coverage); as a result, the old idea of a forced choice between Extraversion and Introversion, as encapsulated in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), is clearly outmoded and should be abandoned.

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...


Chris Froome – the nature (and nurture) of a winner

Chris Froome
Posted 27 July 2015 by
Catherine Chapman - Product Manager at OPP

In the last few days of the race, the media buzz around the Tour de France reached a crescendo in the UK – not least because Team Sky’s champion rider Chris Froome was dominating the race, and the chances for others to put the brakes on him were narrowing. In an unprecedented move, Team Sky released Froome’s physiological “power data” to enable “a greater understanding of his performance”, following accusations that his advances in stage 10 of the race were beyond normal physical abilities. The data revealed that the speed with which Froome achieved the daunting climb to La Pierre-Saint-Martin in stage 10 was exceptional, but well within his means.

Coaching using Type: insights from Myers, Jung, Adler, Cookie Monster and you! Part 2

Zig zag model
Posted 22 July 2015 by
Jean Kummerow PhD - psychologist and author

This is the second posting based on Jean Kummerow’s keynote presentation at OPP’s MBTI User’s Conference on 16 June 2015. The first post gave background on the ‘Four Crucial Cs’ Adlerian model. This second part describes how to use type within that model.

Coaching using Type: insights from Myers, Jung, Adler, Cookie Monster and you! Part 1

Cookie Monster
Posted 16 July 2015 by
Jean Kummerow PhD - psychologist and author

As you already know, the practice of Coaching has many iterations and even several definitions. The one I like to use is “a method of assisting individuals to improve their performance in some area”, from Davison & Gasiorwski in the 2006 Journal of Individual Psychology. That definition encompasses so much of what we do with personality type.

What's your perfect Type holiday?

Holidays type table
Posted 28 June 2015 by
Betsy Kendall - COO at OPP

What's your idea of the perfect break? This holiday Type table looks at 16 vacations custom-made for each of the MBTI Types.

Digital badges

badges
Posted 29 May 2015 by
Robert McHenry - Chairman at OPP

How do you best represent yourself to potential employers? How do you bring your professional reputation to the forefront? Up to now, the answer has been to craft and polish a CV. However, we know that prospective employers are likely to spend just eight seconds reading each CV submitted with a job application. The new way to get yourself noticed is to display your qualifications on a site like LinkedIn with the use of digital badges.

Did Little Red Riding Hood have an S Preference?

Red Riding Hood and wolf
Posted 21 May 2015 by
Aidan Millar - Human Development Consultant for Psychometrics Canada

Well, not necessarily. But it is true that her demise could have been attributed to an all-too-common Sensing blind spot: a failure to quickly and accurately recognise how facts and present realities connect to a bigger picture – and often, a very meaningful one.

Push me, pull me - the persuasive power of the MBTI process

communication
Posted 13 May 2015 by
Penny Moyle - CEO at OPP and Lorraine Mills - Head of Consultancy at OPP

Whether or not you are a sales professional, and even if you don’t see selling as part of your job, there are times when everyone needs to influence or persuade. OPP recently worked with a regional sales team in a financial services organisation to help them become more successful. The same techniques we applied there can easily be adapted to create more persuasive communication for anyone – not just sales people.

Re-engage with Type using MBTI Step II

Flipside
Posted 15 April 2015 by
Penny Moyle - CEO at OPP

Last week, I had the pleasure of joining an MBTI Step II qualification workshop for the first time in several years. This revamped workshop incorporates several new ideas to help practitioners to engage their clients in MBTI in general, and the Step II instrument in particular.

Emotional Intelligence: What is it and does it matter?

EQ
Posted 06 February 2015 by
Lorraine Mills - Head of Consultancy at OPP

In my work with individuals across all sectors and at all organisational levels, I am hearing more and more from managers and their HR colleagues about the importance of ‘Emotional Intelligence’. It’s a concept that has been around for a while and it looks like it is no longer the latest fad, but a permanent part of our people development “business as usual” tool kit. However, Emotional Intelligence has become a ‘catch all’ panacea for desirable interpersonal skills, a rather mixed bag of the positive qualities one might hope for in a colleague or leader.

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.

Goal-setting and resolutions – five top tips and five probing questions

Resolutions
Posted 07 January 2015 by
Claire Bremner - Senior Consultant at OPP

It’s that time of year again... having reflected back on 2014, many will now be looking ahead to 2015 and identifying their self-improvement resolutions and goals for the year ahead.  Although I don’t personally set New Year’s resolutions, goal setting helps focus my intention, effort and actions. It seems timely to reflect on how we set goals, as many in organisations will be in the midst of reviewing performance against targets or key performance indicators (KPIs) and engaging in personal development planning for the year ahead.

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?

More serious fun in L&D: Typies get personal

Step II personal Typies - infographic Apr 2019
Posted 15 December 2014 by
Penny Moyle - CEO at OPP

I love MBTI Step II. My first consulting role working with the MBTI framework was for an HR consultancy that always used the MBTI Step II assessment in preference to MBTI Step I. So I got to know it really well, really quickly and although I always use my Step II knowledge to underpin conversations with people who have only completed MBTI Step I, I never find it as satisfying as being able to get into the depth that one can reach with MBTI Step II insights.

Trust: it’s what success is all about

Trust
Posted 17 November 2014 by
Lorraine Mills - Head of Consultancy at OPP

We all know from personal experience that we trust some people and not others. Likewise we trust some organisations, and yet find we are sceptical of the motives of others. This tendency to categorise entities in this way is part of an understandable strategy to manage risk.

What type time is it?

time
Posted 22 October 2014 by
John Hackston - Head of R&D at OPP

Time. An ethereal concept, or a real resource? Something elastic, or an uncompromising task master? Sometimes there seems to be too much of it, and at other times never enough. Our relationship with time is one that travels with us through the stages of life and helps us to get things done .... or not… or eventually! Do we live in the future, the past, or the here and now? And what about the person next to you? You are both here and now, but are you really?

Six videos that help illustrate MBTI type

E-I vid by Susan Caine
Posted 10 October 2014 by
Betsy Kendall - COO and head of Professional Services at OPP

Training aids that are memorable and that bring clarity to descriptions of MBTI® type are like gold dust. One of the commonest questions I come across in the various MBTI-related Linked In groups, including OPP’s own OPP Qualified Practitioners, is the plea for good exercises to help illustrate the MBTI preferences and dichotomies.

Time to have some serious fun in L&D – part 2

Core character poster
Posted 18 September 2014 by
Penny Moyle - CEO at OPP

Twenty years ago when I first started using MBTI in management development work, training room props were thin on the ground. I would often lead a development session armed with nothing more exotic than flip charts and masking tape for ‘living type table’ exercises.

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.

Timelines and personality – tracking type in space and time

MBTI functions
Posted 27 August 2014 by
John Hackston - Head of R&D at OPP

One of the criticisms that people often level at the MBTI questionnaire is that it ‘puts you in a box’. MBTI practitioners, however, know that this isn’t true – although we will have many similarities to people of the same type, there are also many ways in which we are unique. Whatever our underlying psychological type, we have all been brought up in different environments, and this will have a big influence on our personality and behaviour too.

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

Was that really me?
Posted 20 August 2014 by
OPP

Which books about MBTI® and type have had the biggest impact on practitioners? We posted this question on the Linked In group OPP Qualified Professionals earlier this year, to discover the titles that had most impressed and inspired practitioners or been a key support in their work with the MBTI assessment. Twenty books rose to the top of the pile. Here are the first ten – in no particular order – with comments from the individual reviewers.

Why’d you do THAT?! Interpersonal needs and motivations

People holding up signs over their faces with happy and sad smiley icons
Posted 03 July 2014 by
Pamela Valencia, Solutions Consultant at CPP, Inc

Understanding personality type helps us see how our minds are wired - how we like to get energised, take in information, make decisions, and orient ourselves to the outer world. Understanding interpersonal needs gives us insight into another aspect of our personality - what motivates our behaviour in regard to how much interaction we want with others.

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.

The easy path to happiness, love and success?

12 people with different unhappy facila expressions
Posted 28 February 2014 by
Rob Bailey, Principal R&D Consultant at OPP

"Improve your self-esteem and you’ll rapidly improve your chances of fulfilment, success and happiness in life." This statement seems to makes perfect sense. (I made it up, but it’s typical of what you’ll find on the creaking self-help shelves of any bookshop). It appears both logical and emotionally appealing, probably in part because it sounds like something that might be easily fixed. Many self-appointed gurus and counsellors have made a good living off this expectation, and some pedal a myth that low-self-esteem is at epidemic proportions. However, scratch the surface and there are a couple of issues with self-esteem.

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...

Hitting the nail on the head

Vimeo "It's not about the nail"
Posted 03 October 2013 by
Jean Kummerow, licensed psychologist/consultant/author/trainer and co-author of the MBTI® Step II™ Interpretive Report

One of the differences we often talk about between Thinking types and Feeling types is their approach to a 'problem'.  Usually Thinking types want to fix or solve the problem, and Feeling types prefer first that someone just listen and offer empathy. They are both showing how they 'care', but do so in very different ways.

The nonsense of benchmarking?

Comparing apples and pears
Posted 17 September 2013 by
Claire Bremner, Senior Consultant, OPP

I met up with an ex-colleague from a previous organisation recently. During our catch-up he bemoaned the fact that a number of his clients wanted to engage in organisational benchmarking without seeming to know why or having a clear idea of how benchmarking might add value. The response to his question “Why?” was “Well, everyone else is doing it so we feel we should too.”

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?

The sporting elite: which personality characteristics contribute to sporting success?

sporting elite silhouette
Posted 14 August 2013 by
Betsy Kendall, Chief Operating Officer, OPP, and Fiona Young, R&D intern, OPP

With Andy Murray clinching victory in the Wimbledon final, the England cricket team winning the Ashes, Chris Froome becoming the second British winner of the Tour de France and Christine Ohuruogu scooping gold in the 400m at the World Athletics Championships, it's been another great summer of British sporting success. Of course, physical prowess and natural sporting ability are essential ingredients for elite athletes, but here we consider which personality traits might make the difference between the good and the great in the sporting world.

Acting like an extrovert will make you happier

Posted 02 August 2013 by
Rob Bailey, Managing Consultant, R&D, OPP

A Wall Street Journal article appeared recently that’s firmly in OPP’s area of interest. It claims that if you are an introvert and you’d like to be happier, you’d be better off acting like an extravert.

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.

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.

Type and culture: two pieces of the same puzzle

Posted 29 May 2013 by
Joanne Weston, Associate Certified Coach, International Coach Federation (ICF)

Our guest blogger Joanne Weston, ICF Associate Certified Coach and MBTI® practitioner, shares some practical tips for using the MBTI tool cross-culturally.

Infographic: the psychology of stress

Stress infographic snapshot
Posted 13 May 2013 by
OPP Ltd

If you think stress is everywhere, you’re right! But do you know how to cut the seemingly inevitable tie between the stressors of modern life, and the type of distress that sends people off sick, off the radar or off the rails? Our infographic takes a peek.

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.

Where's the good careers advice when you need it?

Posted 06 February 2013 by
Betsy Kendall, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Professional Services at OPP

Employers despair at how unprepared graduates are, and how ill-equipped they seem to be for taking control of their career paths and longer-term development. Modern companies expect individuals to be in the driving seat, to know themselves and to have a clear idea of what they want to achieve. And yet, without good career services in schools and colleges, how can young people get the insights and self-knowledge they so desperately need?

The MBTI questionnaire: still going strong after 70 years

70th birthday cake
Posted 30 January 2013 by
Penny Moyle, CEO at OPP

Get out the cake and candles, wrap the carefully chosen presents, prepare your singing voice: the MBTI questionnaire turns 70 this year! The Myers Briggs Type Indicator is the most well-known and trusted personality assessment in the world, so on the occasion of its 70th birthday, I’ve been reflecting on why it has such enduring appeal. At OPP, we’re proud to be experts in an assessment that is the biggest player in the market – and this doesn’t just happen overnight.

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.

Personality and the pursuit of happiness

Scottish Highlands
Posted 22 November 2012 by
John Hackston

After two years of intensive work, the Office for National Statistics has published a new report on how happy we are in the UK (Measuring National Well-being: Life in the UK, 2012).  Inevitably, the news media have picked up on the “happiest places to live in the UK” (the Outer Hebrides, Shetlands and the Orkney Islands), but overall the survey shows that things are not as bad as we might have feared, despite the downturn.

MBTI Step II and leadership development

Posted 31 October 2012 by
OPP

MBTI Step II provides the necessary depth that can bring clarity and insight to business and leadership development. Long time MBTI practitioner Niels-Peter Thoms extols the virtues of the instrument.

Bringing greater consciousness into organisations

Posted 26 September 2012 by
Ralph Kilmann

How separate am I from my environment and its influences? Can I influence (and thus change) my surrounding systems so they are more supportive of my true and complete self? Ralph Kilmann looks at how conflict-handling tools might address these fundamental issues.

Type dynamics - who's in the driver's seat?

Posted 24 September 2012 by
Helen Rayner

Type dynamics is all about the interaction of preferences. The sixteen MBTI types are a useful starting point, but it is these complex interactions that lead to the wide variations we see from person to person.