The document discusses how personality type, as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, can influence one's approach to project management. It describes the four scales of personality type - orientation, information gathering, decision-making, and attitude - and provides examples of how each personality preference may impact project management style, potential sources of conflict, and questions to avoid issues. The document concludes with sample questions an ESTJ and INFP may ask themselves.
3. 1. Orientation
Extraversion (E) Introversion (I)
Gain energy from the Gain energy from the
external world of internal world of
people, objects, and thoughts, ideas, and
events emotions
5. 3. Making Decisions
Thinking (T) Feeling (F)
Seek to objectively Seek to empathetically
remove themselves project themselves into
from a situation when a situation when making
making decisions decisions
6. 4. Attitude
Judgment (J) Perception (P)
Seek closure and make Keep their options open
decisions as soon as as long as possible in
sufficient facts are case new facts or
known opportunities arise
7. Extraversion: Project Mgmt Style
Brainstorm and present ideas off the top of
their head
Communicate regularly with other team
members to discuss ideas and check on
status
Prefer verbal to written communication
8. Extraversion: Conflict Sources
May spend more time communicating
about tasks than working on them
Risk scope creep by verbalizing impulsive
ideas that sound like decisions
To avoid conflict, ask, “Will this discussion
move the project forward?”
9. Introversion: Project Mgmt Style
Consider their ideas carefully before discussing
them with the group
Focus their time and energy on completing their
tasks as individual contributors
Prefer written to verbal communication
10. Introversion: Conflict Sources
Fail to adequately communicate decisions
and delays to the entire team
Take action without considering the effect
on the team
To avoid conflict, ask, “Do I need to
discuss this with anyone first?”
11. Sensation: Project Mgmt Style
Think in terms of present needs and the
practical benefits of the product
Rely on past successes to build approaches to
future projects
Break projects down into an assortment of small
tasks
12. Sensation: Conflict Sources
View tasks at such a granular level that they
overlook opportunities to combine them
Fail to develop an overall vision that they can
succinctly articulate to management
To avoid conflict, ask “What are the
implications? What patterns are emerging?”
13. Intuition: Project Mgmt Style
Take a long-term view and consider how current
changes will affect future iterations
Innovate new and better ways of approaching
the project
View the project from a high level and fill in the
details as the need arises
14. Intuition: Conflict Sources
Underestimate needed resources because
they haven’t documented all tasks
involved
Fail to articulate specific benefits to
management and customers
To avoid conflict, ask, “Does this solution
address today’s practical needs?”
15. Thinking: Project Mgmt Style
Focus on an objective set of criteria
Consider problems before people
Challenge statements made by others,
looking for holes and opportunities for
improvement
16. Thinking: Conflict Sources
Assign tasks without considering needs of
team members, leading to alienation
Risk failure by developing a product that
meets specs but that no one wants to buy
To avoid conflict, ask “What would
customers and stakeholders think about
this?”
17. Feeling: Project Mgmt Style
Focus on pleasing customers and stakeholders
Assign tasks based on the skills and
preferences of the individual
Encourage a team spirit and praise individual
contributions, stating disagreement indirectly
18. Feeling: Conflict Sources
Maintain harmony by leaving tasks
unassigned or not pointing out when
deliverables are late
Discourage debate that could lead to hurt
feelings but also better solutions
To avoid conflict, ask, “What would I do if I
weren’t worried about people’s feelings?”
19. Judgment: Project Mgmt Style
Measure progress based on whether
tasks are completed
Organize meetings according to an
agenda and stick to it
Avoid scope creep, which could place the
deadline at risk
20. Judgment: Conflict Sources
Focus more on project management than
on the end product
Appear inflexible to customers,
stakeholders, and other team members
To avoid conflict, ask, “Can I adapt the
schedule to accommodate new
information?”
21. Perception: Project Mgmt Style
Recognize that conditions evolve, so they focus
on the ultimate goal rather than a schedule
Work intensely as the deadline approaches
rather than steadily throughout the project
Develop informal projects when gaps are
identified in existing projects or product offerings
22. Perception: Conflict Sources
Take action without getting buy-in, leading
to questions of who agreed to what
Focus more on the learning process than
on completing tasks on time
To avoid conflict, ask, “Will exploring this
option place the deadline at risk?”
24. ESTJ Questions
“Will this discussion move the project forward?”
“What are the implications? What patterns are
emerging?”
“What would customers and stakeholders think
about this?”
“Can I adapt the schedule to accommodate new
information?”
25. INFP Questions
“Do I need to discuss this with anyone first?”
“Does this solution address today’s practical
needs?”
“What would I do if I weren’t worried about
people’s feelings?”
“Will exploring this option place the deadline at
risk?”
26. Bibliography
Baron, Renee. What Type Am I? New York, NY:
Penguin Group, 1998.
Myers, Isabel Briggs with Peter B. Myers. Gifts
Differing. Mountain View, CA: Davies-Black
Publishing, 1980, 1995.
Tucker, Jennifer. Introduction to Type and
Project Management. Mountain View, CA: CPP
Inc, 2008.
Jung Typology Test at https://
www.humanmetrics.com
27. Contact Info
Andrea J. Wenger
President, STC Carolina Chapter
Membership Mgr., Technical Editing SIG
awengerstc@yahoo.com
www.WriteWithPersonality.com