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By Stephanie Eberle
I always do this. I process everything, every detail, with friends, family, and my dog before I write a word. Blank pages daunt me. My editors and colleagues don’t quite understand this, and they somehow don’t count having everything written in my head as a complete product. This pattern, it would seem, can be managed, but I don’t see it going away. It is who I am.
Perhaps this is due to my “ESTPness,” that complicated bifurcation of detail and flexibility. I did look up data to find out what CPP and other expert sources say about my ESTP culture. I started writing with these facts in mind. It didn’t work. Despite my age and experience, I admit that I still feel a little lost sometimes. How much of “me” is “me” and how much is my culture? As much as I know I influence my culture, I know it influences me, too.
As I write this, I realize that I hesitate to write on blank pages not because of my ESTP persuasion but because I am a lesbian from a family of low socioeconomic status who was from a small town in Ohio. I live, work, and thrive at Stanford University, but where I grew up, very few go to Stanford. Those who do understand that “it’s nice to be important but more important to be nice” when they come back to visit. In truth, it’s neither nice nor important because the culture of who I am and who I was constantly collide, making me question whether I should be writing at all.
We carry our socioeconomic status, gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, birthplace, educational accomplishment, abilities, religious preference, and many more identities everywhere we go—especially into the workplace. Having a diverse and inclusive workforce creates a difference in perspective that, according to Forbes, can bring in top talent and improve productivity and innovation. However, when employees bring in assumptions and fears, and/or feel shame stemming from their identities, workplace cultures can become toxic with decreased motivation and effectiveness, unhealthy communication styles, and misunderstandings. These effects are compounded when supervisors apply shame-based management styles in the workplace and perpetuate insecurities (https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/241748).
Combating fear, shame, and other destructive emotions in the workplace requires a culture of open expression. This is where the MBTI® assessment comes in. When used well, the MBTI tool facilitates self-awareness, opportunities to discuss differences without judgment, and a better understanding of the fit between personal interests and organizational culture. “Used well” is the operative phrase, however, as the criticism I hear most often about the instrument typically comes from people who have not had proper training or who use the MBTI assessment incorrectly.
This can be said of all career and personal inventories in general. Just today a friend informed me that every inventory he’s ever taken is “bogus” because they all say he “should” be a chef and he doesn’t want to be a chef. One of my clients doubts that she can pursue her dream job of consulting because a counselor once told her that “Introverts ‘should’ stick to more independent pursuits.” I, in fact, once experienced shame at an MBTI training when the presenter called me out in front of the audience to tell me that, as an “S,” I “should” not have made it past high school. Statements such as this simply are not true. The tools we use as counselors, coaches, and managers are meant to help people find a common language they can use to better understand themselves and others. The negativity around these tools in the media perpetuates a myth that we should not be this vulnerable in the first place, especially at work.
I will be presenting “Your Passion, Your Self: The Role of Assessment in Understanding Fit” at our conference in September, and I look forward to delving more deeply into stories like those above. I seek to empower our students, clients, and colleagues to stop thinking about what they “should” do and start thinking about how their unique culture and perspective help them choose and influence their work. The MBTI assessment, as well as some of the other instruments I will introduce, are meant to assist with this process. Together, we will share and learn different exercises and therapeutic techniques for doing so.
I am so excited to meet you in September!
