How To Use Myers-Briggs In Team Building Activities

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality assessment that categorizes individuals into one of 16 personality types based on their preferences across 4 dichotomies:

• Extraversion (E) vs Introversion (I)
• Sensing (S) vs Intuition (N)
• Thinking (T) vs Feeling (F)
• Judging (J) vs Perceiving (P)

Knowing team members’ MBTI types can help managers better understand individual work styles, strengths, and potential areas for growth.

Background on Using MBTI in Team Building

Using MBTI in team building involves first having team members complete the assessment to determine their type. This allows managers to see the personality composition of their team.

Managers can then use this knowledge to:

• Improve communication by understanding how different types prefer to give and receive information
• Assign tasks and roles based on team members’ natural strengths
• Identify potential blindspots or weaknesses to be aware of
• Build more well-rounded teams with a balance of perspectives

The Value of MBTI in Team Building

Using MBTI in team building provides many benefits, including:

• Enhanced mutual understanding between team members
• Appreciation of differences in work styles and perspectives
• More effective collaboration as a result of adapting to team members’ preferences
• Increased self-awareness for individual team members
• Better conflict resolution by understanding clashes may result from personality differences

Features and Benefits of MBTI in Team Building

Key features of using MBTI in team building:

• In-depth personality framework for understanding work preferences
• Identification of 16 specific personality types
• Assessment can be easily administered to employees

Benefits this provides:

• Helps managers tailor communication, feedback, and management style to each employee
• Allows employees to play to their natural strengths and manage weaknesses
• Builds more complementary teams when forming new groups or projects

5 Tips for Using MBTI in Team Building

1. Have each team member take the MBTI assessment if they haven’t already.
2. Share team members’ types among the group so everyone is aware.
3. Discuss commonalities and differences between types.
4. Use MBTI insights when assigning roles to play to strengths.
5. Adapt your communication and management style to fit each member’s preferences.

Instructions for Using MBTI in Team Building

Here are step-by-step instructions on using MBTI in team building activities:

1. Administer the MBTI assessment – Have employees take the official MBTI questionnaire. Provide access through a provider.
2. Share results – Once completed, have team members share their 4-letter type with the group. Create a table listing all members and their types.
3. Discuss types – Review descriptions of each preference pair (E/I, S/N, T/F, J/P). Talk about how types manifest on your team.
4. Identify strengths and blindspots – Based on types, note team strengths and potential blindspots. Discuss how to optimize strengths and compensate for blindspots.
5. Tailor teambuilding activities – Choose activities suited to your team’s personality makeup. For example, more introverted teams may prefer small group vs. large group activities.
6. Form project groups – Use MBTI to intentionally create balanced project groups in terms of types, strengths, and blindspots.
7. Improve communication – Note how different types prefer to receive communication and feedback. Adjust your approach accordingly.

Conclusion

Using Myers-Briggs in team building allows managers to better understand individual team members and create a more complementary team. By administering the MBTI assessment, sharing results, and having open discussions, managers can tailor communication, assign appropriate roles, and build teams optimized for success. With improved mutual understanding, teams can collaborate more effectively.