Understanding the assessments
A short primer on each test — its origin, what it measures, how to use the result, and how to communicate across types.
MBTI
how you get energy, take in information, decide, and organise life
Where it comes from
What it measures & why
How to use it
- • Greater self-awareness
- • Smoother team communication
- • Understanding each person's work style
- • Reducing misread intentions
How to read your result
Reading the results
Systematic; grounded in facts and duty; responsible and keeps their word.
At work: Follows the process, precise and detailed, reliably delivers on time.
Caring; quietly devoted; values stability and looking after people.
At work: Supports the team, remembers details others miss, dependable.
Insightful and visionary; driven by values and meaning.
At work: Links goals to values, understands people, drives meaningful change.
Long-range systems thinker; independent and clearly goal-directed.
At work: Plans the big picture, improves systems, decides by logic.
Hands-on problem-solver; calm under pressure; learns by doing.
At work: Great at on-the-spot fixes, handy with tools, works well under pressure.
Lives by inner values; gentle and aesthetic.
At work: Works with craft and care, flexible, brings feeling into the work.
Guided by values and authenticity; deep and meaning-seeking.
At work: Creates meaningful work, understands people, thrives when it fits their values.
Hungry to understand; loves logic and ideas; questions everything.
At work: Analyses deeply, finds gaps in systems, devises new approaches.
Quick and action-oriented; reads the moment well.
At work: Decides fast, fixes problems on the spot, agile when things change.
Upbeat and social; lives in the present.
At work: Sets a good atmosphere, connects people, enjoys frontline work.
Overflowing with ideas; enthusiastic; connects people and possibilities.
At work: Initiates new things, inspires others, sees people's potential.
Loves new ideas; challenges assumptions; chases possibilities.
At work: Brainstorms, questions the status quo, solves problems from fresh angles.
Likes order; decisive; drives work to completion on plan.
At work: Organises work, leads by process, keeps everything moving.
Warm; attuned to the team's feelings; loves harmony.
At work: Looks after people, coordinates, keeps the team working smoothly together.
Invested in people's growth; motivating; sees the whole team.
At work: Leads by inspiration, draws out potential, builds cooperation.
Goal-driven and decisive; marshals people and resources for results.
At work: Sets strategy, leads the charge, makes big things actually happen.
Communicating across types
Combine the 4 letters of whoever you're talking to — e.g. talking to an 'INTJ' = blend the tips for I + N + T + J.
Needs time to reflect; prefers writing or one-on-one.
- • Send the agenda ahead so they can prepare
- • Give time to think before asking
- • Allow a written reply
- • Pressing for instant answers in a crowd
- • Interrupting mid-thought
- • Wall-to-wall big meetings with no quiet space
Wants concrete facts, steps, and real examples.
- • Give clear data and details
- • Explain step by step
- • Back it up with real examples
- • Speaking only in abstractions
- • Skipping key details
- • Jumping around with no grounding
Decides by logic and clear criteria.
- • Give clear reasoning and criteria
- • Lay out pros and cons honestly
- • Stay on the point and the outcome
- • Persuading by emotion alone
- • Rambling with no rationale
- • Reading their directness as coldness
Wants closure, plans, and clear deadlines.
- • Give clear schedules and deadlines
- • Help reach closure on decisions
- • Flag plan changes in advance
- • Leaving everything open and unresolved
- • Changing plans suddenly and often
- • Stalling so nothing gets decided