MBTI

In Short

Understand personality preferences and their impact on communication and work
Best for: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
MBTI is a structured tool for coaching and facilitation. Understand personality preferences and their impact on communication and work. It provides a repeatable framework that can be adapted to individual, team, and leadership development contexts.
Type of tool: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
Expected outcomes:
- Improved ability to understand personality preferences and their impact on communication and work
- A concrete action or development plan to take forward from the MBTI process

In Detail

MBTI is a professional development resource designed to help coaches, leaders, and facilitators understand personality preferences and their impact on communication and work. It sits within the category of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, making it particularly useful for practitioners working on capability development, team performance, and individual growth in organisational settings.

In practice, MBTI is delivered as a 6-step process. The process begins by administer the MBTI instrument (Step I or Step II). The session closes by emphasise that type describes preferences, not capabilities -- avoid using it as a fixed label. The structured approach ensures that participants move through a consistent experience while leaving room for the facilitator to adapt pacing and depth to the group's needs.

MBTI is most valuable when practitioners need a reliable, repeatable approach that can be adapted to different contexts without losing its core structure. It bridges the gap between conceptual understanding and practical application, making it a durable addition to any coaching or facilitation toolkit.

How to Use

Administer the MBTI instrument (Step I or Step II).
Results reveal preference on four dichotomies: E/I (energy), S/N (information gathering), T/F (decision-making), J/P (outer world orientation).
Introduce the 16 types.
Participants verify their type through reflection rather than accepting the output uncritically.
Use type pairs to understand team dynamics.
Emphasise that type describes preferences, not capabilities -- avoid using it as a fixed label.

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Directly addresses the challenge of understand personality preferences and their impact on communication and work through a structured, repeatable approach Adaptable to different seniority levels, team sizes, and organisational contexts Generates actionable insight that participants can apply immediately in their work	Effectiveness varies based on the facilitator's skill level and familiarity with the tool Requires adequate time for both the exercise and a meaningful debrief to realise full value May not be appropriate for all cultural contexts without adaptation

Created by Isabel Briggs Myers & Katharine Cook Briggs (based on Carl Jung)

When to Use

This tool is suited to the following coaching and facilitation contexts: