Running head: PERSONALITY TYPE PREFERENCE REFLECTION: ENFJ 1. Personality Type Preference Reflection: ENFJ. Kari Simpson. Wright State University

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1 Running head: PERSONALITY TYPE PREFERENCE REFLECTION: ENFJ 1 Personality Type Preference Reflection: ENFJ Kari Simpson Wright State University

2 PERSONALITY TYPE PREFERENCE REFLECTION: ENFJ 2 Personality Type Preference Reflection: ENFJ Introduction As a class assignment I was asked to take a version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI is an assessment used to measure four different areas of personal preferences. The assessment and the four areas are based on Carl Jung s psychological theory. These four areas of preference are listed as dichotomies. The first area is how an individual gets his or her energy, externally or internally. In this area people are considered wither extroverted (E) or introverted (I). The second area is how a person takes in information. He or she can either be sensing (S), meaning that he or she uses all five senses, or intuitive (N), meaning that he or she uses a sixth sense or gut feeling. How an individual makes decisions is the third area of the dichotomies. An individual can either make decisions by using logic and facts, thinking (T), or by associating or empathizing with the situation, feeling (F). The final dichotomy area is how an individual approaches life by being flexible and spontaneous, perceiving (P), or by being structured and organized, judging (J). Although everyone uses both areas in each dichotomy, the MBTI shows an individual what his or her preferences are in each area giving him or her one of sixteen personality types. My Myers-Brigg s personality type is ENFJ (extroverted, intuitive, feeling, judging). Although I was not new to the test or to the ideas, I have learned many things from doing this activity in class. Psychological Type My personality type, as stated above, is ENFJ. When looking over my type, I am considered to be very giving, charismatic, and influential. When each area of my MBTI type is broken down, it is interesting to see how each type acts differently, but yet as a whole have a

3 PERSONALITY TYPE PREFERENCE REFLECTION: ENFJ 3 thought-provoking way of working together. First, when looking at each letter of my type individually, I am extroverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging. Extroverted types are known for being outgoing, enjoying people and groups, having many friends, and enjoying many activities. People who are extroverted enjoy being around people and become energized after spending time with others or being social. Intuitive individuals are characterized as being future oriented, enjoying theories, and remembering symbols or patterns. This means people who are intuitive take in information by using insight, focusing on the patterns, the theories, or how things will be affected in the future. Feeling personality types are known for being caring, tactful, and warm. Individuals who have this personality type make decisions based on harmony and how the result will affect other people. The last personality type I have in my MBTI is judging. Individuals who have the judging preference are known for being structured, organized, and scheduled. When it comes to how judging individuals approach life, they tend to make lists, enjoy an ordered life, and like to have things completed or finished. When looking at all of these preferences as a whole, it begins to really show how the different traits work off of one another. People who have a MBTI of ENFJ tend to have very strong skills in different areas. Being intuitive and feeling preferences together, my personality type likes to make a difference in some way. When looking over all of my traits working together, I found that my type makes a good leader because of being outgoing, wanting to make a difference, being so charismatic, and being so inclined to work towards harmony but still being motivated by causes that are considered important. Another trait is that ENFJ individuals are known for are being persuasive because they know how to talk to people, connect with them, and be empathetic while still bringing the issue at hand into the equation. Psychological Type Applied To Me

4 PERSONALITY TYPE PREFERENCE REFLECTION: ENFJ 4 When reviewing my results and the traits of my type, ENFJ, I was honestly surprised on just how accurate the personality traits were to me. Also, when I began really thinking about the results, I realized there were gifts that would be very good for me to nurture, not only to better myself as a person, but also as a professional. I found out that I am, according to my results, a very charismatic individual. This was a piece of information I considered very interesting because I have had people tell me I am a very charismatic person, but I never really believed them. However, when I look over the different parts of my life, I realized there were many times where I was very good at captivating an audience and making people want to talk to me. Another area I found interesting was how giving my personality type was. I know from experience I am a very giving person and just want to make a difference in people s lives. I also found out when reviewing my results that I can be very open-minded, accepting, and able to change my mannerisms to reflect others moods and needs. This is not surprising to me, because I have always described myself as a chameleon, able to be friends with many different types of people and able to adapt to different social situations very well. After looking at my personality type, it was clear I was able to do this because I am outgoing, able to be intuitive about situations and people, able to empathize with others, while still being able to be structured and organized. There are a few weaknesses I would like to work on improving. One of these weaknesses I would like to improve would be the way I can often be too selfless. I have been working on this weakness for a long time. I recognize not only can I be too selfless, but I can also worry too much about others feelings toward me or toward a situation in which I was involved. I also need to work on my issues with fluctuating self-esteem and being too idealistic. I know that having a need to be around people and make a difference can make me too involved in what others think and feel about me.

5 PERSONALITY TYPE PREFERENCE REFLECTION: ENFJ 5 Knowing these things about myself will, in the long run, benefit me in many ways in my personal and professional life. First, knowing that my personality type is very charismatic and can do well in leadership positions, I think that it would be important to continue my journey to becoming a student affairs professional. Being both a leader and being charismatic will benefit me in the field. One area in which I was interested in working related to student affairs was Greek Life. I feel like my personality type would work well in that area, because I am a very outgoing individual who would work well with groups of people. Also, being able to connect with the students in the organizations and being able to see their side of their issues due to empathy, would be a great asset to have. Not only having those traits, but also having the trait of being structured would make sure the activities and mandatory events would be done in an orderly and timely fashion. Another trait my personality has, being an ENFJ, is the ability to be a very good leader. This would be helpful when working with Greek organizations, because it would be important the students see me as a leader and someone they respect in the field. However, one aspect I will have to watch is making sure I do not let the students feelings affect my personal self-esteem. Being sure to cultivate my gifts in my personality type will be very important in my personal and professional endeavors. Knowing I can be persuasive, I should learn how to tap into this area when it comes to the times when I am trying to convince others of the importance of an initiative. Whether it is something I am passionate about in my personal life or something in my professional life, this would be a valuable skill to have when discussing a passion to another person. An example would be in my current graduate assistantship. I am working for the Office of Development and for the Graduate School to improve the connection and relationships alumni have with Wright State and the Graduate School. Part of my assistantship

6 PERSONALITY TYPE PREFERENCE REFLECTION: ENFJ 6 requires me to ask alumni for funds and to also promote the university so the alumni feel emotionally connected. If I am to truly excel and to use my gifts I have learned about in class, I should definitely try to improve my charismatic and persuasive skills. These skills would be invaluable when talking to potential donors, to the Graduate School Board, or when talking to employees of Wright State when trying to start an initiative. My type is also able to look at the big picture and how it will affect the future. This would be a gift I would also want to use in my current position, because when I present an idea it is important to know where it will go and how it will work in the future. However, I must make sure I stay grounded and include the details of the idea. Personally, I need to be aware I can be very idealistic, which means if I do not cultivate it well, I could be more of a daydreamer than a visionary. Knowing this and the fact I look at the future and people s feelings when making decisions, it is important not to lose myself and my dreams when making plans. However, I need to also think about the present and try to not over plan my day or my life. I need to be a bit more flexible, know things are going to change, and not follow a plan. Also, I need to remember to not base my self-esteem on others and to not only go with what will make others happy. It is okay to be an individual and to want to do things others do not want to do or may not increase the harmony in a situation. I need to also realize my strengths can also be my weaknesses, but knowing them can better protect me from falling into the trap I may set up for myself. Personality Type To Relationship Building When it comes to relationships and building them, I have the strength of knowing everyone is different and the strength of knowing how to adapt around others and their mannerisms. Luckily, I have the strength of being outgoing and able to easily talk to people, so

7 PERSONALITY TYPE PREFERENCE REFLECTION: ENFJ 7 getting to know someone or striking up a conversation should not be a problem for me. However, I am also keenly aware that I can be too outgoing for some introverted individuals. Also, my tendency to be someone who goes with their gut feeling, to base decisions on the needs of others, and to be very structured can drive other individuals crazy. Knowing these things, I find it a good thing I can be such a chameleon in social situations. I am always watching people s reactions and body language to see if I need to adjust my actions to make them feel more comfortable. Personality Type To Communication When I communicate, it is always out loud. When I think or need to process something, it is also normally out loud. So, when I am in a group or working with others, I have to be aware I may process vocally, and I need to focus on thinking before I speak. When communicating with others I must be aware I do not always focus on facts. This being said, I normally focus on how a person or situation made me feel or how I perceived something. So, when talking to a sensing individual it is also important to give examples of what it was that made me feel a certain way. Also, I must also be aware I like to have empathy and people taken into account. I have to remind myself not everyone needs to feel empathy and explain to the other person I like to have my feelings validated. I also need to be aware I like to have things in an ordered fashion. Some individuals do not like to have plans and events structured and scheduled, which means I have to be more flexible when communicating plans to others. Conclusion This activity was very enlightening and informative. I believe this assignment has shown me more about myself and my traits than what I had learned previously when taking the MBTI. I now feel more equipped to know myself and my likes so I can communicate and relate with

8 PERSONALITY TYPE PREFERENCE REFLECTION: ENFJ 8 others in a better and stronger manner. There were many things I had been told by others that I never really paid attention to until reviewing my results. Also, I find this personality test very intriguing. It makes me want to analyze myself more so I can overcome my weaknesses better, cultivate my strengths, and learn how to identify both in everyday life so I can become the best version of myself I can.