Dirk Verburg

One of the most important influencers on LinkedIn is Adam Grant. His seminal article about the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) in 2013 initiated the downhill trajectory of the reputation of this instrument.

I think that is a pity, because I consider the MBTI as a valuable personality inventory for personal development. In this post I explain why I think that is the case, and when and how I use it in my executive coaching practice.

A popular instrument

The MBTI was created by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, based on the Type theory of the Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung (1875-1961).

The first version of the MBTI was released in 1943, and for many decades the MBTI was the most commonly used personality inventory. Millions of people all over the world have completed it, and many still remember their four letter ‘Type’ (e.g. ENFP, ISTP, etc.).

In the last 10-20 years however, the criticism on the instrument has grown considerably, to the point where people do not dare to admit they use, or benefitted from it.

Criticism

In the article mentioned above, Adam Grant lists the following points of criticism with regard to the MBTI:

• Consistency – People report different outcomes ‘Type’when taking the inventory at different moments in time
• Value – The relationship between type and expected performance is missing
• Cohesion – There is scientific evidence that Thinking (T) and Feeling (F) – seen as opposites in Carl Jung’s work and the MBTI – are related behaviorial preferences
• Incomplete – MBTI does not measure emotional stability
• Better alternatives – Adam Grant prefers tests based on ‘the Big 5’

Reaction

In 2018, probably because the criticism on MBTI has become so strong, The Myers-Briggs Company (which owns the intellectual property of the MBTI), created a dedicated page on its site to counter the most common criticisms.

Although it is not a definitive or final rebuttal of all the points Adam Grant raised, I highly recommend everyone to read it.

Regarding the consistency it is stated for instance that the consistency was enhanced after the 2018 revision (‘Test-retest correlations for the MBTI Global Step I assessment, over periods of 6 to 15 weeks, show correlations of 0.81 to 0.86 for all four preference pairs, indicating excellent reliability’).

More importantly however, The Myers-Briggs Company makes it clear that the MBTI is not intended to be used to measure expected performance. This brings me to my next point.

Why I like and use MBTI

As with all instruments, the effectiveness depends on the purpose: what do you want to use it for? A screwdriver is a great tool for inserting and extracting screws, but not for driving in nails. Likewise a hammer is great to drive in nails, but useless for inserting and extracting screws.

I use MBTI mainly in the initial stages of coaching conversations to understand how my coachees ‘tick’.

Another use case for me are team workshops, where I use the individual MBTI’s of the team members to enhance their understanding and appreciation for one another, based on their differences in Type.

There are three reasons why the MBTI works so well in these situations:

1. Hypotheses– The MBTI is a great tool to generate hypotheses around expected individual behaviours which can be discussed with individuals and their teams. In many situations I find it more helpful and efficient to enter into a structured conversation with my clients with a set of hypotheses, rather than with a blank canvas.
2. Recognition – Almost always, people ‘recognize’ their profile, which increases ownership
3. Strengths – The MBTI is ‘strengths-based’ (it focusses on the strengths of the type).
   

The combination of these three factors helps me to drive conversations forward and book concrete results.

Situations in which I do not use MBTI

However, there are also situations where I definitely would not use MBTI. An example is for instance high stake selection processes. In these situations I would use a part of the Hogan suite, because this would give me more, and relevant, data. Examples include the way candidates are expected to behave under pressure (HDS) and the values candidates hold (MVPI).

The MBTI is not suitable for, and is not meant to be used, in selection processes. To put it bluntly, the instrument is not designed to reject candidates for CFO positions because they are ’N’’s (iNtuitive)instead of ’S’’s (Sensing). In this context I highly recommend everyone to read the ethical guidelines of The Meyers-Briggs Company.

Another use case where I also do not use the MBTI is for business leaders who want to address their leadership style and effectiveness. In these situations I prefer to use the Leadership Circle Profile (LCP) instead.

The LCP is specifically developed for leaders, gathers 360 data (line managers, peers, (in)direct reports, etc.), and delivers, amongst others, meaningful information about the balance between managerial and leadership dimensions, as well as the balance between action and people orientation. Additionally it provides information about the leadership potential of the individual.

This is information the MBTI simply was not designed to deliver.

How I use MBTI

Finally it is important how the MBTI is used.

Unfortunately a number of people use MBTI in the same way as they would use a measurement instrument in Physics. They ask participants to complete the questionnaire and take the outcome for granted in the same way a physicist uses a thermometer to measure the temperature.

The way an MBTI should be conducted is to take the participant, after they have completed the questionnaire, through the background of the personality inventory and by walking them through the different dimensions. During this walk through it is important to make sure the participant understands the dimensions, and agrees with outcome of the inventory.

I assume individuals know themselves best, so, if after reviewing the outcomes, they can articulate (typically based on illustrative examples) why they do not agree with an outcome, I accept their opinion, adjust their type classification, and continue to work on that basis.

Your call

My recommendation for you is to make up your own mind about the usefulness of MBTI for your practice. Please do not reject the use of the MBTI because other people tell you to, and take this quote of Oscar Wilde to heart:

Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.