Work Types

by Jean M. Kummerow, Nancy J. Barger, Linda K. Kirby

Overview

Based on the work of Carl Jung, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the psychological profile employed by thousands of professionals worldwide. Now, three Myers-Briggs experts show how individuals can use this revealing profile them to recognize their own work style, enabling them to overcome the obstacles of day-to-day tasks and successfully adjust to the constant changes in the work world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780446672177
Publisher:	Grand Central Publishing
Publication date:	03/01/1997
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.75(d)

Editorial Reviews

By recognizing that everyone has a unique personality and communication style, employees can adjust their work habits, skills and conversation to be more productive in the office. To understand these various manifestations, this book presents a summary of the 16 personalities identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the personality test used by psychologists, career counselors and others. All the types fall into four broader spectra-Extravert /Introvert, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling and Judging/Perceiving. To vividly demonstrate the differences among these types and how they interact at work, many examples of office dialogue and situations are included. These sections are the most helpful and enable readers to see exactly how the inevitable clash of personalities is counterproductive. However, unless readers are already familiar with the Myers-Briggs categories, it is difficult to keep track of the many types. Sections list people along with their identifying Myers-Briggs initials-ESTJ, ESFJ, ENFP, etc.-and readers may not remember which characteristics are associated with each personality. The descriptions are included in various sections, but a one-page, main reference would have been helpful. While readers will gain some insights into their own work styles and colleagues' behavior, this book is too daunting for the average reader. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is ubiquitous. Businesses use the MBTI at training seminars, employment counselors use it to decide on careers for their clients, and college professors foist it off on their classes to compare and contrast their students' traits. A shortened version of the test is even posted on the Internet. The authors have decided to capitalize on the MTBI's popularity by putting together a book they claim will help you understand and make the most of your own type, as well as the types of those in your workplace. They offer checklists for each type that mentions ways to enlarge on that type's strengths and to minimize its weaknesses. They also offer scenarios such as meetings or group projects where type preferences might come into play, and they mention ways to adjust to the natural friction that might ensue. Although some of the material is interesting and well presented, most of it has already been published elsewhere in better form. Most libraries would be better off with a book more along the lines of Otto Kroeger's Type Talk at Work.-Pamela A. Matthews, Missouri Western State Coll., St. Joseph

Library Journal