„‚ CONDITIONS THAT HINDER EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

PERSONALITY TYPOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT STYLE
Because all temperament types bring their own strengths and weaknesses to the
workplace, managers need to be aware of their own temperaments before they attempt to
understand and lead the rest of the staff. Temperament, according to Keirsey and Bates
(1984), is a prime determinant of management style. To use personality typing within a
department, a manager must first look at the corporate culture in which the department
exists, its particular mission, and the objectives of the available positions. He or she
must consider whether the department is new, is seeking greater recognition, or is a
mature group looking to improve or to maintain services.
Managers need to assess their own temperaments and personality styles and their
inherent strengths and weaknesses before assessing the behavior exhibited by current or
potential staff members. Most managers will need staff members with similar
personalities to support them. However, opposite types are also needed to compensate
for existing weaknesses. The best teams seem to be composed of people who have some
personality differences but who are not total opposites. Differences can encourage group
growth, while similarities can facilitate understanding and communication. When a team
of complete opposites does exist, an understanding of type theory can go a long way
toward alleviating disagreements and recognizing the need for team integration.
When looking for a clear vision of how to plan for the future, the manager should
keep in mind that sensors are best at practical, detail tasks; that intuitors are best at
creative, long-range tasks; that thinkers’ skills are appropriate for analysis tasks; and that
the skills of feelers are suited to interpersonal communications. A successful staff
demands that all skills be used in the right place at the right time. A good manager will
recognize the type of task that needs to be done and will assign the best and most
appropriate talents to accomplish the job in harmony.
The Sensing-Judging (SJ) Manager
The SJ manager is a stabilizer or consolidator who excels at establishing policies, rules,
schedules, and routines. Such a person is usually patient, thorough, and steady. An SJ
manager will provide a sense of permanence that encourages industriousness and
responsibility in a staff. A sensing-judging manager is a task master who feels that every
person must earn his or her keep and therefore tends to be very reluctant to praise.
Operational costs are carefully monitored, but true costs often are not. An SJ manager is
impatient with delays, may decide issues too quickly, and often complicates matters by
preserving rules that are unnecessary and by adapting slowly to change. On the other
hand, this type of person has a strong understanding of policy and is a good decision
maker. He or she runs meetings efficiently; is always punctual; and can absorb,
remember, manipulate, and manage a great deal of detail—traits that certainly are useful
to an organization.
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The Pfeiffer Library Volume 6, 2nd Edition. Copyright ©1998 Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer