cameron and green making-sense-of-change-management

The underpinning theoryThe MBTI has been researched and validated for over 50 years now,and people rarely move permanently from their preferred ‘home’ type.That is not to say that Extroverts cannot spend time reflecting and beingon their own, nor Introverts spend time in large groups discussing abroad range of issues. What it means is that if you are a particular typeyou have particular preferences and are different from other people ofdifferent types. This means that when it comes to change, people withdifferent preferences react differently to change, both when they initiateit and when they are on the receiving end of it.Although there are 16 MBTI types, in our work with managers andleaders we have found that grouping them into four categories cangenerate significant understanding of the change process (see forexample Green, 2007). One group of people will be cautious andcareful about change – the Thoughtful Realists (those who are introvertedsensing types). A second group will generate concepts thatrepresent how things should be – the Thoughtful Innovators (introvertedintuitives). A third group will have the energy and enthusiasmto get things done – the Action Oriented Realists (extraverted sensing).Meanwhile the fourth group – the Action Oriented Innovators(extraverted intuitives) – will be wanting to move into new areas andsoon! (See Table 1.5.)STOP AND THINK!Q 1.10 Use the Myers-Briggs quadrants to identify your reactions tochange.• In what ways do you fit the various profiles and in what waysdo you differ?• How would you deal with someone like this when goingthrough a challenging change process?• How do you like to be managed through change?52