Article

Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator and Behavior Style Profile
How Are They Different?

Effectiveness Institute consultants and facilitators are very familiar with the MBTI. Some of our facilitators are MBTI certified and use the MBTI assessment when working with a number of our clients. It is a trusted, widely-used and relied upon instrument for determining self personality profile. It is a great tool for building self-awareness and an understanding of how people can be different. The Behavior Style Profile also creates self-awareness and how people can be different. The Behavior Style profile also provides information about how others perceive you and how to identify the behavior styles of others. There are three primary differences between the MBTI assessment and Behavior Style Profiles:

1. The MBTI is about personality, which is innate and (generally) does not change. Behavior Style is about how we behave, which changes frequently based upon any given time and circumstances. So in understanding your Behavior Style, you can know your behavior style preferences, and how to modify your behavior in a specific situation to create more trust and respect with another person.

2. The MBTI focuses primarily on self-assessment of personality. It does not include information about how others experience you or how a team behaves with and is perceived by others. Behavior Style is about both how you view yourself and how others experience you. This has to do with your personal impact on others, which you can change if you change your behavior. Developing an understanding with Behavior Style participants of the difference between their "intent" and their "impact" is critical to using a self-assessment to make a difference and building stronger relationships and positive influence with others.

3. The MBTI assessment has sixteen different types or combinations of personality. Behavior Style profiles have four types of behavior. The complexity of sixteen different types makes it difficult for people to remember, whereas the four behavior types are relatively easy to recall. This simplicity of the Behavior Style four types make it a much more adaptable and practical model to use within a team or organization. It is for this reason that many of the organizations we work with choose to integrate Behavior Style throughout their organization.

We have found that the MBTI assessment is a great tool and is best used for personal coaching and building self-awareness with individuals. The Behavior Style profile is suited well for self-awareness, awareness of others, team development and organizational application. Effectiveness Institute also has curriculum based upon the foundation of the Behavior Style profile that spans communication, conflict resolution, management, interviewing, and leadership skills.

Written by: George Myers, Managing Partner, Effectiveness Institute