Presented By: Amy E. Lingenfelter

Understanding & Managing Conflicting Personalities in the Workplace

If we were all the same, what would the world be like?

• With a partner, describe a recent scenario at your workplace or classroom in

which 2 or more people had some sort of conflict or misunderstanding.

Let’s Discuss!

2 min

Picture a Party You’ve Attended:Let’s Think!

• Did you notice how some people were walking around, talking to everybody, while others stood in one place, listening to just one person or remained alone?

• Do you have brothers or sisters who are very different from you, even though you were raised by the same parents in the same environment?

Let’s Think!

• In meetings or classes, does it annoy you when someone doesn’t “get to the point” and just tell you the facts you need to know to do your job or assignment?

Let’s Think!

Let’s Think!• When you make decisions, do you

make them with your heart and feelings, or more with your head and logic?

• Do you prefer to know and plan what’s going to happen ahead of time, or to be spontaneous and “go with the flow” and take things as they come?

Let’s Think!

• If you walked into a forest of trees, would you look at the whole forest, or focus on each individual tree?

Let’s Think!

• The M.B.T.I. is a questionnaire designed to help you understand personality differences between yourself and others, used for: Career counseling Relationship counseling The workplace:

Conflict resolution Talent management Group dynamics &

group programming

Myers Briggs Type Indicator

Myers Briggs Type Indicator• It is based on psychologist Carl Jung’s

theory of psychological types, and it explores:

How we prefer to relate to others Where we go to get energy How we perceive (take in) information How we make decisions, conclusions,

and judgments How we deal with and organize our outer

world

Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)E-IWhere you focus your attention

E ExtraversionPeople who prefer Extraversion tend to focus their attention on the outer world of people and things. Adjectives that describe you: • Outgoing/Sociable• Expressive• Uninhibited/Risk-taking• Open• Talkative

I IntroversionPeople who prefer Introversion tend to focus their attention on the inner world of ideas and impressions. Adjectives that describe you: • Introspective• Solitary/Alone• Inhibited/Cautious• Private• Quiet

Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)S-NThe way you take in informa-tion

S SensingPeople who prefer Sensing tend to take information through the five senses and focus on the here and now. Adjectives that describe you: • Concrete• Realistic• Practical• Traditional• Factual

N IntuitionPeople who prefer Intuition tend to take in information from patterns and the big picture and focus on the future possibilities. Adjectives that describe you: • Abstract/Theoretical• Idealistic• Imaginative• Original/Creative• Futuristic

Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)T-FThe way you make decisions

T ThinkingPeople who prefer Thinking make decisions based primarily on logic and on objective analysis of cause and effect. Adjectives that describe you: • Objective• Truthful/Direct• Rational• Impersonal• Logical

F FeelingPeople who prefer Feeling make decisions based on values/feelings and on subjective evaluation of person-centered thoughts. Adjectives that describe you: • Subjective• Harmonious/Gentle• Empathetic• Passionate• Sensitive

Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)

THINKING FEELING

Opti

mal

Dec

isio

n

Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P) J-PHow you deal with the outer world

J JudgingPeople who prefer Judging tend to like a planned and organized approach to life and prefer to have things settled or solved. Adjectives that describe you: • Decisive• Organized• Predictable• Solution/Ending-

oriented• Responsible/Focused

P PerceivingPeople who prefer Perceiving tend to like a flexible and spontaneous approach to life and prefer to keep their options open. Adjectives that describe you: • Adaptable• Disorganized• Go-with-the-flow• Open-ended• Carefree/Irresponsible

• With a partner, describe yourself using one of more of these MBTI personality dichotomies and/or specific adjectives that were just mentioned.

Let’s Discuss!

2 min

Eight Basic Tenets of Conflict Resolution. . .

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution:

1. Make note of personality and work style differences.

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution

2. Always try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution

3. A person often views another’s behavior from the point of view of what that person would do in the same situation.

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution4. Don’t take things personally: most

people are “wrapped up in their own worlds!”

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution

5. COMMUNICATION that is direct- yet polite and professional- is key!

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution

6. Distinguish between personality differences and lack of motivation.

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution

7. Take into account cultural, class, gender, and age differences.

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution8. OPTIMIZE differences to form a

team and assign different tasks where everyone can use their strengths, work habits, and preferences.

Now, here are some scenarios taken from real-life situations in the workplace…

1. Find your group matches2. Read your particular scenario3. Discuss:

Which character belongs in each MBTI personality dichotomy?

How could you resolve this scenario in a professional way that benefits all, using some or all of the 8 tenets of conflict resolution?

4. Create a 1-2-minute role-play scenario to demonstrate this scenario to the whole group including a proposed solution.

Your Task:30 min

Order of Role-Play Performances:

1. Judging vs. Perceiving (2) 2. Extraversion vs. Introversion3. Thinking vs. Feeling4. Sensing vs. Intuition5. “ENFP” vs. “ISTJ”

Now let’s discuss other groups’ scenarios with your

group members…

About each conflict scenario, please discuss:1. Name the personality differences that

may have caused the conflict and misunderstanding.

2. How did the group show that they resolved this conflict? How would you have resolved it differently, if so?

3. Name at least 1 way that these differences could be optimized to the company’s advantage, in:a) This particular situationb) In general

3 min each

Now let’s share and wrap-up what we discussed

and learned today…

THANK YOU!!!

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS?

REFERENCE/HANDOUTS

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution1. Make note of personality and

work style differences.2. Always try to put yourself in the

other person’s shoes.3. A person often views another’s

behavior from the point of view of what that person would do.

4. Don’t take things personally: most people

are “wrapped up in their own worlds!”

8 Tenets of Conflict Resolution5. COMMUNICATION that is direct-

yet polite and professional- is key!6. Distinguish between personality

differences and lack of motivation.7. Take into account cultural, class,

gender, and age differences.8. OPTIMIZE differences to form a

team and assign different tasks where everyone can use their strengths, work habits, and preferences.

You and a more junior colleague, Sara, have to complete a project together with two other people. You have two weeks to complete it and it requires steps. Sara needs to complete one step in order for you to continue with yours. You have seen her work before, and she always turns high-quality work in on time. You have faith that you can accomplish the project together successfully.

However, you soon find that Sara prefers to work on her own time and save things until the last minute. You can’t work on your part until she finishes hers, but when you ask her for her part, she hasn’t done it. Sara claims she needs to see how things turn out before she can give you a definite time frame. You and your group members are getting more and more frustrated. You all want to go to the company manager above you to complain, or fire her. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

#1: Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)

#2: Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)You share an office with a fellow manager, Eduardo.

Your roles are similar, and you are expected to work together on a daily basis. You are an open, talkative person and he is a closed, quiet person. You get along fine at first.

However, soon you start to notice that Eduardo gives you annoyed looks and doesn’t speak to you unless you ask him a direct question. You wonder why.

A few weeks later, the company’s CEO and managing director call you into the CEO’s office. They say that Eduardo has been complaining that you talk too loud on the phone and speak to him so much that he can’t concentrate on his work. The managing director gives you a written warning. You wonder why Eduardo hasn’t spoken to you about this before going to the “big boss.” WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

#3: Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)You are a lawyer working in a well-known criminal

defense law firm. You are a defense lawyer working on a case in which a woman killed her abusive husband, allegedly for self-defense. Everybody at the firm, including your two partners, thinks the woman should get a life sentence because she murdered the husband in first degree.

You, on the other hand, are looking at the case from the point of view of a woman who was abused for 30 years and nobody helped her. You feel compassion for her situation and think she should get less time.

The law states that first-degree murder gets a life sentence without exceptions. The firm’s owner is considering taking you off the case as a result of your “caring” attitude. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

#4: Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)You work in the marketing department of an

insurance company in charge of an advertising campaign. You have several great ideas about ways to improve the company’s marketing strategy and you are sure they will work. You envision a company that could bring in thousands more dollars as a result of your ideas.

Unfortunately, your three colleagues who are also working on the campaign disagree with you. They say this will cost the company too much money, will take too much time to implement, and is simply not practical. You think they are focusing too much on stupid details and not looking at the bigger, long-term picture. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

#5: ENFP vs. ISTJ (Reference)• ENFP: Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See

life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.

• ISTJ: Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized-their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.

You are an ideas generator, and love sharing your ideas with others. You get excited by all the possible ways that you could develop your company’s new customer service program. Sometimes you start things you can’t finish on time or have ideas that are difficult to execute. Your desk is a mess. You really want Marco, your partner on the project, to feel the same way, but you find him dry, boring, and cold.

Marco has another style. He doesn’t always have the most creative ideas, but he knows how to deliver things completed, on time. He has an organized list of all the tasks he needs to complete and the time it will take. He is always making you look stupid and incompetent, although you know you have the better ideas. You are miserable working with him. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

# 5: ENFP vs. ISTJ