In past articles we have discussed the eight preferences and their meaning. Now we can move on to how an understanding of personality types can be put to practical use. We are going to look at how it applies to problem solving.
Every one of us has to solve problems. These can be simple problems as to what clothes to wear to a social event or highly complex ones such as finding a cure for cancer. As we gain experience in life, many problems become a matter of routine, and we just use what worked in the past. Then there are those problems that are new to us. We may consult others in our attempt to solve them or we may choose to puzzle them out on our own.
Before we begin, there is one important bit of information we need to know about our individual Personality Type. After you have taken a personality type inventory you end up with a four-letter designation of your Type, e.g. ENFP or ISTJ. The first letter is an E or an I standing for Extraversion or Introversion: Where do you get your energy - the outer world or the inner world? The second letter S or N, Sensing or iNtuition, determines how you take in information or the kind of perceptions you make - Do you rely on your five senses or do use your sixth sense to see patterns or possibilities? The third letter, T or F, Thinking or Feeling, shows how you make decisions or judgments: Do you follow a logical set of rules, or are you guided by your values? The fourth letter shows how you are oriented to the outer world. You are either a Judger or a Perceiver. That means you either favour coming to a conclusion quickly or make a judgement (T or F) or you like to gather more information (perceiving) before coming to a decision (S or N).
After you have taken the inventory and determined your best fit for a particular Type, one of the two middle letters, the mental functions you mainly use, is stronger than the other. We call this the Dominant function and the other function is called the Auxiliary. Explaining how to determine your Dominant function is a bit too complicated to be covered in this article. (You can look up this information on my web site - dominant.) The important thing to understand is that you have two of the four mental functions you use rather well, but there are two other mental functions that you are rather unskilled in using. Thus ENFPs have a Dominant function of iNtuition and are very good at dreaming up possible solutions. The Auxiliary function of Feeling helps them to come to decisions based on their values. The weakness of ENFP is that you are not good at looking at the logical consequences of the possibilities, and also may have not noticed many of the necessary facts.
To solve problems that have good outcomes we have to use all four mental functions. One model to follow is the zig zag method. (See the diagram.) Sensing - Begin by looking at the facts related to the problem. iNtuition - Next look at the possibilities there are for solving the problem. Most of us know this as "brainstorming." Thinking -Examine the consequences of each possibility. Feeling - What are the people consequences of the solution?
Let's look more closely at what is involved in each step as we consider the problem of personal transportation. When we are in Sensing mode we are looking at the facts. What exactly is the situation? What has to be done? What is our present situation? How would an outsider look at this situation? What are our transportation needs? Where do we need to travel? What is our financial situation? Is this for personal use or for a family? What are their transportation needs? What is available?
In iNtuition mode we look at all the possibilities. What other ways are there for solving this problem? What are the implications beyond the facts? What other kinds of situations are this like? We could use public transportation, a taxi, car pool, buy or lease a car, or use a bicycle. Maybe it would make more sense to move closer to our work so that we could walk. Look at all the various ways your neighbours solve their transportation problems. Some may be involved in a car cooperative where several people share the cost of buying a car and then take turns using it. (If you are a Dominant iNtuitive, the possibilities are endless!)
Now we look at the more practical aspects of the problem. We have to use our Thinking mental function. We have to look at each of the possibilities and see if it is practical. What are the pros and cons of each possibility? What are the logical consequences of each possibility? What is the cost of each? What is the consequence of not acting? Can we afford a car? If we bought a car, where would we store it. Can we afford the parking fees? If all we can afford is to use the bus, how easy is public transit to use?
The final test we need to make is to use our Feeling mental function. How much do we care about what we gain or lose in each alternative? What are the values involved in each possibility? How will the people concerned react to the outcome? Who is committed to carry out the solution? Will the outcome contribute to individual or family harmony? If we decide on buying an expensive sports car, how will our partner react to this purchase? Maybe we decide on buying a beat up old heap that will get us there. How does our partner react to this? Remember that Feelers judge situations on: Is it good or bad? Is it beautiful or ugly? Our partner may think you a spendthrift or a slob. Can we live with the endless criticisms that we leave ourselves open to?
When you solve problems on your own, you need to be consciously aware of all four steps. Your natural tendency is to ignore or not do a thorough job of examining all of the four steps. It helps to make a list of your thoughts under the above four headings. It is a good idea to go over your solution with someone whose type is quite different than yours. It is more likely they will be stronger in the other mental functions. That is why a group can often come up with a better solution to a problem than an individual can.