Workshop Review by Jack Falt, INFJ
Dunning had been invited by Black-Davis Publishing to write this book on careers and type as they didn’t have a book to be in competition with the Tieger's Do What You Are. Her book has done very well in the market. In the book Dunning has organized the sixteen types according to the eight dominant processes. Her clients take the MBTI®, the results are explained to them, and their type verified; but instead of using the MBTI® jargon, Dunning uses different terms for each of the eight processes. E.g. ESFP and ESTP are grouped together and called Responders (extraverted Sensors). She describes Responders at work and the kind of work they would find best suited to their personality. Then she looks at the client’s auxiliary but calls them Compassionate Responders (introverted Feelers) or Logical Responders (introverted Thinkers). She explains to the client that in mid life that the Compassionate Responder is more open to Logical Responder types of work and vice versa. (This is the tertiary function developing.) Then she brings in the inferior function by having clients look at their Greatest Challenges.
The workshop was an explanation on how to use these concepts in individual counselling or a group presentations. The counsellor has to learn eight new terms for the eight dominant functions but the client only hears about one. This is a less threatening way of presenting the concepts to the client. We discussed each of the eight functions and did some group exercises about how to talk with each type of client and how we might get them to look at their challenges.
For her presentations Dunning commissioned cartoon figures for each of the functions. She also had cartoon situations drawn to give a concept of the function. These were created by Randy Glasbergen. (You can see similar cartoons at www.glasbergen.com. He draws the Better Half cartoons.) Unfortunately, Dunning did not use these in her book. They were quite clever, but only the workshop participants got to see them.
Dunning is an excellent workshop leader and has a very easy way about her leading a group. I felt the workshop was worthwhile as it brought the book to life and showed an excellent way of helping people in their career process. As I have been retired from counselling for a number of years, it was interesting to hear the current challenges counsellors and their clients are facing in the work of work today.