Appreciating Differences - Jack Falt - Ottawa area, Ontario, Canada

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Book Review by Jack Falt

Hirsh, Sandra Krebs & Jean M. Kummerow, Introduction to Type® in Organizations, 3rd Ed., Palo Alton, CA: CPP, 1998, ISBN - none, 32 pp

This booklet is meant as a workshop handout on the topic of how people function in organizations. It begins with a short outline of the 4 dimensions of behaviour and how these preferences appear in work situations and they are used in communication. Then the booklet looks at behaviour within the quadrants of the type table (IS, IN, ES & EN). These relate to leadership, learning corporate culture and ways of handling change. Then it looks at the four function pairs (ST, SF, NF & NT) which relate to communication style, problem solving, career choice and organizational culture. The final way of grouping the type table is by temperaments which primarily looks at overall behaviour.

The main body of the booklet looks at each of the sixteen types as they relate to organizations. The information is given in point form styles: contributions to the organization, leadership style, preferred learning style, problem-solving approach and preferred work environments. It also looks at potential pitfalls and suggestions for development. The order of preference of the four functions as it relates to the dynamics of that type is given.

The final section of the booklet looks at type dynamics and the part it plays within the personality. There is a useful chart on how the inferior function can be experienced under stressful circumstances. There is also a brief description on the importance of using all four functions when making a decision.

This is a worthwhile booklet to use as a handout in a workshop. It is mainly in point form that you can use when doing a presentation, and the participants have the information to take away with them in a format they will likely refer to later.

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