A couple of years ago, I found it difficult to understand why people behaved the way they did. There were times I was left perplexed thinking about what triggered this reaction or whether I was responsible for this response. I voiced out my thoughts to a very close friend about my difficulty understanding people or the various personalities I came across in my life. I was introduced to the “Myers-Briggs Personality test” and was advised to complete the survey. My friend explained that this would give me in-depth knowledge about my personality type, triggers, likes, and dislikes. A few days after reading this carefully crafted personality theory, the discovery I made was mind-blowing.
The “Myer-Briggs type indicator” popularly called MBTI was constructed by two Americans: Katharine Cooks Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. The two ladies were inspired by a Swiss psychiatrist named Carl Jung. After a careful study of his book “Psychological Types”, they were fascinated by the concepts the writer adopted to explain why people behave the way they do. The underlying assumption of this theory was the specific preferences in the way we interpret our experiences, interests, needs, values, and motivations. This theory was designed to help people understand personality differences in the general population. Our various personality traits affect how we learn, retain and recollect information in everyday life. Although these tests have been linked to horoscope and are inaccurate, I found it very interesting and somewhat intriguing especially after I completed my survey. The accuracy was almost 95%. It was interesting to discover that I had the same personality type as Carl Jung, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.
The ability to carefully understand people and guess their next move is a superpower. Some might use this talent to manipulate an outcome to turn out in their favour, while others might want to be able to understand various personalities and know how to relate with one another in our daily lives to live in harmony. It is amazing what one discovers by sitting in a corner of a room to observe the different behavioural patterns. I found some discoveries amusing while some were appalling.
Over time this awareness improved my interpersonal skills and eventually became my most revered skill at the workplace and with family members. I noticed I was assigned the most difficult and price-sensitive customers to manage due to the manner in which I quickly profile their preferences. I also learned the best way to handle such clients was to earn their trust, remember special occasions, resolve their complaints on time, and cross-sell new products that will enhance their value proposition. I noticed I was mostly pushed in to calm any difficult family disputes that have ensued.
There were times I asked myself whether this skill was a curse or a blessing, but on a lighter note, the ability to understand the various personality types brings about a life of ease, peace and harmony.
THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE FOOD CHAIN. #MEMBA 12