Enhancing ‘Organisational Fitness’ using MBTI®

How many of you have ever bought weights or an exercise bike in an effort to get fit?

Given the sheer volume of TV ads, Groupon deals and lifestyle magazines, dedicated to promoting fitness, we are all well aware of the plethora of tools out there for improving our personal health. Sadly, it is one of life’s painful truths that none of these tools work without effort, we actually have to lift the ‘damned’ dumb-bells or crank up the distance on the ‘dread’-mill. Last week, after spilling my Starbucks onto the yoga mat that lay crumpled up under the passenger seat of the car, I wondered whether the same could be said of the use of psychometric tools (e.g. MBTI®) in the workplace.

In my MBTI® development work with clients like Tesco Bank, NICE, Audit Scotland, NATS, Swire Oilfield Services, itelligence, RBS Group and Visit Scotland, it seems that, nowadays, the majority of people are at least familiar with the concept of psychological preference. In addition, many people appear to have experienced apersonal or team development session using the MBTI® – and a few enthusiasts even manage to remember their ‘4 letters’! It is great that so many people have experienced the benefit psychometric tools can contribute to personal and team development, but how many of us can genuinely put our hands up to regularly using the MBTI® (or other similar tools) to get into ‘better shape’ in the workplace? It seems a shame, as well as a waste of time, money and effort, to understand and appreciate the strengths of this useful and practical development tool, but then to leave it gathering dust on the office shelf.

At Maximillion, we live in the real world and appreciate that, in these challenging economic time, it can often be difficult to find time for individual learning and team development activities. It is our experience that all teams and individuals can benefit from regular developmental ‘workouts’ and we believe in bringing these psychometric tools back to life by providingmemorable and impactful learning opportunities. Having space and time to think, reflect, listen, learn, talk, grow and co-create can enhance team energy, cohesiveness, focus and most importantly productivity back in the workplace.

Introducing MBTI® Workouts 

Building on the success of our Understanding MBTI® in the Organisation programmes, we have developed four half-day, high-impact MBTI® Workouts, specifically designed for teams with prior experience of MBTI® and to tackle key organisational development issues that your teams may be facing. Each workshop can be delivered as a standalone or combined creatively as part of a broader team development programme. All MBTI® Workouts take a similar approach and include a short refresher of the MBTI® tool and brief explanation of other topic-specific models, practical experiential activities, group discussions and opportunities for reflection and action planning. The following ‘off-the-shelf’ development workshops are now available:

• Coping with Chop and Change
• Communicating with Courage and Consideration
• Leading, Engaging and Influencing Others
• Moving from Conflict to Collaboration

Please find below a synopsis of each of the four MBTI® Workoutsbelow, and go here to download a pdf factsheet.

Coping with Chop and Change

• This workshop explores the impact of personality on how individuals experience change differently. It provides insight and knowledge of how individuals can contribute during change and what managers and organisations need to do and put in place in order to ensure change is managed more effectively within the workplace.

Communicating with Courage and Consideration

• In this workshop, individuals will examine their communication style and its impact, particularly focusing on actively listening to and understanding others. Top tips for effectively utilising some of the modern modes of communication will be discussed and the ‘lost’ art of courageous and considerate feedback will be practised and explored.

Leading, Engaging and Influencing Others

• This workshop will enable individuals to enhance their leadership effectiveness through enhancing self-awareness and personal energy. Through identifying strengths, blind spots and development areas through experiential activities, reflection and constructive feedback, individuals will develop a refreshed personal leadership development action plan.

Moving from Conflict to Collaboration

• This workshop helps individuals and teams to understand how conflict impacts on us physically, mentally and emotionally. Using the MBTI, it provides a contemporary framework to explore different approaches and strategies to conflict management.  It enables individuals to use conflict constructively and as a source of workplace innovation and creativity.

If you are fed up stubbing your toe on the barbell that is wedging your bedroom door open, and interested in finding out more about these MBTI® Workouts and how they could contribute to thedevelopment of your team, please contact Sandy Smith on 0845 901 1422 or sandy@maximillion.co.uk

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