Sample MBTI and collaboration profile

ESTJs and Collaboration

When working in collaborative groups, ESTJs are usually keen to have clear, logical goals, preferably expressed in measurable terms. They are likely to contribute to the process of developing shared objectives by being brisk, factual and task-focused. They typically have a talent for organising people and things in practical ways, and will push for general aspirations to be translated into specific actions. They enjoy planning ahead, using past experience to guide their decisions, and will be quick to see gaps and flaws in the planning process. Their focus tends to be more on present and past realities than on future possibilities, and it may require some effort for them to step back and look more widely and at the longer-term. They prefer to keep discussions with others as focused as possible, avoiding discussion of non-relevant topics. They may become impatient with others who want to talk about issues of mission and values, especially if they make little reference to current reality.

Once a plan is in place, they will be very determined in following through and holding people accountable for progress. They are often astute in recognising where there are technical skills gaps, and will be firm about making plans to improve such skills, or if necessary, to replace people whose skills do not fit the role.

ESTJs have a style of communication that is usually straightforward, no-nonsense and business-like. They tend to have little patience for small-talk, regarding it as pointless and a waste of time, since no real information is exchanged. They often have firm opinions and do not hesitate to voice these. Given the choice of truth or tact they tend to favour truth, with the advantage that others know where they stand, but the potential problem of hurt feelings. ESTJs find it difficult to understand why people should be offended by being told the truth, particularly when they have asked for an opinion. They enjoy logical debate, and will expect other parties to put their views as firmly as they do. However, once they have decided, they can be prone to seeing things in black and white terms and believing that their views are obviously correct. It can be hard for them to listen with an open mind when people want to re-open a debate after a decision has been made.

Collaborative leadership style

Because ESTJs show confidence in deciding, planning and organising, they often end up in positions of leadership. They are typically comfortable with authority and regard hierarchical systems as logical and efficient ways to work through people. ESTJ leaders tend to use consistent principles in dealing with people, and to be fair in the sense of treating everyone equally. It is not so natural for them to pay attention to the needs and feelings of others. If people are in difficulty, they are likely to demonstrate caring by helping them sort out their problems, rather than by spending a lot of time in empathic listening.

ESTJs’ natural style of leadership is one that has been encouraged and reinforced in many traditional organisations, and their clear, firm style is often helpful for getting things done on time and in a systematic way. It may be something of a challenge to ESTJs to operate in a more complex collaborative system, where lines of authority are ambiguous. They will thus prefer collaboration to take place within a structure that specifies who is responsible for what. They will find it difficult if someone interferes with their plans once decisions have been made, particularly if this results in confusion and delay.

Preferred ways of working

A high degree of role clarity will be helpful for ESTJs. They will be happy to delegate tasks to others, as long as they complete these on time and in the way the ESTJ expects. When passing on tasks to others they will usually be thorough in explaining what needs to be done, and may be impatient if the person wants to do things in a different way. When working with another party who prefers more freedom in the way they work, ESTJs may need to be careful to specify only what is necessary in terms of required outcome, leaving some room for creativity of process.

Clear decision-making tends to come naturally to ESTJs. They are unlikely to be satisfied with a meeting unless it results in a set of explicit action points which are then followed up. Where policies and procedures exist, they will tend to operate within the system, following accepted rules and processes. They will solicit views from others, but will have little tolerance for anything that seems like “waffle” - and this may include attempts to widen the context of the decision or to look at the problem from a new angle. They may at times push ahead with a decision that seems to make sense, even though other people are not fully committed, resulting in difficulties for the collaboration at later stages.

Because ESTJs prefer to work in situations where the rules and expectations are clear and explicit, it will be helpful if any differences in ways of working in the partnership are openly discussed. As long as ESTJs can see a good business reason for adjusting their approach, and as long as it is clear what is expected, they will be happy to try to adapt to a different culture, although they may easily slip back into their more familiar style. It will be hard for them to adjust to a culture that encourages personal disclosure and soul-searching - ESTJs would prefer to get on with the task in hand.