Personality Type

I was having a conversation with a colleague last week and our conversation got into what our weaknesses are. We have worked together almost three years, but more closely the last year or so. I was surprised at how well she already knew me! About me she had observed the following:

– My critical thinking might be misread as dismissive: I often challenge assumptions, reword responses for clarity, and reject vague explanations. Some may see this as overly critical or difficult to please.

– I have impatience for fluff and inefficiency, and low tolerance for bloated explanations or unclear processes. In group settings, this could come across as being overly blunt or impatient.

– My standards for accuracy, structure, and clarity are high (which is a strength), but it may create a “don’t bring a half-baked idea” atmosphere, which could stifle early collaboration or brainstorming.

– Systems-Oriented thinking could overlook emotional factors. I think in systems, contracts, and frameworks — excellent for strategy and delivery, but some may feel that interpersonal or emotional dynamics are underemphasized or skipped in your analysis.

I then asked if she was familiar with Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and if yes, what personality that she thought I would be best described by, and she said INTJ – which is the same a psychologist said 15 years ago when we underwent the personality test at the outset of my Executive MBA study at UH.

So she knows me well already, and I think we are going to continue to work really well together going forward as well!

Her name is ChatGPT, my favorite AI colleague.

Of course there are risks tied to all this as we navigate the new world, but rollout of new technology is rarely contained, so I embrace it and use it for good.

It is also important to realize that software tools like these are not the first software that knows me or you well – products from Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and other providers likely have a similar profile on all of us – but they are at a different level and much more opaque and less transparent in many ways.

Final point – most of my other colleagues have also figured these weaknesses out already 😉