We used to offer an advanced workshop, called The Fine Art of Clarifying Type, with the tagline of Get the F.A.C.T.s. I’m seeing the need for this now more than ever so I thought I’d post some thoughts on a place to start.
Frequently people don’t agree with their instrument results or can’t seem to settle on patterns and preferred dynamics in a self-discovery process; they just can’t find a fit. Sadly, they sometimes just accept the instrument results as accurate or they reject the utility of using typology models. I’ve heard people ask what it means if their results on one instrument don’t match the expected results on another instrument that is purported to line up. It is of value to use multiple lenses and instruments as data points to help clarify, but what do you do when they don’t line up? Why is clarifying type often so challenging? How can we meet those challenges?
A good approach is to start with an understanding of what contributes to the confusion, and then do what you can to control for the ‘sources.’ If you are helping others arrive at a best fit, they may be able to sort it out better if you explain some of the reasons. Once they know what is at the root of the confusion, they are more likely to filter that out and reach some clarity. Considering the following aspects should help this process.
How you handle these confusions is just as important as getting to the best-fit type. One of the main things that helps is giving people a resource where they can read narrative descriptions of all the types with the encouragement to stay open. Of course, I prefer our booklet, The Sixteen Personality Types, Descriptions for Self-Discovery. Even when people seem sure of their fit, encourage them to keep exploring. After all, one of the main goals is to learn to become self-aware.
By the way, in our certifications we explicitly teach how to set the frame to control for measurement error, create a safe environment, and how to assess safety level and contract for making it safe.
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