Understanding Our Comfort Zones

As I write, I have a young lady downstairs completing an inventory that we will use to discuss various options and ideas related to her future career choices.  She will be graduating from college in a little over three weeks.  (Her mother and I met in college many years ago and have remained friends.)  She is completing a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and in a few minutes, upon completing the instrument, we will discuss the results and potential application.  Like myself, my friend's daughter was not given much guidance in college regarding career choices.  She majored in something she enjoyed, English.  I wish I had had this session with her four years ago.  That is not to say that she made a poor choice of majors, just that she has had little to no guidance up to this point, not unlike most college students! 

The MBTI is an instrument that measures preferences.  A good example of a preference would be if you prefer to write and eat with your left hand or your right hand.  I have a "right-hand" preference and I was born with that preference.  And unless something drastic happens, I will always grab for things with my right hand before using my left hand.  My left hand is my backup hand.  I use it everyday and would find it difficult to do things without my left hand.  Eating and writing and even catching things with my right hand is my comfort zone.  I can do things left-handed like eat or write; but it feels awkward, uncomfortable, not natural, and I have to put a lot of effort and thought into it...it is "outside the comfort zone." 

So what can knowing our preferences (or personality type) do to help us be better employees, friends, workers, spouses...?  To begin with, it can give us some clarity around our comfort zone.  Once you understand "Type" you can start to understand why some people are comfortable in some environments and situations and others would find the same circumstances uncomfortable.  It gives us more capacity to step into the shoes of the other party and try to see things from their perspective.  When understood and applied properly, knowledge of MBTI or "Type" can bring new perspective to situations and perhaps allow us to step out of our comfort zone with confidence and achieve even greater results. 

The MBTI is an invaluable tool whether it is used for career coaching, team building, to communicate more effectively, building relationships, or reading the other party in a negotiation.  Many HR departments have certified practitioners, or if internal resources are not available, consultants can be found through a local APT Chapter (Association of Psychological Type). 

I know many of you have taken the MBTI in the past, perhaps in college, in a leadership class, or in premarital counseling.  My question to you is do you remember your training; do you remember your type; are you applying the knowledge?  Knowledge without application has little to no value.  Application of the information gained from the MBTI can yield more effective and satisfying results.

For more informtion on Type (MBTI) you might want to check out these websites and references:

http://www.capt.org/                                    (Center for the Application of Psychological Type)
http://www.apt.org/                                      (Association of Psychological Type)
http://www.typetalk.com/                             (Otto Kroeger & Associates)

Do What You Are                              (Paul Tieger & Barbara Barron-Tieger)
Type Talk At Work                            (Otto Kroeger)
Looking At Type:  The Fundamentals  (Charles Martin, Ph.D.)

There are hundreds of resources regarding the Myers-Briggs indicator; I have given you a few to get started.  You can find many other books and resources listed on the websites above.  Happy "Typing"!