MBTI® Type Tips for Assuming Positive Intent

Written by Shawn Bakker, Lead Psychologist

2 minute read

When working virtually tone and nuance get lost in our digital communication with others. This makes it more difficult to communicate our intentions and accurately interpret the intentions of others. A perfect recipe for misunderstandings.

To prevent these misunderstandings, start by giving people the benefit of the doubt. Regardless of what your teammates are saying, or how they are saying it, assume positive intent. Your attitude will shift from that of confusion, frustration, and perhaps anger, to an openness that will allow you to begin to hear what they are trying to say (in their unique and imperfect way). And hopefully they will then reciprocate!

Self-awareness of your Myers-Briggs personality type can also help you identify ways to better communicate with people who are different from you. Here are some tips for improving your digital communication with teammates.

MBTI Type Tips - When Communicating With:

Extraverts:
  • Provide immediate feedback and verbal acknowledgement
  • Deal with issues when they occur
  • Remember they think out loud, so don’t assume their ideas are well thought out
Introverts:
  • Pause and wait for a response
  • Don’t expect an immediate answer
  • Provide information ahead of time to give them time to process
Sensing Types:
  • Be practical and bring ideas down to earth
  • Provide information on specific realities/details/applications
  • Present information sequentially
Intuitive Types:
  • Provide an overview first
  • Share main points, then add some detail as necessary
  • Show the future possibilities of your ideas
Thinking Types:
  • Support your ideas with logical reasoning
  • Avoid becoming overly passionate when discussing issues
  • Show cause-and-effect relationships and pros and cons
Feeling Types:
  • Avoid critiquing and evaluating when you are listening
  • Focus on people in the situation; find out what is valued and important
  • Connect first, then challenge later; find areas of agreement
Judging Types:
  • Negotiate specific timelines and deadlines
  • Provide structure and clear expectations
  • Avoid adding unexpected tasks or options, especially at the last minute
Perceiving Types:
  • Establish mutual deadlines rather than direct others
  • Avoid making decisions too quickly, seek more information before deciding
  • Be willing to take initial steps without making a complete plan

For more resources on managing your team virtually, visit our Virtual Training Resources page.

Related Articles