CPP/MBTI Practitioners Chart a New
Era for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

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by Jack Speer

In a world where we are told about many things that "work"--and they often don't--MBTI is a tool for human understanding that really does work.  MBTI, when skillfully taught and thoroughly learned, improves relationships. 

The MBTI is the "Gold Standard" of Personality Assessments

The goal of the MBTI Club is to chart a new era for the MBTI.  We see an important partnership in this with CPP, Inc. 

We are working toward an era where the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is recognized by an increasing number of people as the "gold standard"  for people and organizations who want to improve their relationships with others and their understanding of themselves.   For these people, MBTI will be at the top of their minds.

The MBTI is Scientifically Devised and Validated

MBTI was developed by Isabel Briggs Myers, and her mother, Katharine Cook Briggs, during World War II.  They were acquainted with the theories of Carl Jung and were able to organize his theories into the most effective personality type assessment ever developed, using statistics and scientific principles assessment development.  There are many useful assessments in the world, but none rival the MBTI in the scope of information it provides about personalities and the way they interact with each other.

CPP, Inc. Has Brought MBTI to the Forefront in Organizations

CPP, Inc., which obtained the rights to MBTI in 1975, has helped make MBTI one of the most widely recognized acronyms in the United States.  Most people in organizations have some idea of what MBTI is. 

CPP, Inc. has promoted the assessment and made it consistently available across the US and globally.   They have been the keepers of the original vision of Myers and Briggs in that they have continually researched and improved the assessment.  The addition of MBTI Step II is a monumental advance in the value of MBTI.

Charting the New Era for MBTI

CPP, Inc. has begun working toward creating a new era for MBTI.  Here are some of the main advances:

1.  New Products.  CPP, Inc. has developed important new products such as the MBTI Step II and the new MBTI Complete.  They have continued to improved the assessment and continue its validation.  They have acquired complementary assessments such as the FIRO-B, the CPI 260 and the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. 

2.  SkillsOne.  The SkillsOne website is enormously useful to vendors such as our company, The Delta Associates.  Our clients can complete the assessment online, we can purchase assessments within moments, our clients can complete them at any hour of the day or night, and we can return the assessments by email.  The SkillsOne website has been improved over many years and is easy to use and navigate. 

3.  Skilled Customer Service.  Customer service is now at the top level.  It is easy to access customer service people at the home office and the sales reps in the field are true collaborators.

Next Steps to Making the MBTI the Acknowledged Premier Personality Assessment

Having cited just a few of the main advances in the use and promotion of MBTI, there is much that needs to be done.  Here are a few of the most important issues:

Creating More Demand for MBTI.  I don't have information from CPP, Inc. about how many MBTIs are sold each year, but I am convinced there is more potential in our area.   MBTI can be presented in the same organization for decades if you know what people problems the organization is having.  Then it's a matter of MBTI applications. 

We need to offer courses to MBTI practitioners far beyond the basic qualifying courses.  The MBTI Club can help practitioners learn applications that they can use with their client organizations for years.

A Creative Relationship with CPP and Its Vendors.  We hope that CPP at the national level will collaborate with their customers in creating more demand and more settings for MBTI.  Too many people spend a great deal of energy qualifying to teach MBTI only to use it very little.  CPP can help develop its customers to use its products by interacting with them and teaching them.

Create MBTI User Communities.  Today everything is about social networking.  Those who value MBTI want to identify with a community where they can share with other people.  This is a central mission of the MBTI Club.  Our goal is to connect people who use MBTI.

MBTI is one of the greatest tools in the world, and it is underutilized.  It is put on a level with  assessments that have no statistical validity or reliability, when it has no true competitors.   Some of the relationship tools such as the assessment on E-Harmony offer dangerous advice to people.  They want to help you find your soul mate.  What the world needs today is the MBTI, which enables people, through understanding, to become soul mates.