Help!  How Can I Handle
This Situation Using MBTI?

(The First Ever?) Personal Advice Column for
    MBTI Users M

By Carol
Kallendorf, Ph.D.

President, MBTI Club

                                                                                  Executive Team, The Lane Company, Atlanta

The MBTI Club is looking for experiences in which  members and readers face a major challenge where MBTI might help or have successfully applied  MBTI to their work and to the rest of their lives.  Send your questions and experiences to jspeer@delta-associates.com.  If we use your question or experience, we'll send you a free administration of MBTI for a business associate, significant other or family member.

Hello Carol,

I've recently been promoted from individual contributor in procurement to department head.  My MBTI is INFP. 

 When I worked as an individual contributor I received many compliments about my effectiveness, ability to get outcomes and diplomacy in handling customers and team members.  My team members loved me and said  I was "magic."   Our  old team leader never won the confidence and cooperation of the team.  He was remote, disconnected, and when he did get  involved, it made things worse.  The bottom line is that the team was failing--we were over budget, had missed our deadline, and key team players left.

I was "magic" before I got promoted four months ago to head up five teams that form a mini-department.  Now I'm going to have to pull a rabbit out of the hat to make this work.  I was sure I could make the necessary changes to enable the department to be as successful as I had been as an individual contributor.  Now the "word on the street" is that "Nothing has changed.  Same old problems.  No solutions."

I'm in real trouble.  I'm not popular any more because instead of finding resources, I'm telling people we don't have them.  I'm saying "no" all the times I used to say "yes." 

I still have a little credibility left with my old team, which is mostly ISTJs and ESTJs.  What can I do? 

Helen

Hi, Helen,

First of all:  Congratulations on your promotion!  And welcome to the world of getting the same or greater outcomes by working through others, rather than doing it yourself, which requires deploying your gifts in new ways and finding ways to learn--or otherwise tap--the needed expertise that is less natural to you.

A couple thoughts.  You are used to getting great outcomes through your own technical expertise.  To fix what's broken in your department, you will need to take a more systematic approach.  While as an INFP, you are "wired" to look at things from many angles and to question assumptions, you might want to assemble a process improvement team, under your leadership, that taps the gifts of some of those in the department who are more wired to create systems and processes.  You say you have several ISTJs and ESTJs.  They might be good candidates for such a team and could create a great balance to your ability to see multiple options.

You talk about the "word on the street," and I'm wondering how plugged into the information network you personally are.  You may think you are being accessible and have an always-open door, but you may be giving off subtle signals that suggest you won't welcome interruptions.  This transition from star individual contributor to turn-around manager is a time for you to stretch out of your preference of Introversion to actively practice extraverted communication.  Know that you'll need to give yourself down-time in the evenings and on the weekends to recuperate your energies, but your workdays right now require some significant out-of-preference (and therefore exhausting!!) commitment.

You also noted not being as "popular" these days, because you more often have to say no than yes.  As a Feeler, it may be easier than you think for others to manipulate you by withdrawing their affection.  Sometimes it is entirely unintended, but it still hurts.  The more you can satisfy your needs for friendship and "popularity" outside of your department, the less susceptible you will be on this front.

And, my friend, INFPs can demand near perfection of themselves .  .  . so you may be doing a better job than you give yourself credit for!

Above all, stay in the game.  You're stretching yourself to new achievements and that's a good thing.

Best,

Carol