Type in Organizations

ʻʻActivity Patternsʼʼ Grouping of Preferences

This popular grouping of preferences can be found in many organizations. This unusual pattern combines Sensing with Judging or Perceiving (SJ or SP), and Intuition with Feeling or Thinking (NF or NT). As you put type to practical use, you may find it helpful to look for your particular pattern in the chart below.

This grouping of preferences is based primarily on observable clusters of behavior, which may be seen as "activity patterns."

sj Sensing - Judging
Leadership style
  • Traditionalist, stabilizer, consolidator
Work style
  • Have a sense of duty, responsibility, loyalty, and industry
To do best work, they need
  • Knowledge of the goal and what they’re supposed to do to get there
 Learning style
  • Step-by-step, with preparation for current and future utility
Want others to see them as
  • Hardworking and reliable
Acknowledged for contributing
  • Administrative expertise, timely output
 Want to be known for their
  • Dependability
Can get in trouble by being
  • Too bureaucratic
sj Sensing - Judging
Leadership style
  • Traditionalist, stabilizer, consolidator
Work style
  • Have a sense of duty, responsibility, loyalty, and industry
To do best work, they need
  • Knowledge of the goal and what they’re supposed to do to get there
 Learning style
  • Step-by-step, with preparation for current and future utility
Want others to see them as
  • Hardworking and reliable
Acknowledged for contributing
  • Administrative expertise, timely output
 Want to be known for their
  • Dependability
Can get in trouble by being
  • Too bureaucratic
sp Sensing - Perceiving
Leadership style
  • Troubleshooter, negotiator, firefighter
Work style
  • Act with cleverness and timelessness
To do best work, they need
  • Freedom to do things as they see fit
 Learning style
  • Active involvement to meet current needs
Want others to see them as
  • Resourceful and risk taking
Acknowledged for contributing
  • Expeditious handling of the out-of-the ordinary and the unexpected
 Want to be known for their
  • Spontaneity that includes a spirit of play
Can get in trouble by being
  • Too expedient
nf Intuition - Feeling
Leadership style
  • Catalyst, spokesperson, energizer
Work style
  • Persuade people about values and inspirations
To do best work, they need
  • Personal meaning and congruence with who they are
 Learning style
  • Personalized and imaginative ways of self-awareness
Want others to see them as
  • Authentic and inclusive
Acknowledged for contributing
  • Something unique or a special vision of possibilities
 Want to be known for their
  • Ability to inspire others
Can get in trouble by being
  • Too idealistic
nt Intuition - Thinking
Leadership style
  • Visionary, architect of systems, builder
Work style
  • Add ingenuity and logic to ideas and actions
To do best work, they need
  • Intriguing models to challenge their imagination
 Learning style
  • Impersonal and analytical process for personal mastery
Want others to see them as
  • Competent and logical
Acknowledged for contributing
  • Strategic analysis of complex issues
 Want to be known for their
  • Expertise
Can get in trouble by being
  • Too competitive