Type and Teams

INTP

TiNeSFeintp
1 Favorite process INTROVERTED
THINKING
2 Second process EXTRAVERTED
INTUITION
3 Third process SENSING
4 Fourth process EXTRAVERTED
FEELING
INTROVERSION INTUITION THINKING PERCEIVING

Communication

INTPs contribute by:

  • Knowing the subject matter well and acting as a resource
  • Listening carefully and then cutting to the heart of the issue

May irritate team members by:

  • Overintellectualizing a discussion or using very abstract language
  • Appearing to relish the discovery of flaws in others’ proposals

May be irritated by team members who:

  • Present arguments based on sentiment, conventional authority, or popularity
  • Devote too much time to introductory pleasantries or chitchat

Can maximize effectiveness by:

  • Making an effort to state things in clear, concrete terms and checking for understanding
  • Tempering their enthusiasm for critical analysis with consideration of the impact on others

Team Culture

INTPs contribute by:

  • Outlining the principles on which the work is based
  • Fostering a climate that is flexible and unstructured and that allows autonomy

May irritate team members by:

  • Appearing aloof, disinterested, or unsupportive of team goals
  • Sacrificing harmony in favor of accuracy and fairness

May be irritated by team members who:

  • Lack direction, vision, or investment in a project
  • See all activities as requiring group participation

Can maximize effectiveness by:

  • Expressing their passion for, or commitment to, team goals more regularly
  • Realizing that discord can create a sense of injustice

Leadership

INTPs contribute by:

  • Setting ground rules and then working to see that these are honored
  • Rewarding independent thought and self-determination

May irritate team members by:

  • Showing little respect for established roles and hierarchies
  • Expressing impatience with those who demand or practice close supervision

May be irritated by team members who:

  • Expect that their title will be a sufficient credential for leadership
  • Want to regulate the time and effort spent on a project

Can maximize effectiveness by:

  • Recognizing that well-defined roles help people understand their responsibilities
  • Offering and taking the opportunity to check in rather than working completely independently

Change

INTPs contribute by:

  • Analyzing the present situation and laying out a blueprint for change
  • Allowing others to get on with needed changes

May irritate team members by:

  • Being unrealistic about the level of commitment or follow-through needed to enact change
  • Complicating the change process by focusing on inconsistencies and inefficiencies

May be irritated by team members who:

  • Are unwilling to listen to a logical analysis of the need for change
  • Ask that the change be effected by all team members in the same way

Can maximize effectiveness by:

  • Assessing the resources needed before proposing a change
  • Accepting that a completely consistent system or plan is extremely rare

Problem Solving/Conflict Resolution

INTPs contribute by:

  • Providing both critical vision and intellectual insight
  • Raising possibilities so that decisions can be made by majority or consensus

May irritate team members by:

  • Losing interest in a solution at the implementation stage
  • Unknowingly offending others with their drive for a critical analysis

May be irritated by team members who:

  • Are easily hurt or upset by criticism
  • Get off track, are unprepared, or focus on nonessentials

Can maximize effectiveness by:

  • Seeing a course of action through to completion
  • Considering the feelings of others before raising a concern

Stress

INTPs contribute to reducing team stress by:

  • Offering a systematic analysis of a difficult situation
  • Being an objective and dispassionate sounding board

Under stress may irritate team members by:

  • Overreacting to displays of emotion
  • Being insensitive to others’ need for warm and caring support

Under stress may be irritated by team members who:

  • Show strong feelings, especially self-pity
  • Invade their space, fail to respect their need for quiet time

Can maximize effectiveness when under stress by:

  • Using logic to evaluate the reasons for emotional reactions
  • Becoming more comfortable offering concrete support to others