At first, I thought the concept of organisations having a personality was part of what I understood as an element of branding. But what Fiona Coffey was talking about last night was organisational personality as assessed using Myers Briggs principles. (I am still recovering from applying a Myers Briggs analysis of my blog which revealed by blog-style to be INTJ – defined as a Scientist !!!).
Fiona Coffey
What Fiona was recommending was that interims and management consultants should consider what an organisation’s personality style could be to understand what sort of approach or techiques could work. A crude summary of her thinking/analysis is that the four styles of Myers Briggs applies:
Energy:Extrovert/Introvert Extrovert organisations could be characterised as looking for answers “out there” or external to the oganisation. Introverted organisations are more inward looking and expect to find solutions “in the family”
Information gathering: Sensing/Intuitive Sensing organisations are more comfortable with incremental change and may focus first on changing structures. Intuitive organisations are more ready to embrace transformational change and consider changing values.
Decision Making: Thinking/Feeling A ‘thinking’ organisation considers it important to “do the right thing” whereas a ‘feeling’ organisation is comfortable seeking harmony and consensus as “working well together”.
Operating Styles: Judging/Perceiving A ‘judging’ organisation wants to “cut to the chase” whereas a ‘perceiving organisation’ doesnt want to miss an opportunity.
Her advice to fellow interim/consultants was:
- to consider the organisational personality and dont seek to fight it!
- be respectful of the organisational personality and consider how to match your approach to deliver results
- know our own working styles and personality type and how to use them to influence the organisation
- engage in reflective practice: consider the bigger picture as well as focusing on delivery of objectives.
I found the approach interesting and worth considering. The talk was organised by Gatenby Sanderson who provide permanent and interim candidates, principally in the public sector. They will be putting a video of Fiona’s talk onto their website in the near future.
Networking opportunities for interims are really useful to meet people engaged in similar work, and to mingle with the agency team too. Not all providers do this kind of approach – so well done to the ‘GS’ team!
0 Responses to “Organisational Personality”