The Storm is Coming, a presentation on managing group conflict using the MBTI. Presented at the 2010 Student Leadership Conference at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, at the 2010 Florida NPHC Conference, and at 2011 NACA Northern Plains

1. The Storm Is Coming
Managing Group Conflict

2. Intro Activity: I Represent Conflict
Imagine that I represent conflict. Think about
how you usually react when you experience a
conflict personally or witness a conflict
happening nearby. Then place yourself, in
relation to me, somewhere in the room in a
way that indicates your first response to
conflict or disagreement. Think about your
body position, the direction that you're facing,
and the distance from conflict.

3. Tuckman’s Theory of Group
Development
 Five Stages of Group Development
 Orientation (forming): members become familiar with
each other and the group; a leader is accepted
 Conflict (storming): members start to disagree;
dissatisfaction and tension emerges among members
 Structure (norming): cohesiveness and unity begins to
grow; trust and communication improve
 Work (performing): high task orientation develops;
goals are worked toward as an emphasis is placed on
performance and production
 Dissolution (adjournment): roles are terminated as
tasks are completed

4. Understanding Types: One Way to
Overcome Conflict
 One of the best ways to understand a group is
to look at its individual members.
 An easy way to determine what “type” of
person you are is through the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator

5. Benefits of the MBTI to Teams
 The MBTI specifically helps team members by:
 reducing unproductive work.
 identifying areas of strength and possible areas of
weakness for team members.
 helping to match specific task assignments with team
members according to their MBTI preferences.
 helping to improve communications among team
members.
 helping individuals understand how different
perspectives and methods can lead to useful and
effective problem solving.

6. Hello My Name Is:
Because the MBTI looks at 4 parts of your
personality, there are 4 spaces on each nametag.
As we discuss each dimension, write the letter that
you feel best describes you in the proper space on
your nametag.

7. Yes or No:
•You enjoy having a wide circle of acquaintances.
•The more people with whom you speak, the better
you feel.
•You like to be engaged in an active and fast-paced
job.
•You find it easy to share space with others.
•When solving a problem, you like to talk to others
or look at many sources for information.
Extraversion/Introversion

8. Extraversion/Introversion
If YES, then Extrovert If NO, then Introvert
 Act first, think/reflect later  Think/reflect first, then Act
 Feel deprived when cutoff  Regularly require an amount
from interaction with the of "private time" to recharge
outside world batteries
 Usually open to and  Motivated internally, mind is
motivated by outside world sometimes so active it is
of people and things "closed" to outside world
 Enjoy wide variety and  Prefer one-to-one
change in people communication and
relationships relationships

9. Yes or No:
•You are less interested in a general idea, than in the details
of its realization.
•You are more inclined to follow familiar approaches than to
experiment with new ones.
•You see a problems as “several hurdles”, rather than as “a
mountain”.
•When buying clothes, do you try them on before you buy
them?
•When you receive a grade, you think more about what you
could have done better, than how to improve for next time.
Sensing/Intuition

10. Sensing/iNtuition
If YES, then Sensing If NO, then iNtuitive
 Mentally live in the Now, attending to  Mentally live in the Future, attending
present opportunities to future possibilities
 Using common sense and creating  Using imagination and
practical solutions is automatic- creating/inventing new possibilities is
instinctual automatic-instinctual
 Memory recall is rich in detail of facts  Memory recall emphasizes patterns,
and past events contexts, and connections
 Best improvise from past experience  Best improvise from theoretical
understanding
 Like clear and concrete information;
dislike guessing when facts are  Comfortable with ambiguous, fuzzy
"fuzzy" data and with guessing its meaning.

11. Yes or No:
• You are almost never late to appointments, or for
class.
•You tend to be unbiased even if this might
endanger your good relations with people.
•You trust reason rather than feelings.
•Strong emotions don’t really affect you.
•You are consistent in your habits.
Thinking/Feeling

12. Thinking/Feeling
If YES, then Thinking If NO, then Feeling
 Instinctively search for facts and  Instinctively employ personal
logic in a decision situation. feelings and impact on people in
decision situations
 Naturally notices tasks and work
 Naturally sensitive to people
to be accomplished. needs and reactions.
 Easily able to provide an  Naturally seek consensus and
objective and critical analysis. popular opinions.
 Accept conflict as a natural,  Unsettled by conflict; have
normal part of relationships with almost a toxic reaction to
people. disharmony.

13. Yes or No:
•It is in your nature to assume responsibility.
•You prefer to think about various options rather
than act immediately.
•You usually plan your actions in advance.
•You do your best to complete a task on time.
•A thirst for adventure is not something you feel
very often.
Judging/Perceiving

14. Judging/Perceiving
If YES, then Judging If NO, then Perceiving
 Plan many of the details in  Comfortable moving into action
advance before moving into without a plan; plan on-the-go.
action.
 Like to multitask, have variety,
 Focus on task-related action; mix work and play.
complete meaningful segments
before moving on.
 Naturally tolerant of time
pressure; work best close to the
 Work best and avoid stress when deadlines.
able to keep ahead of deadlines.
 Naturally use targets, dates and  Instinctively avoid commitments
standard routines to manage life. which interfere with flexibility,
freedom and variety

16. Activity: Opposites Interact
 Pick one of the areas that you feel is the
biggest part of your personality.
 Find a partner who has the opposite letter
from you in that area.
 Discuss the following scenario, using the
questions provided.
 Also talk about what you need from team
members to do your best work, based on these
parts of your personality.

17. Activity: Opposites Interact
It is September. You have a group project to work
on that is due in early November, that counts for
40% of your grade. Some people in the group want
to get together as soon as possible to work out a
plan to break up the project, but others think it’s
way to early to worry, saying they do their best
work “under pressure.” You know that the project
is worth a big part of your grade, and want to
make sure that you do well.
 If this was your group, which side would you be on?
 How do you like to approach group work?
 How do you work with other people in a group setting?

18. What Would You Do Now?
 What kinds of problems have you had with
members of groups (sports teams,
schoolwork groups, student organizations,
etc.) before?
 Based on what we’ve discussed, how would
you approach those situations to make them
go more smoothly?

19. Questions? Comments?

20. References
Evans, N.J., Forney, D.S., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998)
Student development in college: theory, research,
and practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
“Personality Test Based on Jung and Briggs Myers
Typology” (2010). Retrieved 2 Oct 2010 from
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-
win/JTypes2.asp
Watson, Candace (2010). Understanding yourself
and others. Tampa: USF Continuing Education.