To think work personality tests f*** you up

[managerofchaos]

Just that really I was quite oblivious to what a weirdo I am until a few years ago I had to do a Myers Briggs thing - turns out I'm I N T J
So others apparently regard me as odd, I was blissfully unaware of this until then. However luckily for me I was old enough for it not to have a huge impact on how I feel about myself - although I can't deny it does ring true in many ways.
But now my lovely son in his first adult job post degree has had to do a similar test where he has turned out to be " blue"
He has to try and be more "red" or he won't progress in life !? That's what he has taken from it.
What do others think?
Should we all be confronted with our positives and deficits?
Are they true?
Can you overcome this once you've been intensely and expensively evaluated it there any way to change?

They're all psuedoscience bullshit, especially Myers-Brigg.

However, I suppose there is some value in the attention they draw to the fact that everyone is different, and different people can bring different things to the table, which are all necessary.

Anyone who believes they measure anything other than how you felt on that particular day has, I'm afraid, been suckered in. Certainly noone should be making life choices off the back of them, any more than they should be making them based on their Sunday horoscope.

To be honest Myers Briggs is just astrology for wankers, those tests and all in their ilk are based on junk science and eventually you learn how to give the “right” answers on them.

Yeah I don't think you can take them that seriously.

Incidentally I am apparently an INTJ too, but I was quite pleased.. the type known as 'the mastermind' sounded cool to me. I'm not sure it means people regard you as odd.

I think blue means analytical. It's unusual for people to say you have to be red to get ahead, red means driver but the point is every type has its plus points. The point of doing it is so that you can understand that everyone isn't the same and people can behave differently/have different need because of their natural style.

I think the biggest indicator of whether or not you will get ahead is your level of versatility or the ability to flex styles based on situation.

I've done the blue-green-red one. It's not supposed to be as prescriptive as the MB so he shouldn't have been told that.

I think they can be a useful tool when analysing your own reactions or understanding others, but shouldn't be taken too much to heart.

Just looked on their website and it looks like made up nonsense.... I couldn’t find where to take the test cos it says something like ‘apply yourself to the instrument here’ 🙄 then I didn’t do the test anyway cos it costs £50.

I also don’t believe all the billions of people in the world are all one of only 16 personality types.

Myers Briggs is pretty old hat. I must have done at least 3 other personality tests since MB which were supposed to be the next big insightful thing. Nothing registered, which I assume is also the case for my colleagues that I am supposed to be using those tests to work with.

Is it the triangle test? You're not meant to be any colour. The point is to recognise that some people like to communicate in one way and some in another and adapt your communication style.

Hello from a Blue INTP Owl who has done pretty well for herself, and it fairly well-rounded

You’re right not to overthink it. The value of something like MBTI is that it shows you have to interact with other personality types, it doesn’t define you.

(Though I have found it very useful on understanding how to use my tendency to procrastinate to my advantage).

I remember going for a job and being told my results on one were very unusual. I pretty much had to explain myself in order to be offered the role.
I was diagnosed with a personality disorder a few years later

INFJ, Belbin completer-finisher. That’s me.

If you want me, I’ll be procrastinating alone in the corner.

That colours training is such a load of crap. Everyone in my work thought their profile matched them so well. I'm apparently green on the surface, but yellow represents my true self. Oh, and I have quite a lot of blue, but I push it down because I wish to appear scatty and disorganised and like I'm a complete disaster. Ummmm, no. I just have bloody ADHD.

Although I agree with sentiments above that you shouldn't put too much stock in things, I also came out with an INTJ (and i have done the test 4 times now, always with an INTJ) and it made me recognise my flaws and appreciate my 'plus' points.
While it may not have much meaning to anyone else, having my flaws summed up on paper and how they might upset others has helped me try and recognise my flaws in real life and minimise the impact on others. And it made me appreciate that whilst my 'plus' points might not be to everyone's taste, they do serve a purpose and do make me happy, despite not being the most appealing strengths to anyone else.
They are a good lesson in being self-aware, if nothing else!

The world needs people who see things in an alternative way with differing skill sets I don’t want to live in a place with homogenised and compartmentalised humans thanks very much! I wouldn’t give it more life credence than a BBE of date on food, treat it as perhaps a guideline indicator of a very small instant of time, mood, attitude and experience to date. I kinda want to finish with a joke like “of course I would think that I’m a Capricorn” - but other’s sometimes are protected by a sarcasm forcefield. I have done several of these, but I also had a boss who paid for, I shit you not, full astrological birth charts for key players in the office. Full disclosure - not a Capricorn obvs! Doesn’t test whole life skills either - don’t limit/restrict yourself to fit in the lines !

Yep I've done ok really am currently in call for a huge organisation over the weekend for example BUT it has made me feel slightly differently about myself and about how others see me - we had to do some group exercises whee I was the extreme example of my type but that's ok I'm a middle aged woman
It's more about my son he was quite happy and pleased about his job but now worried there's too many "blues in his team. Only reds get on and all managers are reds.
Try telling a 21 year old in their first adult job that these things are not set in stone - its really knocked his confidence

With so many of these psychometric tests it's not really the 'result' that matters but what you choose to do with it.

Whatever the outcome there are generally positives and negatives associated with each 'type'. A 'Blue' may be analytical, good at seeing the detail and have a tendency towards more academic learning which are all positive behaviours. They may be less good at building relationships with others, getting stuff done quickly or being creative. All of that is fine - it gives positive traits and also areas where development may be useful.

I get very cross with suggestions that there are 'good' or 'bad' results - it's more important to recognise one's own preferred style, consider where it may be helpful to be able to 'flex' one's style and also consider roles or working environments that play to one's strengths.

@managerofchaos Feel free to PM me if you know which 'test' your DS has completed. Depending on which one it was I may be able to help explain a bit more.

I wouldn't take it too seriously op

Anyone who finds this kind of corporate pseudopsychology bollocks remotely convincing has more problems than being an INTJ or Blue.

Myers Briggs merely tells you how you see yourself. Same for all other tests which have a long list of questions all basically saying "what do you think you're like?" That's why you have that "gosh, that's exactly like me!" feeling afterwards.

knowing my MB type really helped me, now i am conscious of aspects of my personality which hold me back. I always type the same way, and the write up is so perfectly me. People say you can identify with all of them, but I certainly don't!

No one's under any obligation to listen though, if your son is happy how he is, crack on!

I actually like certain personality tests, and think having an insight into yours can be really beneficial. Obviously some are better than others, and I haven't heard of this red/blue one but it sounds bit vague and innapplicable compared to something like VIA character strengths, which is recommended by psychologists for self-development

I'm an INF J too. (waves). I've always felt a bit different and even my (extrovert) DSis said to me when we were younger, something like "You are different... people don't get you and so they don't like you. There's nothing wrong with you but there's something about you that people just don't get". (thanks Dsis).

As I've got older I've learned to either deal with, improve or accept some of my personality points and so I feel a lot more comfortable with myself.

Make the most of your amazing perception which you're bound to have it's a gift. It's hard to realise that actually not everyone has that perception, so something so utterly obvious about someone to you (and me) will seem utterly odd or inconceivable to other people. However, as you know, we are so often if not always proved right in the end. We are aware of the potential of people, both good and bad, even if it seems far from what the crowd thinks.

Medics tend to be blue. Red is quite cutthroat so not an aim. A bit of green would be good so a
People person. But blue is methodical
And mathematical
And gets job done 😀

Istj i do just fine 😂