Every time I’ve done a Myers-Briggs test I come out as ENFP (Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Prospecting) and the accompanying analysis always rings really true. I have also done the colour one (not sure what it’s called?) and I was a Yellow predominantly, followed by red, green and finally blue. I know that I have really strong relational, influencing and horizon scanning skills and I’m also a creative problem solver. My key issue is that I’m rubbish at then following through with the business as usual once the initial excitement of a new project or initiative has worn off.
I work in public sector corporate governance, which on the face of it is a ridiculous job for someone like me who is so allergic to detail, process and routine, but has actually worked reasonably well as (a) I add value in terms of leadership/people development, networking and creativity which are skills which are sometimes less common in this field and (b) I see governance through a people lens, and people engagement and buy-in is something that is often overlooked but sorely needed for governance frameworks to work effectively. I have also always enjoyed working at the ‘centre’ of an organisation and can satisfy my natural curiosity by getting a high-level overview of everything that’s going on, eg by being in Board meetings, working closely with CEO and Chair etc.
However, there is also by necessity a fair bit of routine and process and I really struggle with this – I can force myself to do it, but I find it incredibly draining and lose all motivation. Predictably, every couple of years I get itchy feet and start to think about what it is I ‘should’ be doing with my life and what sort of job would allow me to be ‘my most authentic self’ (sorry!).
So I’m really interested to know, what do others who are an ENFP or Yellow personality type do for a living? And/or how do you navigate the world of work if you struggle with detail, routine and process? I feel like I see quite a lot of threads about the opposite personality type fitting in and struggling with office culture etc, but not so much about those of us who find it hard to deal with everything now being via MS Teams and the consequent reduction in opportunities for networking, soft intelligence gathering and collaboration!