A631.8.4.RB_DiazBrian

I have never taken a Myers-Briggs personality type test before.  I was very interested to discover my personality type (according to this test).  I do recall taking a personality test in the past to determine what career path might best suit me but I can't recall whether it was a Myers-Briggs test or not.  In any event the Myers-Briggs test I took indicated that I am a ISTJ type.  ISTJ stands for introverted, sensing, thinking and judgment.  The exact results of my test can be seen at http://www.humanmetrics.com/hr/JTypesResult.aspx

So what is an ISTJ type?  From what I read and researched, an ISTJ type is exhibits the following traits:

• Deals with things rationally and logically.
• Quiet and reserved.
• Organized, methodical, dependable, and has a sense of duty.
• Generally serious but has an offbeat sense of humor and is a lot of fun.
• Faithful and loyal.
• Not naturally in tune with their own feelings and the feelings of others.

I would like to address these attributes.  I would definitely consider myself to be rational and logical.  This would describe me very well.  This hasn't always been the case.  As a youth I did not give much consideration to the decisions I made.  I was the exact opposite of rational and logical.  I was more of the fly by the seat of my pants, do anything without regard to the consequences, and live for the moment type.  In retrospect I was reckless, selfish, and irresponsible.  But with time you learn from your experiences, use them to grow from.  I did a lot of stupid things into my 20's that I knew I shouldn't be doing but I did them anyway.  That was before I decided to grow up, before I got married, and before I had my son.  As a kid one of my favorite TV shows was Star Trek (the original).   The easiest way for me to sum up who I once was to who I am now would be to say I used to be Kirk but I am now Spock.  Kirk was fearless, rash, and unorthodox whereas Spock was logical, without emotion (which I will touch upon further) , and relied heavily on facts to make decisions.

My ISTJ type describes me as quiet and reserved.  I would agree and disagree with this observation.  I feel like there are 2 Brian's.  The one people see and know in my professional life and the person I am amongst my close friends and family.  At work I am absolutely quiet and reserved.  I am self-aware that I behave in this manner.  If you didn't see me walking by your desk or in the break room, you might not even know I was there.  However around my friends and family I am the complete opposite.  I enjoy being in social (non-work) settings and enjoy talking to people and having fun.  In high school I was runner up for class clown.  I always enjoyed making people laugh.  But how do my colleagues perceive me?  It's funny but I was able to get some feedback not too long ago.  Recently my department had a function at our Director's home on a Friday evening.  We were able to bring our spouses and it was intended to be an informal chance for us to have some drinks and let loose, and have fun.  My wife and I had a sitter and were only went for about 2 hours.  When my wife and I left she commented that "I never thought we were gonna be able to leave because everyone wanted to talk to you."  She mentioned how everyone she met had really nice things to say about me as a co-worker.  She joked, "How did you fool them all!"  I got a good laugh out of that.  But it was nice to know my colleagues enjoy me as a team member and like having me around.

Faithful and loyal.  Without a doubt this describes the person I have become.  I want to be relied upon whether it be by my organization, my classmates, or my friends.  I will do everything in my power to help others and do what I can if someone is in need.  I think these qualities can be attributed to my parents.  My parents have been married for over 40 years.  The example they set for me is part of why I am who I am today.  When all of my childhood friends' parents were getting divorced one by one, I saw the emotional effect it had on them.  My family was one of the few I know that didn't have to go through that experience and for that I am thankful.  It has translated into who I am and where my values are rooted from.  I think these qualities will serve any organization I choose to be part of well.  The future is unknown but for now I love the place that I'm in and will give my organization 110% of myself.  It is who I am.

In high school I dated the same girl for 4 years.  We were very much in love and everyone figured we would get married after school.  But that scared the hell out of me because at 18 what did I know?  I hadn't experienced anything.  I hadn't been anywhere, hadn't done anything.  Long story short I broke up with her and broke her heart.  I then began to date another girl on and off for about 7 years and the relationship was toxic to say the least.  We were gasoline and fire together and we were crazy about one another.  We loved each other then hated each other then loved each other again and again.  This relationship left me very guarded with my feelings in future relationships.  By the time I met my wife I had a real issue with being open about my feelings.  She would say that I had this wall up and wouldn't let her in.  She was right.  It was a protection mechanism I built based on an experience that had nothing to do with her.  I was living in the past.  Luckily for me she chipped away at that wall and I (through a lot of soul searching) was able to express genuine feelings again.  The ISTJ type pegged me again when it said I was not in tune with my feelings and the feelings of others.

But how will I use this information to move forward as a leader in my own right?  I gave this question some though and I realized, that if I use this test, and were to take it on an annual basis, I could map my progression of who I am now and who I can become.  One thing I learned about the ISTJ personality was  that "Due to their straightforward approach, ISTJs may encounter difficulties when it becomes necessary to comprehend a competing theory or idea."  Retrieved from http://www.16personalities.com/istj-personality
I don't necessarily want that to define me and I find the statement to be true of my current state.  However I want to be able to change that aspect of my current personality so I think it is good to be aware of what I perceive as areas for growth opportunity.  The Myers-Briggs personality tests will be a good measure of how I progress and will give me an opportunity to work on areas I might not be aware that could use some change.