By Søren "Sean" Holmberg - Owner

How do you make people agile?
Starting the conversation with individuals in teams, to make them embrace being agile.

Understanding individuals is only done by talking to them. But how to start that conversation? Having a conversation piece is key in my work. For this I utilise Myers-Briggs. As said in the previous post about Belbin: These tools are self reporting and that applies especially to Myers-Briggs also known as 16 personalities test. Again: Yes it is, but as long as you are aware of that and the limitations it poses, then the tool is not without use. Because if your team member trust you, they will report openly about themselves. That is the central conversation starter. And it can indeed open up people. Tatjana, an employee in one of my teams, was laughing when we sat down to talk about the results of her test. “I was so shocked how well it described me.” she said. “So I made my husband do it too, and now we know why we argue so much.” If Myers-Briggs can help a marriage, it can surely help the workplace team too. If we as servant leaders, nurture a culture where people dare to open up, even about personal issues, then we are close to being able to help people change where needed.
So in understanding people, this tool can be the springboard to get under the skin of your team and make them open up, so that you as a leader can make them feel trusted and safe. This way they will be more open to change - in other words, they’ll be more agile, even without squats and push-ups.
Read more on the Myers-Briggs personality type test, click here.