Does it matter? As many professional marketers, I am well versed in market segmentation and target marketing. Marketers and political analysts know that certain demographics predict likelihood to purchase certain types of products or vote for certain candidates. Remember YUPPIES (Young Urban Professionals) or DINKS (Dual Income No Kids)?
Some common categories include:
- Republican or Democrat
- Male or Female
- Race or Ethnic Background
- Homeowner or Renter
- Veteran vs Non-veteran
- Religious Affiliation
- Heterosexual vs Homosexual
- Pregnant vs not pregnant
- Parent vs non parent …to name just a few
In fact, figuring out a target market for a product is perhaps the single most important thing a marketer can do. It allows a focus of resources such as time, energy and money. A shotgun approach to marketing is a recipe for disaster. I would argue that the same is true for navigating personal and professional relationships.
Myers-Briggs is a personality shorthand. But unlike astrology which is based on arbitrary birth dates, Myers-Briggs is a self-assessment. In other words, people tell you who they are. And it goes a level deeper than surface level distinctions such as race, gender or political party. Whether people are in touch with who they are is another topic.
Amazon discovered that knowing the books people read is predictive of other products a person might like to buy. They have converted that and other insights into one of the world’s most valuable businesses. The movie ‘MoneyBall” documented how Billy Beane used player stats (batting and getting on base behavior patterns) to put together a competitive team on a budget.
A few years ago Adam Grant, a noted Wharton professor, criticized Myers-Briggs. He noted that some people surveyed differently from one “test” to another. With due respect to Professor Grant, I believe he missed the point. Social science, by its very nature, is imperfect. Fluidity happens just like a player’s batting averages fluctuate. Some people have strong preferences on some things and lesser preferences on others. In today’s world some people are even changing their genders. Today’s personality surveys address this concern by adding percentage preferences.
Are assessments like MBTI perfect? No. Can such knowledge be abused by self and others? Yes. Is it still a valuable tool in helping people understand themselves and others? Absolutely!
Like guns, distinctions can be abused. Racial or gender discrimination come to mind. As Martin Luther King once said, we should evaluate people on the “content of their character rather than the color of their skin” and I couldn’t agree more. I believe that Myers-Briggs and other assessment tools, allow us to begin to see a person on a deeper level and appreciate personality diversity even more.
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