• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

interactionstyles.com

Park

New member
Joined
May 3, 2007
Messages
263
MBTI Type
INTP
Today, I borrowed this leaflet "Introduction to interaction styles", by Linda Berens. I found it interesting because she has divided the 16 MBTI types into 4 interaction styles (Behind-the-Scenes, Get-Things-Going, Chart-the-Course, In-Charge) based on 3 axis.

First axis is our "Communication Style": Directing versus Informing (ways we influence others).
Second axis is our "Roles": Initiating versus Responding (ways to define relationships).
Third axis is our "Attention": Control versus Movement (focus and interest).

Description of the 3 Axis

Communication Style - Directing versus Informing
Directing
Focus on: Task, time.
Intent: Give structure, direct.
Behaviour: Tell, ask, urge. Non-verbally moving forward, define.
Comfort Zone: Comfortable telling people what to do - less comfortable giving information and leaving alone.
Examples: Ask Bob for specific instructions on preparing the report. Ellen, would you call some hotels about dates in August for fifty people for a two-day seminar?
Tendencies: Impatient with emergent process. Often surprised when people resist being told what to do. May be frustrated by lack of clear position.
Tend to act certain that they are right. May be seen as bossy.

Informing
Focus on: Process, motivation.
Intent: Evoke, draw forth, inspire, seek input.
Behaviour: Inform, inquire, explain, describe. Non-verbally flowing, open, eliciting.
Comfort zone: Comfortable giving information only. Less comfortable telling people what to do.
Examples: Bob has some information that might help you with the report. Ellen, do we have information on conference sites for a two-day seminar in August for fifty people?
Tendencies: More patient with emergent processes. Often surprised when information is not acted on. May be offended at being told what to do.
More likely to seem non-commital. May be seen as indecisive.

Roles - Initiating versus Responding
Initiating
Focus on: External world.
Intent: Reach out, interact.
Behaviour: Initiated interactions. Fast pace, active. Extraverting and gregarious.
Comfort zone: Comfortable making the first move in new relationships. Less comfortable with silence.
Examples: Think out loud. Jump right in with comments. Tend to speak and act, then reflect. Easier to get to know.
Tendencies: Inpatient with slow pace. Often surprised when people don't want to talk. May be frustrated by lack of feed back and interaction. May be seen as intrusive.

Responding
Focus on: Internal world.
Intent: Reach in, reflect.
Behaviour: Responds and reflects. Slow pace, patient. Introverting and solitary.
Comfort zone: Less comfortable initiating new relationships. Comfortable with silence.
Examples: Think before commenting. Tend to reflect or try out something, then speak and act. Harder to get to know.
Tendencies: Pressured by fast pace. Often surprised when people think they are angry. May be frustrated by lack of reflection time. May be seen as withholding.

Attention - Control versus Movement
Control
Focus on: Control over the outcome.
Intent: To get a desired result.
Behaviour: Control information flow. Check against the desired outcome. Ensure the result is acheived.
Comfort zone: When they have a measure of control and say so over the outcome.
Examples: I wish they would just listen to me. We need to hold off on that project until we work through the bugs. Let's get it done now!
Tendencies: To get too focused on the outcome and be stubborn about the control.

Movement
Focus on: Movement toward the goal.
Intent: To see progress and action toward the goal.
Behaviour: Create milestones or benchmarks. Check in with the group for progress. Motivate and forge ahead.
Comfort zone: When they are given the project and told to go ahead with it and then things start moving along.
Examples: I wish she'd just let me go ahead with it. Good, we're making progress. Trust the process.
Tendencies: To get too focused on moving forward and rush to act without considering the result.[/SPOILER]

The MBTI types are divided into the 4 interaction styles like this:
Behind-the-Scenes = INFP, ISFJ, INTP, ISFP
Get-Things-Going = ENFP, ESFJ, ENTP, ESFP
Chart-the-Course = INFJ, ISTJ, INTJ, ISTP
In-Charge = ENFJ, ESTJ, ENTJ, ESTP

Description of the 4 Interaction Types
Behind-the-Scenes: INFP, ISFJ, INTP, ISFP
Communication (Ways we Influence Others): Informing
Roles: Responding
Attention, focus, interest: Control.


The theme is getting the best result possible. People of this style focus on understanding and working with the process to create a positive outcome. They see value in many contributions and consult outside inputs to make an informed decision. They aim to integrate various information sources and accommodate differing points of view. They approach others with a quiet, calm style that may not show their strong convictions. Producing, sustaining, defining, and clarifying are all ways they support a group's process. They typically have more patience than most with the time it takes to gain support through consensus for a project or to refine the result.

Keywords:
- Do what it takes to get the best result possible.
- See value in contributions from many people or information sources.
- Support the group's process by allowing for digressions then refocisung on the desired outcome.
- Reconcile many voices in communication of the vision.
- Make consultative decisions, integrating many sources of input.
- Focus on understanding the process to get a high quality outcome.
- Aim to produce the best products and results.
- Support others as they do their work.
- Define specifications to meet standarts and apply principles.
- Clarify values and intentions.

Get-Things-Going: ENFP, ESFJ, ENTP, ESFP
Communication (Ways we Influence Others): Informing
Roles: Initiating.
Attention, focus, interest: Movement.


The theme is persuading and involving others. They thrive in facilitator or catalyst roles and aim to inspire others to move to action, facilitating the process. Their focus is on interaction, often with an expressive style. They Get-Things-Going? with upbeat energy, enthusiasm, or excitement, which can be contagious. Exploring options and possibilities, making preparations, discovering new ideas, and sharing insights are all ways they get people moving along. They want decisions to be participative and enthusiastic, with everyone involved and engaged.

Keywords:
- Get everyone involved participating.
- Move the group to action along their paths.
- Facilitate the group's process to work with people where they are to get them to where they are going.
- Get the energy moving toward an emerging vision.
- Make enthusiastic, collaborative decisions that ensure buy-in.
- Focus on interactions to get more from the group than group members can get induvidually.
- Explore options that keep things moving along.
- Make preparations to make things easy for others.
- Discover new ways of seeing things and doing things.
- Share insights about what something means and what is really going on.


Chart-the-Course: INFJ, ISTJ, INTJ, ISTP
Communication (Ways we Influence Others): Directing.
Roles: Responding
Attention, focus, interest: Movement.


The theme is having a course of action to follow. People of this style focus on knowing what to do and keeping themselves, the group, or the project on track. They prefer to enter a situation having an idea of what is to happen. They identify a process to accomplish a goal and have a somewhat contained tension as they work to create and monitor a plan. The aim is not the plan itself, but to use it as a guide to move things along toward the goal. Their informed and deliberate decisions are based on analyzing, outlining, conceptualizing or foreseeing what needs to be done.

Keywords:
- Have a course of action in mind beforehand.
- Create a plan (or severel workable plans).
- Keep the ground on track, allowing for digressions as long as progress is being made.
- Devise, define, describe, or reveal the way to acheive the vision.
- Make deliberate decisions, checking against an already- thought- out process.
- Focus on giving guidance and illumination so the right decision is made.
- Analyze and figure out what needs to be done.
- Plan agendas for project completion and meetings.
- Conceptialize a desired result and how to get there.
- Foresee how people will respond and plan accordingly.

In-Charge: ENFJ, ESTJ, ENTJ, ESTP
Communication (Ways we Influence Others): Directing
Roles: Initiating
Attention, focus, interest: Control.


The theme is getting things accomplished through people. People of this style are focused on results, often taking action quickly. They often have a driving energy with an intention to lead a group to the goal. They make decisions quickly to keep themselves and others on task, on target, and on time. They hate wasting time and having to back track. Mentoring, executing actions, supervising, and mobilizing resources are all ways they get things accomplished. They notice right away what is not working in a situation and become painfully aware of what needs to be fixed, healed, or corrected.

Keywords:
- Get things accomplished (often through people).
- Take rapid action to get things done and move on to the next project.
- Lead the group to the goal.
- Articulate the vision and create an environment to acheive it.
- Make quick decisions with confidence in what is needed.
- Focus on getting desired results as soon as possible.
- Execute actions, work all the angles, and remove obstacles.
- Supervise others and provide resources.
- Marshal and mibolize the people, and financial and material resources.
- Mentor people, finding talent and burturing the talent to get the job done.
 

Colors

The Destroyer
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
1,276
MBTI Type
ISTP
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
I've seen a lot of members talk about this before, but this is the first full summary of the system I've read. Does she explain why the 4 groups instead of 8? Wouldn't some people fall out of the groups then?

In what arenas do we define the axis(es?)? Are we talking about it a group project sort of environment?

Personally, I think I'm Informing-Initiating-Control (in goal-oriented activity)... which is completely different from Chart-the-Course (the group for ISTP).

For those who're familiar with the system, how does it work for you (does it gel in real life)?
 

edcoaching

New member
Joined
Jun 30, 2008
Messages
752
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
7
Linda developed this as an "answer" to the DISC system for companies that want a quick workshop. So it's 4 groups for quick understanding. I've been part of a couple short presentations she's done for type trainers and the attendees seem to agree with the descriptions.

Chart the course is right on for me. I'm part of a leadership team and everyone on it takes the roles the interaction styles define.
 

Eric B

ⒺⓉⒷ
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
3,621
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
548
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Interaction Styles is just basically another version of temperament. And they actually match the ancient temperaments a little bit better than the Keirseyan (or "conative" as she calls it) model.
Keirsey did have eight variants using "role-directive" and "role-informative". What Berens did is divide those by E and I. This matches the ancient temperaments, which were traditionally measured as introvert or extrovert, and some form of people vs task focus. DiSC, Social Styles and others were basically the ancient temperaments renamed.

The rift between the two models essentially began at Kant, who introduced perception into temperament. From there, Kretschmer expands upon this, and Keirsey adopts Kretschmer's system which is what he easily mapped to MBTI, which featured its perceptive (S/N) as well as judgment functions. But then the perception-based temperaments were different rom the old behavioral ones. What happens is that the two different models are covering two different areas of personality: social skills (interaction) and action (conation). And the perception scale basically twists the old people vs task scale, so that directing/informing do not map onto any one MBTI factor. So it looks as if Keirsey or Berens just made it up (as some critics of the two in MBTI circles will argue). But it really is apart of the old model, and fits awkwardly because of the different frameworks involved. So for Sensors, D/Inf is T/F; while for iNtuitors, it is J/P.
 

LucrativeSid

New member
Joined
Oct 20, 2007
Messages
837
I'm probably about 80% "get things going", and 20% "in charge". The other two styles would bore the crap out of me.
 

rhinosaur

Just a statistic
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
1,464
MBTI Type
INTP
Thank you for posting this.

Why are there no types that are informing-initiating-controlling? *thinks* Shouldn't there be 8 groups? 2^3

I see myself as mostly informing, about midway on initiating/responding (depends on the circumstances), and mostly controlling.
 

cascadeco

New member
Joined
Oct 7, 2007
Messages
9,083
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
9w1
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
After reading the descriptions, I relate most to Informing, Responding, and a combo of Control and Movement (can't decide which one fits best). This lines me up most with Behind the Scenes.

[Interaction styles is one of the main things about myself that doesn't line up with INFJ.]
 

Eric B

ⒺⓉⒷ
Joined
Mar 29, 2008
Messages
3,621
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
548
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Control and Movement are cross-factors pairing opposites. They are a result of basically, "double-mirror image" symmetry. So you can't make it an additional factor to mix with the others. It is a byproduct of the other two factors.

In studying E/I and D/Inf (people/task) matrices (especially the FIRO-based one that deals in terms of "express" and "want"), what I find is that both E/Informing and I/Directing both express what they want, and want what they express. The Get Things Going wants interaction, and thus expresses (initiates) to people, to meet that need. The Chart the Course is task-oriented, and thus does not express to people as much, in order to meet their need. In either case, people or tasks are the "goals", and both styles move toward the goal in their own ways. On the other hand; E/Directing and I/Informing are very "indirect" in that respect. An In Charge is expressive or initiating, yet task-focused rather than people focused. Why do they express to people then? To control, in order to meet whatever their goal is. But what about the opposite Behind the Scenes? Because they are more reserved, but still want interaction from people, they basically have to also control, to gain the interaction, but this will be in an opposite fashion from the In Charge. And this will be in their calm, friendly approach.

Now all of this is dealing with basic social skills, while Berens' focuses more on "goals and outcomes" in team-type settings. Yet I have seen a parallel between this and the "direct/indirect" social behavior I am describing. BtS, according to Berens, will "seek inputs and outputs to get the best result possible", and "hold back" until the result is right or enough input is had. The seeking of input is what they use with others since they are not as expressive upfront. GtG on the other hand is expressive, and aims for the quickest start and checks with people along the way. CtC is also less expressive, and focuses more on planning. They are focused on the task, and do not seek input from others as much.

So if you're Informing and Initiating, then we would expect that you express this to others to attain the goal, and you're Movement-focused. If you were Control focused, then you would either be task-oriented, and focused purely on the outcome and the resources, but then you would tend to be directing. Either that, or you would only need to control because of a lack of initiating, and being responding instead. The term "control" used in this sense can be confusing. If you're GtG, then you might think you're "controlling" because of the expressiveness, but according this this definition, the means used to reach the goal is called "movement".
 

quietgirl

New member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
401
MBTI Type
INFJ
I relate to Chart the Course and then I flip to In Charge when I am put in a leadership position. My mother (ESTP) has a definite In Charge style and perhaps I've learned that style from her.

I used to have a lot of frustration with the Behind the Scenes style, but living with an ISFJ has taught me some sort of patience with it...
 
Top