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Type your employer!

arcticangel02

To the top of the world
Joined
Oct 5, 2007
Messages
892
MBTI Type
eNFP
Okay, so, I'm curious about my boss's type. He's around 60, which might change things a little. In any case, he's got quite a few distinctive quirks:

Fairly easy-going, rarely gets upset: for example, I'm perpetually late. I can't help it. Every time I sneak into work, he gives me a glare and says something like, 'Oh, there she is. Just you wait..." and then a moment later is laughing wholeheartedly and waving it off, because "I'm used to it by now. You'd be late to your own funeral, you know!"

Great talker - loves telling you about his experiences and sympathising with what you're going through at the moment. Also very complimentary in general - tends to characterise you with good traits, whether deserved or not ("You're just like her, really hard working!").

An interesting one to try and discuss something with (especially if it's something different to what he's got in mind) - initially he'll put up a fierce, almost angry opposition to what you're saying, (which never fails to make me completely withdraw my suggestion - meep!) and then, moments later, will be all, 'You're right, you're right. I know what you mean. You're not just a pretty face, now are you?' I'm not entirely sure if he's agreeing because he actually does see the wisdom in your idea, or whether it's just something he does. Usually he does seem to consider your advice, though. If it's a longer issue you can usually pull some sort of proper discussion out of him.

His forte is most certainly dealing with customers - he's always talking to them, agreeing with them and telling them that 'Of course, we're getting heaps in next week! See ya later, mate!" However, that causes problems for the staff, because said customer will come back next week and ask us where the aforementioned items are, and there will, in fact, be none coming in at all. ;)

Is generally pretty hopeless behind the counter - always forgets to give out reciepts, gets flustered as soon as something's not how it normally is - struggles to work out how to fix it. (Today he was getting angry at the mouse because it wasn't working properly, and when he complained to me, I had to point out that it was because he was holding it backwards.) Some of this is due to being out of practice (he doesn't work behind the counter a great deal), mind.

Doesn't like being told off in front of the customers. Lol, okay, I probably shouldn't be telling my boss off in the first place, but, well, there you have it. He doesn't mind, and even laughs at his own foibles normally, but around customers he will either respond fiercely in denial, or pretend he's just discovered the reason why it was wrong, which doesn't involve his mistake. "Ohh, I didn't press the wrong button. It just did it automatically! We'd better watch this computer!"

Annoys me a little. :ninja: Okay, so you might have gathered that thus far. ;) Amuses me a lot, too, but yes, a little annoyance. Every now and again he'll ask me to go help this customer that asked him for help, or grab this out of the cupboard for him. And, well, internally I sort of roll my eyes and go and do it. But he notices! And then later apologises, because "you know I'll dig around there for an hour and you know right where they are." And really, I don't mind. Heck, even if I minded, it's not my place to say anything.

Gives off an air of competence - "Oh, yes, I'll take a look at that later. Don't worry about it. Leave it, leave it." This can be a little overzealous when he interrupts our trying to explain the issue by telling us he'll sort it out once he gets home.

And, yeah. Interesting bloke. Type suggestions?
 

Night

Boring old fossil
Joined
Nov 2, 2007
Messages
4,755
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5/8
ENFj.

Sounds like a powerful presence; full of confidence with few pretensions.

Dislikes confrontation, yet unafraid to rattle his fist. Charming, yet studious. Sounds reasonably career-oriented, yet unfeathered by financial accountabilities.

Enjoy 'im. My principal is a godless ENTJ.
 

Mondo

Welcome to Sunnyside
Joined
Mar 1, 2008
Messages
1,992
MBTI Type
EsTP
Enneagram
6w7
I'm going for ESFP. More so Fi than Fe.
However, an extravert
 

Valiant

Courage is immortality
Joined
Jul 7, 2007
Messages
3,895
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
8w7
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
One of my bosses is ISTP and the other one is one unhealthy ENTJ :D
The first one is kind of a know-it-all, calm and direct guy, the latter is a paranoid, stressed out madman with a chip on his shoulder for a motherload of reasons and a troubled marriage/drinking problem :D Luckily enough I don't work directly under him anymore :) He's insane and really mean at times, though I recognize our likeness in many ways, can't stand him though. I've heard somewhere that two ENTJ's can't be in the same room for very long without a fight, and this is probably true :D
 

Sling

New member
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
132
MBTI Type
N358
Sounds like an ENFJ to me. Why don't you give him the MBTI test?
 

arcticangel02

To the top of the world
Joined
Oct 5, 2007
Messages
892
MBTI Type
eNFP
My first thoughts about him were possibly an ESFP, but I can see where the idea of Fe might be coming from. Why would you guys suggest N over S, though?

And giving him the MBTI test... I dunno, it could be awkward. I'm not sure he'd have a terrible amount of patience with it, but I could be mistaken. Also, I probably should be working instead of trying to type my boss. A spare-time activity only. ;)
 

Sling

New member
Joined
Jun 11, 2008
Messages
132
MBTI Type
N358
Im betting on ENFJ with early signs of alzheimers. That was just the first thing that has popped into my head. Realistically he could well be an ESFP.
 

alicia91

New member
Joined
Nov 20, 2007
Messages
671
Sounds JUST like a couple of ESFPs I know. I get along great with this type - I'd love to have a boss like that.

Why would you guys suggest N over S, though?

Wondering the same thing.
 

Geoff

Lallygag Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
5,584
MBTI Type
INXP
It can be really hard to type bosses. For example I have a boss who appears a classic extravert. Apparently he isn't - he acts it because he thinks it is expected by a man in his senior position. The MBTI testing - and he agreed with the results - caught everyone by surprise.
 

alcea rosea

New member
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
3,658
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Few ideas:
ENTP, ESFP or ENFP...??

ESFP is the most likely option.
 

ZiL

New member
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Messages
511
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
567?
I would agree with the others...either ENFJ or ESFP

My former bosses were both the same type...JERK
 

arcticangel02

To the top of the world
Joined
Oct 5, 2007
Messages
892
MBTI Type
eNFP
Damn, those JERK bosses can be a pain!

More seriously, what are some good ways to tell between an ENFJ and ESFP?

Preferably things that an employee might be able to pick up. :p
 

anii

homo-loving sonovagun
Joined
Jul 9, 2007
Messages
901
MBTI Type
infp
Enneagram
9
They took one of my best friends (ENFP) and made her my supervisor. So far so good.

All the rest above her are SJs. Big surprise.
 

JustDave

New member
Joined
Jan 20, 2008
Messages
992
MBTI Type
xNTP
Is generally pretty hopeless behind the counter - always forgets to give out reciepts, gets flustered as soon as something's not how it normally is - struggles to work out how to fix it. (Today he was getting angry at the mouse because it wasn't working properly, and when he complained to me, I had to point out that it was because he was holding it backwards.) Some of this is due to being out of practice (he doesn't work behind the counter a great deal), mind.

Up to that point in your post I had thought he was an ESFP, however my hunch is he is either an ENFJ or ENFP.
 

Jeffster

veteran attention whore
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
6,743
MBTI Type
ESFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx
I believe my boss is an ISTP.

Like their fellow SPs, ISTPs are fundamentally Performers (note the capital 'P' :)), but as Ts their areas of interest tend to be mechanical rather than artistic like those of ISFPs, and unlike most ESPs they do not present an impression of constant activity. On the contrary, they lie dormant, saving their energy until a project or an adventure worthy of their time comes along--and then they launch themselves at it. The apparently frenzied state that inevitably ensues is actually much more controlled than it appears--ISTPs always seem to know what they're doing when it comes to physical or mechanical obstacles--but the whole chain of events presents a confusing and paradoxical picture to an outsider.

This stuff describes him very well, some of that is similar to my personality, but he is good with tools, good with building and fixing things, identifying solutions to certain problems quickly. He also has an explosive temper but comes down as fast as he got worked up. His logic makes sense to him, but none of the rest of us, and he's predictably unpredictable. He likes for solutions to be his idea and not feel like those who work for him are outdoing him, so he'll dismiss an idea one of the GM's gives him, and then later bring it up as if he thought of it and say something like "I can't believe nobody ever thought of this before." :laugh:

Can be fun to be around, and would probably be a cool hunting/fishing friend, but as a boss, he's a little too volatile and scatterbrained to be effective. His job in the company should really be to design and build new locations and not to have anything to do with personnel, but unfortunately he does, and often makes rash decisions without much to go on.
 

comicsgurl

New member
Joined
Jun 20, 2008
Messages
56
MBTI Type
INFJ
I thought ENFJ because of the same reason as JustDave - the receipt issue. Normally Sensors would have the details straight and they wouldn't get flustered with day-to-day detailed things. A Sensor would probably keep abreast of how to do the little tasks, for fear that they might have to help do them someday (!)

But he could be a Sensor with some poor detailed work skills. I'm thinking either ENFJ or ESFJ. J, because when he's in his element he seems to know what to do - and even if he laughs something off he still notices and judges the situation at that particular moment.
 

JustDave

New member
Joined
Jan 20, 2008
Messages
992
MBTI Type
xNTP
I thought ENFJ because of the same reason as JustDave - the receipt issue. Normally Sensors would have the details straight and they wouldn't get flustered with day-to-day detailed things. A Sensor would probably keep abreast of how to do the little tasks, for fear that they might have to help do them someday (!)

But he could be a Sensor with some poor detailed work skills. I'm thinking either ENFJ or ESFJ. J, because when he's in his element he seems to know what to do - and even if he laughs something off he still notices and judges the situation at that particular moment.

The only reason that I think he isn't an ESFJ is if he were then tardiness would anger him. Apparently those Guardians have a punctuality fetish.
 

comicsgurl

New member
Joined
Jun 20, 2008
Messages
56
MBTI Type
INFJ
The only reason that I think he isn't an ESFJ is if he were then tardiness would anger him. Apparently those Guardians have a punctuality fetish.

But he *does* look at her when she's tardy - gives her the evil eye, and such. On the other hand he doesn't follow through with the threat.

Maybe it bugs him but he just doesn't say anything about it - or he's cataloging it for later....
 

vince

New member
Joined
Oct 8, 2007
Messages
320
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
6w
My boss is an ESTJ.
I strongly resent how he thinks he can determine what is normal & what is not. Also, I know he's told people behind close doors how he considers himself wise. Which imho is the absolute last thing a truely wise person would do. It's beyond frustrating to practically have my own shadow as a boss.
 
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