Do you know who you are? MBTI

One of the things which mentoring can do is to highlight your personality and personal style and preferences.

I use Myers Briggs (MBTI) to talk about preferences but there are other types of personality test available.

MBTI is one of the most widely used psychometric tests available but why is it important to know more about yourself?

1. If you know more about yourself you can understand why you behave in certain ways. Why do you prefer some quiet space to think about something before coming to a decision? Why do you like working in large groups rather than on your own? Are you a last minute type person or do you like to plan? All of these questions are answered if you know more about yourself.

2. If you know more about yourself you can understand why certain people click with you and others don't. Do some people really annoy you? Do you feel a connection to someone and wonder why? Are there some personalities that are just plain irritating? When it comes to relationships Relate use MBTI to look at why certain things annoy us about other people.

3. If you know more about yourself you can sell better to others. Do you find it difficult to sell in certain situations? Are you good on the phone or face to face? What makes you a great sales person? This is also about understanding others. If you know yourself you can adjust to the situation you find yourself in better so in sales you can look at things through the other persons' eyes with more clarity.

4. If you know more about yourself you can lead people better. The best leaders are those with a deep understanding of themselves who understand why they like things done a certain way and how to work with others on a deeper level. If you manage people a lack of insight into your own behaviour can spell failure to connect or build relationships which work.

5. If you know more about yourself you can make better decisions when you hire staff. If you are not a completer finisher then hire someone who is. If you dont like detail hire someone who does and if you are not great at emotions hire someone who is.

Understanding yourself makes all decisions easier and clearer. You will know why you do things your way and what can annoy others about your own leadership style or behaviour. You can surround yourself with people who make a great team and you can sell better because you can start to understand the real diversity around you.