I am an INTP in the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: quiet, thoughtful, analytical individuals who are very curious about systems and how things work, and are frequently found in careers such as science, architecture and law.

I used MBTI to understand team dynamics and package information for presentations & decision making situations.

• There are some very strong tensions between certain types, and by either keeping people of these types separate or by placing a "lubricant" type between them, groups perform better (in my professional experience).
• Sensing types require information in a different way than iNtuiting types. This difference is crucial when giving presentations. I found it extraordinarily powerful to understand the type of the person I am talking to. It allowed for the packaging of information either in detailed, number-oriented ways for the S, or in pictures and open-sky thinking for the N. Sounds trite, it does work.
• The SNTF structure for presentations is another powerful use of MBTI.
  • "S": I start with an account of the perceived reality (the Genchi Genbutsu part of the Toyota Production System). This gets the Ss in the room geared into the topic of the discussion, and might yield some interesting tidbits for the Ns.
  • "N": Then I go on to the "What does this mean" part, where I pull the details together to a general model of reality. The Ns are getting excited, and the Ss are trying to make the new model work in their old thinking. When not entirely based on facts, this part can sink the presentations, especially when there is an ESTJ in the room.
  • "T": Now is is time for the strategy and decisions. Based on the model, I can develop an appropriate strategy that will deal with the facts best. The Ts in the rooom are starting to think. The Fs are usually worried about their people.
  • "F": This worry needs to be dispelled before the meeting is over, or a seed of resistance is planted. In the last part, I usually talk about the people impact and the way change management has to be employed. The Ts are no longer listening, caught in their own planning, but the Fs are relieved that somebody thought about how to get the troops aligned.

A really important part of MBTI is the statistical distribution of types. The table on the left is published in Wikipedia and shows some stunning differences in the distribution. I am an INTP, which if all types were distributed equally, should appear roughly in 6.25% of the population. It actually only occurs in half of that. There are types that are even rarer, like the INFJ.

This distribution causes a lot of interesting behavior. SJs are by far the most dominant cluster, with more than 46% of the population, though they should only be 25%. This explains to me the inertia that most companies are faced with, where the work force does not want to implement change or even contemplate its need.

Here is a short writeup about me as an INTP from Personalitypage.com:

"INTPs generally have the following traits:

• Love theory and abstract ideas
• Truth Seekers - they want to understand things by analyzing underlying principles and structures
• Value knowledge and competence above all else
• Have very high standards for performance, which they apply to themselves
• Independent and original, possibly eccentric
• Work best alone, and value autonomy
• Have no desire to lead or follow
• Dislike mundane detail
• Not particularly interested in the practical application of their work
• Creative and insightful
• Future-oriented
• Usually brilliant and ingenius
• Trust their own insights and opinions above others
• Live primarily inside their own minds, and may appear to be detached and uninvolved with other people

INTPs have a special gift with generating and analyzing theories and possibilities to prove or disprove them. They have a great deal of insight and are creative thinkers, which allows them to quickly grasp complex abstract thoughts. They also have exceptional logical and rational reasoning skills, which allows them to thoroughly analyze theories to discover the Truth about them. Since the INTP is driven to seek clarity in the world, we have a happy match of desire and ability in this personality type. INTPs will be happiest in careers which allow them a great deal of autonomy in which they can work primarily alone on developing and analyzing complex theories and abstractions, with the goal of their work being the discovery of a truth, rather than the discovery of a practical application.

The following list of professions is built on our impressions of careers which would be especially suitable for an INTP. It is meant to be a starting place, rather than an exhaustive list. There are no guarantees that any or all of the careers listed here would be appropriate for you, or that your best career match is among those listed.

Possible Career Paths for the INTP:

• Scientists - especially Physics, Chemistry
• Photographers
• Strategic Planners
• Mathematicians
• University Professors
• Computer Programmers, Systems Analysts, Computer Animation and Computer Specialists
• Technical Writers
• Engineers
• Lawyers / Attorneys
• Judges
• Forensic Research
• Forestry and Park Rangers"