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Cycle to work

Cycling to Work Blog

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‘How Does an ESFP Get the Best From Their Day?’

What the heck has four letters got to do with getting the best out of your day?
Are you a little bit cynical about the whole MBTI thing?
Do you come out in a rash or cold sweat at the thought of having a label attached to you?

At various points in my career, I have ‘been taken through MBTI’. I’ve done the questionnaire and then had my four-letter label stamped on my forehead.

Yes, yes, I have a big forehead. Thank you. I’ve heard that one before.

Do you get the sense that it didn’t work for me?

I wasn’t a fan.

But, then I had the chance to do the MBTI Licenced Practitioner Course. Well, I’m not going to say no am I when somebody else is paying for it. That’s my Yorkshire preference playing out.

I believe, I already had good self-awareness. That’s not to say that there were times when I would get frustrated at my lack of focus or low energy and not understanding quite why that was.

My preference is  ESFP,  which I am told, is quite a rare profile. A good friend of mine recently described me as being “far away from normal”. I like that!

Cycle to work day

I am, according to my dominate function, (as it is known), an Extraverted Sensor. This means that I like to experience as much of the physical world as I can which creates my energy and focus. In a previous article,  There’s A Blessing in the Storm, I wrote about the benefits to our mental health, of recognising those things that make us feel worse and those that make us feel better. My lists certainly ring true of my MBTI preference.

I work from home most of the time, so the social isolation can be a big challenge for me. To be at my best for the day I have learnt that I have to get out into the world before I contemplate sitting, or standing, at my desk. Go for a run, a swim in the lake, a walk, or  Cycle To Work.

On the rare occasion when, after breakfast, I go straight to my desk, I am likely to be grumpy, irritable, and ineffective for the rest of the day. A bit like a Border Collie.

Some might argue that this would be an accurate summary of me.

If you would like to explore your preferences and understand what you need to do for you to be at your best ted Learning can help!

So, if you find yourself on a Zoom meeting with me one day and you see me building a Lego city or playing with my collection of pebbles from Bamburgh beach, it’s not that I find you dull and interesting. On the contrary, it’s helping me to focus and think about the matter in hand, by that I mean the discussion, not the Lego. 

Perhaps, at this point, I need to reassure you that it is perfectly possible to live a happy and fulfilled life without knowing your MBTI preference. In my case, it helps to understand why I do what I do. 

We are all different. 

Exploring preferences as a team is a great, and fun way, of not only understanding your preferences but also that of colleagues, providing an insight into the part they play in creating your team dynamic. What strengths does it present to the team and what challenges can be overcome to help create a culture of high performance? 

If you would like to explore your preferences and understand what you need to do for you to be at your best ted Learning can help.  

ted learning - Patrick Holtby - Theatre of Learning drama based training
Patrick Holtby

Patrick has been part of the ted Learning team since soon after the business was formed. He has worked extensively within transport, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors as well as in hospitality.