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Type & Teams: Online Learning Module 3

No matter where you work within a veterinary practice, no matter what you do, you are part of a team. The practice as a whole represents a team effort to reach a goal and each function within the practice (eg, doctors, technicians, client service staff, etc) serves as a team within the larger team. Any team’s success is directly linked to how well individual team members get along and work with each other.

In this module, we’ll look at:
1. Mapping your team: How to use the MBTI type table to understand and influence team dynamics.

2. Managing and motivating your team: How to bring out the best in each individual and use type knowledge to improve team communication and decision making.

3. Maximizing your team’s performance: How to use a knowledge of psychological type to enhance both individual and team performance.
 

Course Description
The effectiveness of a veterinary practice depends on how well each team member uses his or her capabilities to contribute to the benefit of all. This effectiveness can be gauged on a daily basis as well as when evaluating the achievement of long- and short-term practice goals. How do team members interact with each other? What can be done to optimize individual job satisfaction, motivation, performance, communication, client satisfaction, and decision-making processes? The answer lies in the awareness and application of the psychological type information you will learn about through completing this module.

Learning Objectives
Learn how the Myers-Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI) type table can facilitate the understanding and advantageous use of team dynamics:
• Become aware of the structure behind the placement of the 16 types in the table.
• Understand how using MBTI type preferences is a means to understand ourselves and others, not a means to characterize ourselves or others.
• Identify team or practice typology.
• Build awareness of practice member type similarities and differences.

Learn how to bring out the best in each individual and the practice team:
• Analyze and compare personnel type preferences to job tasks.
• Identify the “heart of type” and its effect on attitudes and performance.
• Demonstrate respect for type preferences, resulting in effective communication.
• Collect information and use S-N-T-F protocol to balance the decision-making process.

Apply the knowledge of psychological type to enhance both individual and team performance:
• Value type differences within the veterinary team.
• Use type preferences to maximize team harmony and productivity.
• Learn how type dichotomies can complement each other.
• Consider specific steps team leaders can follow to improve team functioning.

Become aware of book and article resources about MBTI type.

In summary, understand that knowing about MBTI type provides a tool for understanding ourselves and others. Type informs us not of abilities, but of preferences. Though likely inborn, type preferences can be dynamic in social situations.

Course Content

Optional and Recommended: All practice members take the MBTI (register at myEVT.com) and review their reports to become aware of their type preferences.

Part 13: Mapping Your Team
Introduction to the type table
• Building a type table (Appendix 1)

Part 14: Building Your Team’s Type Table

Team Type Analysis
• Charting similarities and differences
• Understanding preferences and potential strengths
• Analyzing preference representation and potential blind spots
• Knowing usefulness of opposite preferences
• Considering use of all preferences for group benefit
• Pondering interaction of the team leader with the team and individual members

Part 15-16: Managing and Motivating Your Team
Effects of MBTI Type Preferences in Work Settings
• Understanding the effects of preference dichotomies

Bringing Out the Best in Each Team Member
• Assessing your job fit (Appendix 2)

The Four MBTI Function Pairs
• Determining your own “heart of type”
• What do the function pairs look like?

Communication and the Function Pairs
• Knowing what works and does not work for each function pair
• Using your knowledge of type to communicate more effectively

Decision Making and the Function Pairs
• Following the process
• Improving your team decision making and problem solving (Appendix 3)

Part 17: Maximizing Your Team’s Performance
The importance of type diversity in the workplace
What team leaders can do to improve team functioning

References
Books
Articles

Appendix 1
MBTI Type Table (Part I)

Appendix 2
Job Tasks Categorized by Preferred MBTI Functions (Part II)

Appendix 3
Decision Making/Problem Solving for All Types:
Questions to Stimulate the Use of Each Function (Part II)