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Developing Your Type – ISFP

Developing Your Type – ISFP

By Donna Dunning

ISFP Practical Enhancer: Care and Connect

“Always glad to help.”

8.8% of the population

Type Dynamics for the ISFP

Dominant (Fi): Inwardly focused on evaluating ideas according to their personal values.

Auxiliary (Se): Outwardly acting on the facts and details of the immediate situation.

Tertiary (N): As they mature, consider longer-term possibilities as well as realities.

Inferior (Te): Developmental challenge is evaluating and expressing opinions logically and impersonally.

My previous blogs – Understanding Type Dynamics: Dominant FunctionsUnderstanding Type Dynamics: Auxiliary Functions, and Taking Personality Type Beyond Your Preferences have more information on type dynamics.

The ISFP Preferred Mode

Practical Enhancers use Introverted Feeling (Fi) as their core approach to work and living. ISFPs usually take a calm, reflective, personal approach. They tend to quietly work with and help others in a supportive manner.

Practical Enhancers thrive in situations where they can help meet people’s immediate needs. They often want to express themselves personally in their work. If you are a Practical Enhancer, you are likely at your best when you are working in harmony, making a product or offering a service that is useful to others.

Adding a Secondary Approach

To gather information, Practical Enhancers are observant and pay attention to relevant facts and details. This open-ended, practical approach to the world provides input to help ISFPs make better decisions and connect with people. Others usually see the ISFP using this secondary, flexible approach, but this adaptability is guided by and limited to what fits with their values. For example, if others push too much against a core belief or value, they will see the normally adaptable ISFP become more stubborn and less flexible.

Development Pathway

ISFPs will likely be convinced to develop their non-preferred preferences when they can see how using these parts of their personality can help them build good will and harmony.

As Practical Enhancers develop, they learn to look more at future options and possibilities when making decisions. For example, when choosing what to do, a young ISFP may focus on taking the most immediate and enticing option. A more mature ISFP may learn to consider options of less immediate interest that may result in positive long-term as well as short-term outcomes. They will be motivated to do this when taking the less direct course of action helps them express one of their core values.

Over time Practical Enhancers can also learn to place more emphasis on analyzing situations logically. They will be motivated to do this when it serves their preferred mode of operating. For example, an ISFP can be convinced to use a logical approach when they know these actions will be tools for connecting with others and achieving harmony. Using a logical, future-focused approach can also serve Practical Enhancers by providing a way to check if their practical actions will continue to be helpful and useful over time.

Developmental Tips for the Practical Enhancer

  • When choosing what to do, look for and consider less obvious options and ideas.
  • Make a plan that builds on your long-term as well as short-term success.
  • Create a list of logical pros and cons when making a decision. Weigh options objectively as well as personally.
  • Speak up about your needs rather than hoping others will naturally consider your perspective.
  • Accept that others naturally approach situations logically. Work on not interpreting this approach as a personal affront.

You will find an overview of the two types of Enhancers, their career success stories and strategies, and occupations that attract them on the Enhancer main page.

What’s Your Type of Career? includes a section on career and life development strategies for Enhancers.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 12th, 2011 at 7:56 am and is filed under Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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