By Donna Dunning
Compassionate Responder
People who have preferences for ESFP tend to focus their attention in the outer world of actions and interactions, using Extraverted Sensing (Se) as their dominant function. They like to observe the world around them and take immediate actions. In their inner world, they evaluate and select which actions will be most helpful and immediately useful to people (Fi).
For more general information on type dynamics and motivation, please refer to the introductory post for this series, Find Your Motivation and Grow Your Career.
When they find opportunities to use this core approach at work, the result is usually a satisfying, meaningful career.
Building Your Skills
When learning and developing their competencies, ESFPs need to hone their core approach as well as develop skills and knowledge outside of their preferences.
Some of the skills that may come naturally for ESFPs include observing, assisting, communicating, adapting, practical problem solving, and using the five senses to create beauty or comfort. Careers that use these skills are often appealing to people with ESFP preferences.
However, there are times when ESFPs need to use and develop skills in their non-preferred functions. For the ESFP this might include choosing priorities, making long-term plans, deferring gratification, approaching situations logically, and giving and receiving corrective feedback.
I’m sure the ESFPs out there can add to this list of non-preferred skills and activities.
Finding Your Motivation
ESFPs will be most motivated to learn skills in their non-preferred functions “in service of the dominant function”. In other words, they need to see how the new learning can help them act in the moment to provide a practical service or make the immediate situation more pleasurable or comfortable.
For example, what might motivate a person with ESFP preferences to make long-term career plans? One woman with ESFP preferences described to me how she decided to return to school for a teaching degree to provide herself with more flexibility. Her practical goal was to make more money, work fewer hours, and spend more time with her children.
When she got bored or frustrated with theory and passive learning, she kept reminding herself that she would soon be active and engaged, spending more time with her family and helping others to learn. She was determined to provide a dynamic and practical learning experience for those who did not do well in traditional seat-in-the-chair classroom learning settings.
How have you learned to develop skills in your non-preferred functions? What motivates your learning?
If you want to read more about ESFPs on the website, here are a few posts to look at.
Occupations that Attract Responders
Resources
Want to learn more about personality type and how to use it to understand yourself and others?
Introduction to Type and Communication describes in detail how personality preferences influence communications.
If you live in the USA, Introduction to Type and Communication is now available on Kindle.
Introduction to Type and Learning can help you find your motivation for learning and help you learn more effectively.
If you live in the USA, Introduction to Type and Learning is also available on Kindle.
Looking for a practical resource to help you plan your ideal career? Check out my book, What’s Your Type of Career?: Find Your Perfect Career By Using Your Personality Type
Want to use your personality type to excel at your career? Check out 10 Career Essentials: Excel at Your Career by Using Your Personality Type
I wish that I had been introduced to personality type in high school. I would have made much wiser choices about my career and personal relationships.