ISFJ: Job Satisfaction

ISFJ Workplace Strengths
• the ability to really think something over before committing, won’t act impulsively
• are reflective, quiet, and prone to consider before acting
• the ability to be naturally aware of organizational guiding principles and philosophies
• the ability to initially and instantly focus upon the facts of a situation, the specifics of current or past situations
• the ability to be “real” practical, they will work on what is and what is “right now”
• the ability to take things literally and at face value
• the ability to keep things “grounded” and based upon previous experience and reality
• the ability to naturally identify inconsistencies, deficiencies in plans and ideas
• are amiable and approachable; are sensitive to others, sometimes at the cost of being direct
• often want to spend some time getting to know others and build relationships before getting to the work at hand
• are naturally appreciative of people’s ideas and contributions
• believe that how a group works together is equally important as what is accomplished; expect the best ideas and solutions to emerge from cooperation; may experience give and take as disruptive arguments
• are sensitive to how others will react or be affected; promote harmony, conciliation, and well-being; seek win/win results
• urge actions that are congruent with individual values and the professed values of the organization
• the ability to commit and stick to plans, schedules
• the ability to focus, ponder, deliberate
• the ability to finish what they begin regardless of time constraints
• the ability to organize well
• the ability to administrate

ISFJ personality and ISFJ ability would include a tendency toward the following workplace weaknesses:
• may need to be asked what you think or feel
• may view meetings as naturally negative events that cause more work than is accomplished by having them
• will have difficulty seeing the big picture
• may have difficulty multi-tasking without great stress
• sometimes insensitive to others
• want the work of a team to be realistic and doable, and are less interested in (and may be impatient with) discussions about vague, unrealistic, or “theoretical” possibilities
• will be uncomfortable to troubled proceeding without plans
• may initially see “new” things as immediately negative

Now take a few moments and consider how ISFJs behave and perform in the workplace from the following seven aspects:

What Others Might Observe First:
◦ are warm, friendly, good natured, unassuming, sensitive to others, and good listeners; may also be constrained and not communicate a lot, especially about themselves
◦ are hard working, steady, and dependable, and they have a strong sense of responsibility and duty
◦ are down-to-earth, practical, and realistic; they follow procedures and respect traditions and the way things are done
◦ are organized and good at organizing both people and things



Work Style
◦ prefer to plan the work and be prepared for the snares and obstacles that might be encountered, and are most comfortable getting organized before beginning a project
◦ are most drawn to work that is helpful and provides a tangible service to others
◦ prefer to work on one thing at a time, giving attention to one person or project without interruption
◦ want to know specifically what is expected of them

On Work Teams/In Groups
◦ seek to create a non-threatening, supportive environment; generally they are concerned and involved group members who need time to get to know others and begin to build solid working relationships
◦ favor establishing clear goals, objectives, schedules, milestones, etc., and are comfortable working within hierarchical structures
◦ expect everyone to do their share and pull their own weight (they themselves often do more than their share)
◦ do best when they are recognized for their contributions (especially when many of their accomplishments are less conspicuous)

Facing Change
◦ foster change that addresses people’s unmet needs and helps them develop and become “better persons”
◦ often respect experience and tradition so they prefer gradual change and may take a “don’t rock the boat” stance
◦ value fairness and want change to be fair and have similar impact on all
◦ bring a sense of stability by creating structure and order; do best when change can be well planned

During Conflict
◦ prefer and work best when there is harmony, support, and affirmation (lack of harmony-such as office feuds-can be upsetting and throw them off track) and may use gentle humor to try to create harmony
◦ tactful, kind, gentle, considerate, and aware of and responsive to what others are experiencing and feeling; may use the “I’ve been there” approach to help others resolve conflict
◦ very sensitive and may take negative feedback and “constructive criticism” personally
◦ under stress, may be uncharacteristically pessimistic and/or disorganized

Workplace Contributions
◦ focus on getting the job done and creating a supportive, positive environment
◦ show strong loyalty to the organization
◦ value follow-through and focus individual or group efforts on achieving what they set out to do; they themselves work quietly to make sure things run smoothly
◦ bring stability, calm, and organization and structure to projects or departments/teams

May Be Experienced As:
◦ good with detail, patient, thorough and sometimes as “picky” about details, too structured, not spontaneous
◦ serious, deep and reserved, and sometimes as hard to read, taking longer to get to know
◦ communicating indirectly, “beating around the bush”
◦ concerned that things go well and sometimes as overly concerned “worriers”

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I've never had a job I've liked, mostly because I'm too selfish with my time. and being payed to loaf just isn't a reality :P