ISTJ Workplace should offer this Myers Briggs type the opportunity to enjoy their work under established procedures. ISTJ stands for Introverted, Sensing, Thinking and Judging personality type. They put great value on traditions and love organized frameworks across different spectrums of their lives, including work, home, family, and several projects.
They love being in work environments that are peaceful with little distraction. ISTJs are task-oriented and love to work independently for executing their tasks in a meticulous manner.
This personality type looks for certainty, predictability, and a systematic approach in their work. They hate change of routines and always like to follow a pattern. As these people are straightforward and logical, ISTJs always wish to keep aside their feelings and emotions while working.
This article will deal with how an ISTJ carries out different roles in an organization, how they resolve conflict among colleagues, and the unique communication style that sets them apart from all other people from 16 personality types. If you are not aware of your type, take the personality test to get a clear picture.
ISTJ Workplace
In the workplace, ISTJs mean business. These people put all their energy and attention toward putting their best effort into fulfilling assigned tasks in the desired manner. It is a source of stability and comfort for these individuals to exhibit these qualities above everything else.
These two aspects make ISTJs extremely dedicated and dutiful workers who focus on executing their work. Hence, they do not create any trouble for others in the workplace. If a proper routine is in place, they will follow that and carry out their responsibilities accordingly.
The dominant function of an ISTJ is introverted sensing, while the auxiliary one is extraverted thinking. This combination suggests that they are particular about completing their assigned tasks as per instructions or how they had done them earlier in life.
They judge the working environment through their dominant function of introverted sensing. It allows them to see things based on respect for the power and rules, guidelines, or structures they have been pursuing since the past.
Therefore, they will rarely question their seniors regarding how to carry out some of their responsibilities. On the other hand, their extraverted thinking enables them to complete work quickly and effectively before moving on to the next task.
ISTJs love stability and do not like change while working in an organization. It reflects their loyalty to the company they work for. They will look to switch over to some better job only if necessary. These people experience a lot of stress while adjusting to a new work environment having a different boss and new colleagues.
Workers with an ISTJ personality type are highly meticulous and dependable. They treat specifications and deadlines quite seriously. These people do not need external help to fulfil their assigned tasks in the best possible manner. This Myers-Briggs personality type adopts a systematic approach toward meeting the needs of an organization.
The personality traits of these people make for great colleagues who always focus on meeting goals in specific terms and aim for set standards. It enables them to measure the success of a team. Their preferred work environment is a place with a proper structure where a clear set of rules are specified, and every employee is aware of their duties.
If you get the opportunity to manage, you will show commitment and perseverance and use your conscience to make crucial decisions for the overall welfare of an organization. There will be clarity while communicating with subordinates and defining tasks. Thus, when people work under an ISTJ manager, they do not face ambiguity in their roles and responsibilities.
Let us now discuss the different roles of an ISTJ person in the workplace and see how they manage to deal with them to become successful in their careers –
ISTJ as a colleague
When an ISTJ personality type individual is your colleague, they will remain calm and quiet under different circumstances. It is more so when the going gets tough. They dedicate themselves to completing their work on time.
Due to their introverted nature, ISTJs love working alone by following rules and structure. Any innovation or emergence of new ideas from the management is enough to disrupt their way of dealing with assigned duties.
They love to experience security and peace of mind in workplaces. These individuals need to have all the details and a proper structure for the execution of work with perfection. It will help them focus on fulfilling the task to perfection by working along with their co-workers.
These people carry strong work ethics and are particular in the perfect execution of work while working with their co-workers. Due to this reason, they cannot tolerate colleagues who fail to show a similar level of commitment to fulfilling an assigned task.
They even hate those who waste time, fool around the workplace, and miss meeting deadlines. According to an ISTJ, these co-workers disrupt their productivity and the overall work culture in an organization.
Hence, ISTJs should focus on building careers that will not need them to rely heavily on others to carry out a task successfully. They will do well when their job profiles allow them to deal with situations independently, take the necessary responsibilities and feel proud of their decisions and work.
These people hate frequent changes to guidelines, brainstorming sessions, and innovations. They enjoy carrying out their work once the concrete plan is in place. Under those circumstances, an organization would not find a better employee than an ISTJ to implement their ideas in the best possible manner.
ISTJ as a subordinate
ISTJs love taking responsibility. It makes them the most desired subordinates for different types of projects. They have the requisite skill and potential to handle any work with an attached manual. It allows them to work things out in a step-by-step manner.
Alternatively, it makes them reluctant to forego responsibilities even when they get overburdened and trapped. The seriousness with which ISTJs carry out their work surprisingly makes them susceptible to criticism, sometimes resulting in rigidity that causes annoyance.
Now, if you set aside this flaw of being rigid, ISTJs can be one of the most productive people while working as subordinates in the organization. They show great respect for hierarchy and authority. These people do not face problems in abiding by instructions and orders.
Punctuality is never an issue for ISTJ subordinates. It is applicable for reaching the office on time and meeting the deadlines of projects. Even though this personality type might require a clear set of rules and regulations apart from well-defined responsibilities, they tend to be trustworthy.
These people are focused, pay attention to details, and have patience in executing work to perfection. ISTJs can tackle a wide range of tasks with utmost ease and comfort, but there is a condition. The organization must have a proper structure in place. They can only show their skills and thrive under those conditions.
However, this Myers Briggs personality may have difficulty sharing responsibilities with others. It puts them under extra pressure and even hampers their completion of work due to their inability to mingle with team members.
ISTJ as a manager
We have already mentioned earlier how ISTJs love doing their work to perfection. This habit makes them ideal candidates for managerial jobs in organizations. They enjoy the power that results from meeting desired responsibilities.
Pushing themselves hard toward meeting their obligations, ISTJs go over and above their assigned duties. They even expect the same level of commitment from their subordinates. Simultaneously, these people also wish to work as per the rules and regulations.
These people adhere to the hierarchy and are averse to innovation. They make their subordinates maintain a thin line with whatever they do. If any situation demands them to step out of their comfort zone, it should have the backing of facts and results.
Some people find it better to act first and then ask for permission later. It is not applicable in the case of an ISTJ Manager. They do not tolerate if employees feel they have to meet their obligations, among which the foremost requirement is to stick to the plan.
These individuals feel that truth always holds more importance compared to sensitivity. They are quite capable of laying down harsh criticism. There are instances when their tough decisions can make employees intentionally refuse to obey their orders. It can create obstacles in the execution of their plans.
ISTJ Managers sometimes have a rigid style of dealing with subordinates. It makes them move toward micromanaging others. They might even fail to delegate work to employees as per their skill and expertise. Avoiding delegation of work can come through due to a specific reason. They might feel as if they can carry out a responsibility better than any employee.
ISTJ Personality Type and Workplace Communication
Everyone possesses a specific style of communicating with others. They do so as per their nature and personality type. The situation is no different for an ISTJ person.
When working with an ISTJ, you must give them sufficient time to be alone and decide their course of action for carrying out responsibilities. Otherwise, frustration might creep in.
By determining the ideal way for effective communication with an ISTJ, you will likely have these individuals at their best. Others must keep one thing in mind. They should not display their emotions or dramatize stuff while communicating with this introverted personality type.
Make sure to get to the point straight away. People must concentrate on using logic and facts to convey their messages. While communicating over emails, one should focus on clarity and display rationalism using data with proof to support all your claims.
ISTJs hate getting into personal conversations over emails in workplaces. Instead, they prefer to keep all their communications relevant to the point of focus. These people are strict in keeping their personal and professional lives separate. One must include all the crucial details so that an ISTJ employee becomes fully aware of the situation.
As a manager, when you give feedback concerning an ISTJ’s work, they always desire that you should directly address the specific actions of the personality type. Things become convenient for them to understand and make necessary changes for the future. It is ideal if the manager cites some examples of the behavior they mention instead of speaking in general terms.
When you truly make a conscious effort to communicate with these people in the manner they prefer, you can forge a better relationship. It can make you empathize with their viewpoint and establish much-needed trust and conviction. If you can make a slight adjustment to your communication style, it can create a massive difference toward effectively working with one another.
Business Meeting with an ISTJ Personality Type
When meetings happen in an organization, ISTJs prefer to discuss the goals first. It should follow the tasks to perform and accomplish those on time. They want to carry out these communications in a well-planned manner and to the point.
These people never appreciate surprises that take them off their comfort zone. ISTJs prefer to focus on the topics linked with work. When the management discusses new processes and procedures in meetings, they do not just sit back and listen. An ISTJ often questions the benefits and drawbacks of introducing new ideas for the organization.
They prefer when someone presents them with facts and figures to support any idea. It will be ideally suited if they can have an analysis in front of them. Then they can get a clear idea regarding how this proposed change will positively impact people working on a particular project.
ISTJs would use the meeting for communications to accept various responsibilities of tasks. It will also present them with the opportunity to discuss different ways through which they can accomplish them.
ISTJ Personality Type and Conflict Resolution in the Workplace
ISTJs are reserved, maintain proper order, and behave practically. They put their focus on the completion of work. When they find themselves in a conflict, this personality type will always intend to resolve it directly. An ISTJ would find an appropriate solution and move on with their work.
In doing so, they will spend as little emotional energy as possible. ISTJs do not like any drama or complaints. Ideally, these people always prefer to avoid getting into conflicts. They always wish to keep the work atmosphere peaceful to relax and perform their duties.
If one accuses them of any workplace dispute, an ISTJ will not hesitate to stand up and defend themselves. It helps them to avoid any tricky situation from escalating further.
To Sum Up
It is a great privilege to have a person of ISTJ personality type inside a workplace. They will put their best foot forward to carry out their responsibilities methodically, meet deadlines and contribute positively toward the welfare of an organization.
When he/she attains a responsible position, he/she will use the power to dedicate himself/herself to meeting the company’s goals.
He will demand the same level of commitment from his subordinates. An otherwise introverted person who needs personal space will not mind working with other members of his organization and doing justice to his position.
