ENFJ - Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging

"The Public Relations Specialists"

I am a people-lover. I place the highest importance on people and relationships and am naturally concerned about others. I take a warm approach to life and feel personally connected to all things.

Because I am idealistic and live by my values, I am very loyal to the people, causes or institutions I respect and admire. I am energetic and enthusiastic, as well as responsible, conscientious and persevering.

I have a natural tendency to be self-critical. However, because I feel responsible for the feelings of others, I am seldom critical in public. I am acutely aware of what is (and isn’t) appropriate behavior and am gracious, charming, personable and socially adept.

Even-tempered and tolerant, I am diplomatic and good at promoting harmony around me. I am a natural leader, popular and charismatic. I tend to be a good communicator and usually use my expressive gift verbally.

I make decisions based on how I feel about a situation, rather than how the situation actually stands. I am interested in possibilities beyond what is already obvious and in the ways these possibilities might affect others.

Being naturally orderly, I prefer an organized world and expect others to be the same way. I like to have matters settled, even if someone else is making the decisions.

I radiate sympathy and understanding and am nurturing and supportive of others. I read people well and am responsible and caring. Since I am an idealist, I generally look for the good in others.

Possible Blind Spots

I am so empathetic and caring that I can become overly involved with the problems or feelings of others. Sometimes I choose causes that aren’t worthy of all the time and energy I pour into them. When things don’t work out well, I can become overwhelmed, disappointed or disillusioned. This can lead to me withdrawing, feeling I wasn’t appreciated.

I need to learn to accept my own limitations as well as those of the people I care about. I also need to learn to “pick my battles” and how to maintain realistic expectations.

Because of my strong desire for harmony, I can overlook my own needs and ignore real problems. Because I avoid conflict I sometimes maintain relationships that are less than honest and equal. I am so concerned about the feelings of others that I can be blind to important facts when the situation involves criticism or hurt feelings. It’s important that I learn how to accept and deal with conflict as a necessary part of relationships.

Because I am enthusiastic and in a hurry to get on with my next challenge, I sometimes make incorrect assumptions or make decisions too quickly without gathering all the important facts. I need to slow down and pay closer attention to the details of my projects. By waiting until enough information is known, I can avoid making mistakes.

I focus on emotions to the point I can fail to see the consequences of my actions. Trying to focus on the facts, not just the people involved in my decisions can be helpful.

I respond well to praise, but am easily hurt by criticism, which can make me appear touchy. I take even the most innocent or well-intentioned criticism personally, and I often respond by becoming flustered, hurt or angry. My responses can be illogical to the point that I appear downright irrational to others. I would do well to stop, take a step back and try to see a situation objectively before reacting. Trying to be less sensitive will enable me to hear the important and helpful information that is constructive criticism.

I am so idealistic that I tend to see things the way I wish they were. I am vulnerable to idealizing relationships and tend to overlook facts that contradict what I believe. If I don’t learn to face facts I find disagreeable, I will end up ignoring my problems instead of finding solutions. In general, I need to try to keep my eyes open as well as my heart.

The 3 Most Important Things For Me To Focus On

Slow
Down

Relinquish some control

Take things less personally

My Strengths

Excellent communication and presentation skills
Charismatic leadership and ability to build consensus
Enthusiasm and ability to enlist cooperation from others
Decisiveness and organizational skills.
Eagerness to “think outside the box” and consider new possibilities
Empathy and ability to anticipate others needs; a genuine concern for people
Varied interests and being a quick study
Ability to see the big picture and the implications of actions and ideas
Drive to be productive and reach my goals -Deep commitment to things I really believe in

My Weaknesses

Reluctance to work on projects that conflict with my values
Tendency to idealize people and relationships
Difficulty working in competitive or tension-filled environments
Impatience with structures or people who are inefficient or uncooperative
Avoidance of conflict and tendency to ignore unpleasantness
Tendency to make decisions too quickly before gathering adequate information
Reluctance to discipline subordinates
Tendency to make errors due to haste
Tendency to micro-manage and resist relinquishing control

Try not to make decisions based only on my personal feelings

Use objective analysis to help me see the logical results of potential actions.
Remember that cause and effect is not what I naturally see, so seek some assistance from a friend who does.
Don’t dismiss an option because of my personal dislike for one person in the organization. Also resist the temptation to judge a whole job or organization on the basis of one positive interaction.

Don't take rejection and criticism personally

Take constructive criticism and feedback as they are intended. Relying on the encouragement of friends and family can help me avoid becoming discouraged when things seem difficult.
Try to suspend the tendency to become self-critical when I face rejection or failure. Make it a personal challenge to rise to the occasion and see it as an obstacle to overcome.

Concentrate on collecting all the necessary facts

Pay attention to the details and realities as well as the people I meet. Don’t ignore less interesting tasks in favor of making new contacts.
Rather than simply accepting what I am told at face value, be prepared to look deeper.

Try to be more realistic about other people

Look at people as they really are, and recognize their limitations. Consciously guard against idealizing people or expressing unquestioning loyalty to others.
Confront conflict, or misunderstandings quickly and directly rather than avoiding them and allowing them to become larger and more complicated.

Don't make decisions too quickly

Conducting plenty of research will help me from leaping before I have looked things over carefully. Take time to think things through before responding and be certain I really understand the situation.
If I don’t resist my tendency to rush to closure, I may miss other potentially good options still on the horizon, or end up in a situation or relationship that isn’t all I thought it would be.

To learn more about your personality type, purchase the book, "DO WHAT YOU ARE" by Barbara Barron-Tieger & Paul Tieger