The MBTI®, Five-Phase Theory, and Team Creation

(Copyright © 2003 C. J. Lofting)

Elsewhere on this site we have identified a pattern of development that seems to be universal and as such applicable to the formation of teams in the context of the cycle of production to consumption. We are not concerned here with the personal needs of an individual to 'self actualise' but more so with the efficent operation of a team as a whole.

In brief, the cycle is:

PRODUCTION

DISTRIBUTION

FILTRATION

EXCHANGE

CONSUMPTION

The ordering of these phases in their energy requirements to perform their tasks is (lowest to highest):

FILTRATION

CONSUMPTION

PRODUCTION

DISTRIBUTION

EXCHANGE

This ordering maps directly onto the ordering of other categories based upon a template seemingly operating at the level of unconscious neurological processes such that we can directly map qualities identified in the MBTI onto these five phases in the cycle of production to consumption. As such we can identify 'optimum' team structures for general production to consumption operatations. Furthermore, since the process of deriving the categories is through recursion so the phases are applicable to each phase, the whole is encoded in all parts.

The five phases in fact seem to reflect eight states where three phases have duel content:

PRODUCTION

(1) Re-Production : refine , manufacture

(2) Production : original

DISTRIBUTION

(3) Distribution

FILTRATION

(4) Filtration through externally derived rules (instincts or religious/secular texts)

(5) Filtration through internally derive rules (discernment using personal experience)

EXCHANGE

(6) Cooperative Exchange

(7) Competitive Exchange

CONSUMPTION

(8) Consumption

Given the above mapping we can associate the following categories from the MBTI as the 'best' fits of personas into the five phases:

(1) Re-Production - refine , manufacture : XSTJ (Keirsey - Monitors)

(2) Production - original : XNTP (Keirsey - Engineers)

(3) Distribution : XNTJ (Keirsey - Organisers)

(4) Filtration (instincts or religious/secular texts) : XNFP (Keirsey - Advocates/Disciples)

(5) Filtration (discernment using personal experience) : XNFJ (Keirsey - Mentors)

(6) Cooperative Exchange : XSFP (Keirsey - Players)

(7) Competitive Exchange : XSTP (Keirsey - Operators)

(8) Consumption : XSFJ (Keirsey - Conservators)


The recursion process means that within each state are present all of the other states. Thus, as an example, in the context of (1) and so the XSTJ we can make finer distinction to give each Re-Production state an eight-element structure:

Core Type XSTJ, five-phase WITHIN this context:

(1) XSTJ+XSTJ

(2) XSTJ+XNTP

(3) XSTJ+XNTJ

(4) XSTJ+XNFP

(5) XSTJ+XNFJ

(6) XSTJ+XSFP

(7) XSTJ+XSTP

(8) XSTJ+XSFJ

Thus the WHOLE production-to-consumption cycle is in five phases, eight states, and each phase can be refined to a level of eight states. This does not necessarily mean an individual for each state but more so the training of an individual to fit into states. By this I mean that the XSTJ persona can take on eight 'hats' within their generic state OR one finds eight individuals reflecting these specialist states.

There are no formal typologies that identify the qualities of these types however through IDM we can identify equivalent categories in the I Ching. See the page on the MBTI/I Ching linkage

Team sizes are thus at a minimum made-up of five personas, where three personas are required to wear different hats depending on context, at most sixty-four (or multiples of).

Interactions of the states reflect dependencies the knowledge of which allows for tighter communication channels across the phases. The five-phase control dependencies are:

Production supports (feeds into) Distribution

Production is controlled by Exchange (i.e. LOCAL distribution - the realm of RETAIL as compared to Distribution and WHOLESALE)

Distribution supports Filtration

Distribution is controlled by Consumption (Demand controls Supply, slow consumption dams-up distribution. fast consumption strains distribution)

Filtration supports Exchange

Filtration is controlled by Production ('Negative' products elicit increased filtration, demand for 'quality control'))

Exchange is supported by Filtration

Exchange is controlled by Distribution (Retail depends on wholesale availability)

Consumption is supported by Exchange

Consumption is controlled by Filtration (belief systems affect consumption)

From these general control patterns of five-phase we can identify 'best relationships' of individuals in how they are controlled by another and in turn control another, so optimising the dynamics across and within all phases. Further analysis shows us subtler relationships to be (a) favoured or (b) avoided, unless context demands balance rather than exaggeration or dampening. See the Five-phase tables.