The key to productivity - with Thane Kirby and the George FM breakfast team
On the other hand, we’ve all experienced those days that seem to drag on forever, when we constantly watch the clock in the hope that a sneaky hour may have flashed by unnoticed but alas, no, it’s still three hours, until knock-off time. If you look at the tasks you are doing during these unending hours chances are you will be using your less-preferred cognitive functions. Likewise, those days when you are in the flow, feeling alive and satisfied are usually days when you are engaged in tasks that require the use of your natural cognitive preferences.
The aim of the human life, according to Carl Jung, is to individuate or become whole. This is a gradual process through life, rather like an acorn eventually becoming an oak tree. We have our blueprint all wrapped up in the seed and then as time goes by, depending on the environmental elements, we gradually unfold. This unfolding is where we work our way through the four cognitive processes. For an Extraverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving personality type life usually unfolds in a slightly ‘off the beaten track’ type way.
There are certain tasks and assignments that will for this type make time stand still. These are usually to do with close attention to detail, careful processing of factual information, planning, scheduling and then adhering to the plan. It’s not all gloom and doom however, and when an ENFP is at their best it is a glorious thing! They will be playing with ideas, coming up with brilliant new schemes, connecting people and concepts and generally having a positive effect on those around them. Natural people developers, these types get the buzz from facilitating growth in others.
One prolific ENFP character in our community is none other than George FM’s breakfast host Thane Kirby. Thane displays all the traits of the ENFP’s ability to grasp and grab ideas from just about anything around him and turn them into an ‘event’. In his work as a radio DJ, his quick and easy ability to keep the conversation rolling and make leaps and crazy connections live on air are definitely within the comfort zone of this type.
I had the treat of working with the Breakfast Show team earlier in the year and we figured ‘on air’ that one of the reasons he and his co host Kara Rickard worked so well together is that their personalities both lead with an extraverted perceiving function. Intuition in Thane’s case and Sensing in Kara’s. On air Thane picks up and runs with seemingly random ideas whereas Kara (Extraverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving) can be his perfect foil, bringing reality to the situation while at the same time adding her own creative but more tangible angle. Loads of fun on air but what happens behind the scenes?
Enter programme manager, Ben. A fairly speedy (everything is in this environment) assessment came up with Ben as an Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceiving. This is the guy who could land a plane in a crisis and the perfect overseer of the station’s morning show! An ISTP can see the situation, sum it up and know what needs to be done in a logical and efficient manner. Ben’s strength is in his lead function, Intoverted Thinking, his mind is absorbing external information and making sense of it in a logical and practical way. In action, ISTPs can attune to their environment, move like quicksilver and effectively problem-solve.
Thane has always been a guy taking chances, both enjoying and supporting people and coming up with the crazy ideas. If you know an ENFP you will constantly hear “I’ve got a good idea!” issuing from their mouth. While working with Thane, the thing that he appreciated about understanding his type was “the difference between knowing what you are doing and why you are doing it.” At his stage of life he will be utilising the four cognitive processes and he knows that if he engages the tricky ones for him (Thinking and Sensing) i.e. planning, scheduling, and the follow-through he will achieve much more in his day. It’s all very well to have great ideas but being able to make them happen requires the application of the practical stuff. Having people around him who can complement his personality, like Kara and Ben, is a great strategy but for personal growth he must develop these for himself as well. Thane is a busy man, working more than full-time, running a bar, a morning radio show and solo parenting his two wee girls. To be able to scale even greater heights and do what he does so well, finding the balance and using all his cognitive processes is the key.
For career advice and personality type identification contact Ali
ali@personalitytype.co.nz or www.personalitytype.co.nz