ISTP
On A Team

The following is adapted from Linda V. Berens, Linda K. Ernst and Melissa Smith, Quick Guide to the 16 Personality Types and Teams (Telos Publications, 2005) *Used with permission.

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How ISTPs Build Relationships
For them, team relationships are about taking action to solve problems. They tend to focus more on the task to be completed than on the team members doing the work. Relationships often evolve in the process of problem solving. They show they care by solving problems for other team members and are not as likely to express feelings verbally as they are to demonstrate them by doing things with those they care about. They enjoy keeping things simple and showing their teammates techniques and shortcuts that work. They don’t like to be on a team when they don’t know anyone. Establishing relationships within the team can take a lot of energy for them, so once it’s done they prefer not to change it. If they don’t feel trapped, they can be very loyal to the team and its members.

How ISTPs Deal with Conflict
Conflict that is centered on how to do things is comfortable for them, but they hate conflict that is heavily laden with emotion. They tend to withdraw so they can sort it all out before they come back and face these emotional situations. Once they have sorted it out, they want to approach the conflict as if it is a problem to be solved.

To Forge Better Relationships with ISTPs…
Provide a team environment that allows for autonomy and individual contributions. They need to be independent, to do things on their own or to be free to not do them. When they resist direction from the team, it is because they want to do things the way they’ve figured out is the best way. If they feel trapped or coerced, they are likely to resort to independent action rather than team action. They like to choose the timing for when it’s appropriate to say or do something. Give them opportunities to solve specific, concrete problems, especially where there is potential for hands-on contributions. Help them check their impulses against the long-range plan. Most of all, avoid direct confrontation; it may result in their insistence on what they think is appropriate and what they want.

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How ISTPs Approach Doing Work
They want to be independent and to have the freedom to act on their hunches and intuitions, adapt to the situation, and work around whatever obstacles appear. They tend to be curious and will ask questions and try to understand a situation, often taking things apart to figure out how they work. Then they quickly grasp the most expedient solution and take a just-do-it attitude. They don’t want to be limited by defined roles but want to have some idea of what is expected of them so they have at least a plan of action going into a situation. A lot of processing of issues will be seen as a waste of time.

How ISTPs Make Decisions
They tend to decide quickly when responding to an immediate need but slowly when they don’t see options for action. They’re constantly observing, taking in a lot of concrete information, and looking for all the angles. They like to see if the facts fit together, try something, and see what happens. They tend not to document their process, and the systems they develop fit the particular context and may not be transferable to other contexts.

How ISTPs Respond to Change
Once they’ve figured things out, they may resist changing them, but when the situation demands something other than what they figured out, they quickly look at it from all the angles and then turn on a dime to adapt to what is going on. Talking about change may meet with resistance, but when the situation requires it, they’re usually on board.

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The following is adapted from Linda V. Berens, Linda K. Ernst and Melissa Smith, Quick Guide to the 16 Personality Types and Teams (Telos Publications, 2005) *Used with permission.