Editorial review: November 12, 2026
Jungian ideas can provide a vocabulary for discussing how team members prefer to communicate, make decisions and work together. The useful application is development: asking better questions and agreeing practical changes. A preference profile should not be used to decide who is capable of doing a job.
Expressing Preferences Through Jungian Psychology
A development discussion can give team members space to explain preferences for communication, feedback and preparation. Shared processes still need to meet the task’s requirements, but some details may be adaptable. Jung’s historical typology supplies one vocabulary for discussing psychological differences; it does not establish the cause of an individual colleague’s habits or the effectiveness of a workplace program.
For instance, maybe one person prefers to always be kept in the loop about a project, even including the small details that don’t directly affect them, so that they can understand the overall project. Other people could find constant updates that they don’t need to be annoying or distracting.
In this way, both performing personality assessments and the process of discussing personality test results with a team are opportunities for team members to express their ideal working situation and setup. A manager might not necessarily be able to meet all of these preferences – for example, if a team member indicates that they prefer to communicate via email over communicating by phone, there might still be a weekly meeting with a client which needs to be done over the phone.
But often, preferences can be taken into consideration with no loss of productivity or achievement. In fact, letting people choose the manner and style in which they work can be beneficial to both morale and results.
Harnessing Diverse Team Strengths with Jungian Psychology
A team does not need identical working preferences. Differences can reveal useful questions and alternative approaches, but a mixture of personality labels does not guarantee effectiveness. Skills, task knowledge, resources, leadership and the way people work together also matter.
For example, it can help to have one team member who is outgoing and social, who can build bonds with other teams; one member who is detail oriented and will check all work for mistakes; one team member who takes a leadership role and corrals and motivates the others, and so on.
A profile can prompt someone to describe what helps them work well, but it does not establish their strengths and weaknesses as job competencies. Allocate tasks using observed skills, experience, interests and the requirements of the work. Invite people to develop new skills instead of confining them to a type.
For example, customer communication requires skills that people can learn and demonstrate. Introversion is not evidence that someone needs more coaching than an outgoing colleague. Ask each person what support they need and assess the work itself rather than using a personality label as a proxy for ability.
Navigating Interpersonal Relations Using Jungian Psychology
Another useful way to apply personality data to teams is using it to understand interpersonal conflicts. Even on the most professional teams, there will still be times when the needs or priorities of team members conflict. When this happens, a work issue can quickly become personal and team members can feel bullied, undervalued, or unhappy.
Understanding jungian psychology and personality types can help throw light onto these conflicts. For example, it might be that one person values direct, forthright discussions, but another person perceives this communication style as brusque or rude.
By educating each person about the other’s perspective, these team members can identify the source of their conflict and adapt to the needs of the other. Or if someone is anxious because they feel they are being left out of the loop, it will help other team members to understand not only that they ought to update the person more often, but also the reason for this action (that the person is someone who likes to keep an eye on the big picture and therefore wants to stay informed).
Use preferences for development, not selection
Insights’ ethical guidance says the personal profile must not be used for recruitment, selection or evaluation. A caveat to “use it carefully” is not enough: do not recommend the profile as a hiring filter or use color preferences to rank candidates.
For an existing team, use the discussion to improve working agreements. Ask what information people need before a meeting, how they want risks raised and how decisions should be recorded. Leave room for different answers from people with similar profiles.
Illustrative agreement: send a short agenda before a decision meeting, allow a written response for anyone who needs preparation time, then record the decision, owner and deadline. Review the agreement after two meetings and ask what remains unclear. This tests a behavior rather than assuming the assessment itself creates a result.
More Ways to Use Personality Data
Other ways that learning about personality types can benefit a team include as part of team building exercises so that team members can learn more about each other and how to interact, in personal and professional development such as identifying current weaknesses, or mentoring and coaching to improve on those weaknesses. But perhaps the most valuable use of personality information is the creation of a space in which a team’s communications, processes and brainstorming can be improved.
Continue with self-aware leadership for a feedback process, or psychometric assessment limits before choosing a tool. Explore team development if you want facilitated support.