Q. I recently took the MBTI and came out as an INTJ. It’s all very interesting, but I’m wondering where to go next. How can I use my results to improve my work and my personal relationships?

A. The first main way to use your results to benefit you is to be aware of your preferences so that you can choose situations and environments that suit you and use your natural talents. As you will see, INTJs excel in logical, orderly work environments that allow them to be creative in solving problems. As you develop in your career and especially if you are considering making any changes to your position or workplace, keep in mind your type preferences. INTJs typically prefer a work environment that is logical, efficient, structured, and analytical, with colleagues that that are competent, intelligent, and productive. They prefer a job that allows them to use their analytical skills to problem-solve in a challenging environment, and to take responsibility for implementing their ideas to create efficient, innovative systems.

The second way your results can benefit you is by pointing out your blind spots or weak areas. Although each type has a set of natural talents and strengths, we also have areas that are not as strong. For instance, you indicated that you’d like to be more spontaneous, which is a common issue for people of the INTJ type. INTJs are excellent at long-range planning but not as good at making changes to those plans or going without a plan altogether.

While we tend to be most effective if we can use our preferred way of doing things most of the time, we also need to develop different skills in order to adapt effectively to changing environments. So, you will do best in a job that takes advantage of your ability to plan ahead and follow through. However, someday you will find you are working on a project that cannot be planned and offers constant changes and surprises. In order to deal with this effectively, you will need to develop that more spontaneous side and the skills that allow you to address uncertainty and surprises.

To address your challenges, the first step is to recognize them. You have already recognized spontaneity as being one, and you probably found a few other areas that you’d like to develop. Once you have found your challenges, practice in small ways to do things differently. For instance, if you take a vacation, you might set aside one day with no plans at all, and tell yourself that you will do whatever you feel like on that day. If you are not planning a vacation, try this with a bit of time on a weekend or evening. You might also practice adapting to last-minute changes. Make a plan, and then test yourself to adjust that plan at the last minute. Make it a game to see how quickly you can change your direction!

The third major way you can benefit from your results is in your relationships with other people. The Myers Briggs grew out of the idea that people are fundamentally different, and that we think in very different ways. People who have different type preferences from you will make decisions, prioritize, and communicate differently from you. However, the MBTI can give you a framework for understanding your differences. It can help you to see that some of the challenges we experience with others are just due to our different ways of seeing things. In the end, you will work and communicate better with others if you understand that not everyone approaches things the same way.

The Extroversion/Introversion preference is the most misunderstood of the four MBTI preference scales. We tend to use the words “introverted” and “extroverted” in everyday conversation to indicate whether a person is gregarious or shy. However, in Myers Briggs type theory, the Extroversion/Introversion describes a larger concept: how you get your energy and where you focus your attention. Whether a person is gregarious or reserved is just a small part of this scale.

Extroverts get their energy from the outside world: other people, outside stimulation and activity. If forced to be isolated or quiet, they are not as productive as they are when they can interact with others and with their environment. Extroverts are energized by talking with others, meeting new people, and engaging actively with the world around them. They are comfortable with expressing themselves verbally, and tend to be quick thinkers.

Because Extroverts are energized by stimulation, they often prefer breadth over depth; they engage with people and activities in quantity but tend not to focus on any one thing for an extended period of time. They often have many friends from different walks of life, preferring to have a variety of people to interact with rather than developing deep friendships with just a few.

Introverts are energized by their internal world of thoughts, feelings, and ideas. They find too much outside stimulation distracting, and prefer to engage with their environment by observing and reacting to it internally. Because this process is not obvious to other people, it may appear to others as if the Introvert is not interested or not taking part; however for Introverts, the process of observing and reflecting is how they participate and engage with their surroundings.

Introverts are most productive when they have a quiet environment without disturbances to their thought process, and when they can explore ideas at length and in depth. Introverts tend to engage with other people in depth as well, preferring a few close friends and deep relationships over many superficial acquaintances.

The Extroversion/Introversion preference can be difficult to observe in other people. Because gregariousness is just one aspect of this scale, it is impossible to determine someone’s E/I preference just by observing how outgoing they are. Many Introverts (especially Feelers) are quite outgoing in social situations, but find that the process of socializing drains their energy. Nobody would know they are Introverted until they come home from the party and declare their exhaustion!

However, if you remember what this scale is fundamentally describing, you can pick up some clues to others’ preferences. At a party or social gathering, Introverts typically have longer conversations with just one or two people. Extroverts are more likely to work their way around the room, chatting briefly with everyone.

At work, Introverts are more likely to declare a need for quiet space, while Extroverts are more likely to want to be in the middle of the action. Extroverts typically see meetings as productive and motivating; Introverts are more likely to feel that meetings distract from getting their work done.

You’ll get the biggest clue to this preference when someone talks about stress and their energy level. “I’ve been around people all day, I just need some time alone!” is a typical Introvert response to the stress of too much stimulation. However, if you hear someone exclaim “I’ve been cooped up all day, I just need to get out and see people!” they’re probably an Extrovert.

When searching for a career, knowing your preference for Extroversion/Introversion can help you to choose a work environment that suits your style. You’ll find Extroverts and Introverts in equal balance across all career fields, but this preference does tend to determine the work environment that you feel most comfortable in. Overall, Extroverts prefer a more active workplace, where Introverts like a quieter one. You may want to consider the physical layout of the work space and how much privacy or interaction it affords.

Your ideal workplace should also encourage the type of communication that is most effective for you. Keep in mind that Introverts tend to prefer to do communicate in writing; memos and emails feel most comfortable for them. Extroverts, on the other hand, prefer face to face interactions. Being aware of this preference can help you to investigate whether you’ll be able to effectively communicate in a particular work environment.

For more information on your own preference and appropriate careers, see the MBTI Assessment and Career Report.