ESFJ Personality Type
ESFJs direct their energy towards the outer world of actions and spoken words. They seek to build harmony in personal relationships, engendering team spirit and being an encouragement to others. They like dealing with people, and organise life on a personal basis.
What makes an ESFJ tick?
The Dominant function is the judging one of Feeling. Characteristics associated with this function include:
- Makes decisions on the basis of personal values
- Is appreciative and accepting of people - enjoying company and seeking harmony
- Assesses the impact of decisions on others, being sympathetic or compassionate
- Takes a personal approach
The judging Feeling function is extraverted. That is, Feeling is used primarily to govern the outer world of actions and spoken words. The ESFJ will therefore:
- seek stable, harmonious relationships
- tend to adapt to the environment, taking on board those values that are held as important by friends and family, or society as a whole
- express the appreciation that is felt towards others
- tend to consider others' feelings before his/her own
- be sensitive to praise and criticism, and seek to conform to others' reasonable expectations
The Feeling function is primarily supported by introverted Sensing perception, That is, Sensing perception is used primarily to manage the inner world of thoughts and emotions. This will modify the way that the Feeling is directed, by:
- focusing the (outer world) Feeling on current relationships and people, e.g.: through social events and fact-based conversation
- finding practical ways to be of service to people
- viewing people subjectively, observing facts that support harmonious relationships
The classic temperament of an ESFJ is Epimethean, or Melancholic, for whom a basic driving force is duty, service and the desire to belong.
Contributions to the team of an ESFJ
In a team environment, the ESFJ can contribute by:
- working hard and efficiently to complete tasks by the deadlines set
- ensuring that everyone in the team feels valued, and that their needs are met
- maintaining good relationships, and building team spirit, often through enthusiastic organisation of social activities
- keeping the team informed, asking for contributions from all members, and seeking to arrive at consensus decisions
- maintaining respect for established hierarchies and traditions
- striving to ensure that people are happy with the service provided
The potential ways in which an ESFJ can irritate others include:
- talking too much
- assuming they know the needs of others
- avoiding conflict, and not giving criticism when it is needed
- not paying attention to their own needs
- not seeing the wood for the trees
- being reluctant to try out new things or work towards new possibilities
Personal Growth
As with all types, the ESFJ can achieve personal growth by developing all functions that are not fully developed, through actions such as:- learning to observe and accept the negative aspects of those people they admire
- trying to view people in a more independent and objective way
- pausing and thinking, encouraging others to articulate their own needs, and using active listening to verify understanding
- undertaking a critical appraisal of a situation or person, and expressing disagreement or criticism when it could be of value to the recipient
- establishing a list of the ESFJ's personal needs, and ensuring they are met - recognising that there are ways in which the ESFJ and others can have both sets of needs met
- establishing a long term goal, working towards it, but being prepared to modify it in the light of experience and developing circumstances
- listing options and undertaking a formal process of evaluation against criteria, including a cost benefit analysis
Recognising Stress
As stress increases, 'learned behaviour' tends to give way to the natural style, so the ESFJ will behave more according to type when under greater stress. For example, in a crisis, the ESFJ might:
- work hard to complete pre-defined tasks
- express appreciation for everyone else's efforts
- fail to recognise the need for change
- neglect their own needs whilst being concerned for others
Under extreme stress, fatigue or illness, the ESFJ's shadow may appear - a negative form of INTP. Example characteristics are:
- being very critical and finding fault with almost everything
- having a pessimistic view of the future
- suggesting ideas that are quite impractical
- ignoring others' feelings
The shadow is part of the unconscious that is often visible to others, onto whom the shadow is projected. The ESFJ may therefore readily see these faults in others without recognising it in him/her self.