ESFPs direct their energy towards the outside world of actions and spoken words. They get things done, and get them done quickly, and they prefer doing things with and for people. They seek to live life to the full and create experiences for others as well. They enjoy solve urgent problems, such as fire-fighting or trouble shooting.
What makes an ESFP tick?
The Dominant function is the perceptive one of Sensing. Characteristics associated with this function include:
- Likes looking at information in terms of facts and details
- Focuses more on the here and now rather than possibilities for the future
- Feels comfortable in areas of proven experience
- Takes a realistic approach
The perceptive Sensing function is extraverted. That is, Sensing is used primarily to govern the outer world of actions and spoken words. The ESFP will therefore:
- Seek to experience and enjoy the world as it is
- Is very responsive to current events, life tending to be a succession of events
- Be pragmatic in nature, constantly seeking to change the world to the way the ESFP wants it to be
- Observe in an objective way, valuing facts without necessarily putting an interpretation upon them
The Sensing function is primarily supported by introverted Feeling judgement, That is, Feeling judgement is used primarily to manage the inner world of thoughts and emotions. This will modify the way that the Sensing is directed, by:
- focusing the (outer world) Sensing on relationships and facts concerning people
- tending to enjoy action and events for the company of others rather than the events themselves
- leading to enjoyment of interaction with people
The classic temperament of an ESFP is Dionesian, or Sanguine, which seeks to be free from constraint, seeking to enjoy the present, and tending to act on impulse.
Contributions to the team of an ESFP
In a team environment, the ESFP can contribute by:
- involving everyone in the discussion and decision making
- valuing the strengths of each individual, and encouraging team members to contribute their best work
- using a sense of humour to build a friendly atmosphere
- building a lively 'can-do' atmosphere, which generates team spirit
- focusing on practical ideas
- applying a common sense approach to problem solving
- maintaining awareness of the factual information on which discussions are based
The potential ways in which an ESFP can irritate others include:
- taking too personal a focus - e.g.: taking criticism personally
- acting too quickly, without appearing to think things through
- focusing too much on the current task at the expense of longer term or interpersonal issues
- not seeing the wood for the trees
- not taking account of costs or logical considerations
- turning to a new problem before the last one has been fully completed
- over-using humour
Personal Growth
As with all types, the ESFP can achieve personal growth by developing all functions that are not fully developed, through actions such as:- developing a greater understanding of how people feel
- stopping and thinking before acting
- ensuring that all aspects of a task have been completed before going on to the next one
- spending time to interpret facts - looking for subjective meaning, and for underlying patterns
- developing time management skills
- establishing a long term goal, developing an outline plan for achieving it, and working towards it
- 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 ESFP will behave more according to type when under greater stress. For example, in a crisis, the ESFP might:
- draw in other people to help
- use tried and tested methods of solving problems
- act impulsively and take risks
- fail to consider cost implications
Under extreme stress, fatigue or illness, the ESFP's shadow may appear - a negative form of INTJ. Example characteristics are:
- go quiet or withdraw from people
- have a gloomy view of the future
- openly criticise other people
- stop adapting to changing circumstances
The shadow is part of the unconscious that is often visible to others, onto whom the shadow is projected. The ESFP may therefore readily see these faults in others without recognising it in him/her self.