Dealing with “S”s at work
I used to be a stock broker and not have to work with people I didn’t like. Now I’m working in a financial firm with 3 freaking Sensors that drive me nutz.

Boss: ESTP (age 56 very bright, experienced ethical but no N, he thinks he is an investment banker)
Wife: ESFJ age 45 wont shut up about stupid stuff
Admin assist: ESFJ/p – 50 works very hard, great, she just works, doesn’t talk much
Me: ENFP: 28 Sidekick I can have a strong T due to my financial training.

I had a lot of trouble communicating at first. Now I stick to facts and simple things as much as possible. I work hard and show reasonable results which my ESTP boss loves. But generally Sensors make me want to vomit and always have.

Q: are there are any good posts for dealing with sensors, how to communicate, act etc?
Q: any good articles for dealing with ESTPs?

Thank you. Your loving ENFP

Boldbiter

When communicating with sensors keep things short and as concrete as possible. Can't emphasize the the concrete part enough, as soon as you starting nebulous or abstract on them they'll get confused and have been known to thrash about violently. If you keep your N largely under wraps while communicating with them you'll do fine. Oh yeah, if by chance you have to assign tasks to an S make sure that they either have done it before or have some pretty detailed documentation making intuitive leaps is not a strong suit and will only lead to additional frustration.

Sshack says:


Well, it's important not to lump all S's in together (even though I do it myself). Just as there are significant differences with NPs versus NJs, the same holds true for SP/SJ.

My boss is, I'm pretty sure, ESTP, and he does like to discuss new ideas, as long as, (and this is very important) they help our company be more competitive in the market. He is extremely competitive, part of the general attitude of the ESTP. As my type can be quite competitive at times as well, a lot of my lengthier talks with him are about company-improving ideas.

I have no advice on the ESFJ. My sister is ESFJ and I haven't been able to figure out a way to get along with her for more than an hour or two. Good luck!

cmrain wrote:


I was on a whole team of what primarily appeared to be SJ's for nearly 8 months. We worked closely in a corporate capacity. What got to me wasn't really the S factor, but more the 'rules' aspect. There was a lot of tension. Unfortunately, not much of it paints a positive picture in my mind. I understood them well, but didn't fit in. They definitely didn't grasp how an intuitive mind works.

Taking pride in your work meant following the rules. Status was tied to how well you knew all the little rules. Excitement came when you found a new way to follow them. You can guess about how much that appealed to me. In the end, I followed boldbidder's advice. I kept it concrete with as little interaction as possible. The world was automated, predictable and revolved around completing tasks. It created a rather poignant state of boredom. I entered their world for a brief space in time. It was an empty place for me. I made it a point to detach emotionally from them and from what I was doing. It was a time when I felt great and blessed to have the ability to not care at all what they thought of me. That is a real and very tangible skill and it works. The psychology was interesting also. I found I ended up liking the SJ's who could tell the difference between the truth and a blatant lie. The power to perceive the difference is a gift that not everyone has.

They all seemed to follow the rules. After all, the rules created the scam that paid our salaries and breaking that wall down would make the house crumble. We all understood that at some level. I am sure their head would have exploded if I told them that a house full of rules is a house made of glass. The whole situation led to a massive group of goody two shoes with a lot of ass kissing and an extreme fear of their own shadow hidden by an invisible hierarchy. I am glad I can laugh about it and not care. And I am equally glad I have moved on!