Assessments
Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The MBTI is the world's most used indicator of adult personality style preferences. Based on the theories of Carl Jung, it describes 16 different preferred styles of dealing with the world. The MBTI is extensively researched, non-judgmental and easily understood. The questionnaire assesses how one acts and feels in certain situations. There are no "right" or "wrong" answers. The responses help show how a person likes to look at things and how he/she likes to go about deciding things. This instrument is widely used to understand people in terms of their decision-making styles, preferences for communication and work environments, and for career development and exploration. It's helpful for individuals to understand themselves and others. It is very useful to help teams become more productive and successful.
The Strong Interest Inventory
The Strong Interest Inventory was developed by E. K. Strong, Jr. and is based on John Holland's theory of vocational choice. Published in 1927, the SII has the longest history of any psychological test. It is one of the most thoroughly researched and highly respected instruments in use today. It compares a person's interests with the interests of people happily employed in a wide variety of occupations. When a person's interests are similar to the interests of the people in the sampling, some general prediction can be made about what careers seem most compatible with the person's career interests. The profile can also help a person to organize interests in to patterns (e.g., types of environments and people with whom he/she is comfortable). it measures interests not aptitude or intelligence, and it is used best as a tool to assist individuals in making curricular or occupational choices.
Enneagram
According to two of my favorite authors on the Enneagram, Russ Hudson and Don Riso, the Enneagram is a geometric figure that maps the nine fundamental personality types of human nature and their complex interrelationships. It is a development of modern psychology that has roots in spiritual wisdom from many different ancient traditions. The modern Enneagram of personality type has been synthesized from many different spiritual and religious traditions. Mush of it is condensation of universal wisdom, the perennial philosophy accumulated by Christians, Buddhists, Muslims (especially the Sufis), and the Jews (in the Kabbalah) for thousands of years.
The Enneagram is not a religion, however; nor does it interfere with a person’s religious orientation. It concerns itself with one element that is fundamental to all spiritual paths: self-knowledge. The Enneagram reveals the spiritual heights that we are capable of attaining and it also sheds light clearly and nonjudgmentally on the aspects of our lives that are dark and unfree.
I discovered the Enneagram many years ago and have found it to be a very transformational tool in understanding my shadow and unconscious motivations within my particular type that I don’t think I would have realized through any other method or concept. It was truly a key to getting to the root cause of my beliefs and behaviors that were holding me back from spiritual growth.
I have taught classes, facilitated small groups, and used this concept as a spiritual coach and have found it to be transformational. I continue to study and attend workshops on this topic, never tiring of finding new depths of insight.