Hello Everyone! 

2008 has been a year of wild change: in the type community, here at OKA, throughout the country, and around the globe. We at OKA wanted to share one more newsletter with you before the year ends, to share a new series of type trainer support tools, to invite you to a January 2009 Open House, and to do a little holiday time typewatching.

New!  Downloadable MBTI® Training Support Bundles!   
 
MBTI at OKAFor many years, the Typewatching Toolkit served as OKA's primary resource for training agendas, type exercises, handouts, PowerPoint slides and a number of personal and professional report options. Based on customer feedback, and with today's technology options however, we have discontinued the toolkit in its released form. Instead, we have segmented the Toolkit into its component parts (called "bundles"). We did this both to enable consultants and trainers to purchase only those bundles that are of most interest; and to update the look and feel of the elements to better complement our other Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) products.
 
OKA is proud to offer three new downloadable products containing designs, exercises, and handouts - all revised from OKA's previous Typewatching Toolkit content. We've also posted a product with OKA's Poster Logos, for a little fun! These products join OKA's DVD series, training workbooks, and MBTI PowerPoint Slideshow to provide consultants and trainers with a wide variety of type tools to support and sharpen their type presentations and approaches.
  • MBTI Introduction Designs. Detailed and specific, this downloadable bundle product includes a proposed structure, flow and agenda for both a half and full day of type feedback training, which are our two most requested type training designs. With ample content and proposed scripting, both designs are cross-referenced with OKA's workbooks and our MBTI PowerPoint Slideshow for easy integration and cross-tool support (all optional). In addition to the two designs, this bundle also includes six specific design options that cover ways to tailor the two designs to address specific group needs, such as large groups, unusually small groups, too little time, using the MBTI Self-Scorable form, presenting to non-diverse groups, and using type without the benefit of the MBTI assessment.

    See a sample from this bundle: Design Option #3: Using Type in Groups with Underrepresented Preferences.  It is always a challenge to bring experiential type training to groups who do not have all preferences represented. This write-up includes actions and approaches to compensate for this common situation.

  • MBTI Dichotomy Exercises.  This downloadable bundle product includes 25 detailed MBTI preference exercises, including a number that are good basic introductory type experiments, and others that are beyond basic and take a deeper dive into the preferences and their usefulness. OKA has made its reputation doing experiential, actionable training; these exercises represent decades of experiences in the field.

  • MBTI Introduction Handouts.  From basic handouts on good descriptive words and general highlights for each of the MBTI dichotomies, to type interaction charts, and action plans-this downloadable bundle product of 29 handouts offers trainers and consultants a great grab bag of options to support the delivery of sharp and engaging type training. View a Bundle Guide to preview contents. 
Visit OKA (www.typetalk.com)!
 
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Open House at OKA: Visit Insight Consulting!
 
Many organization development professionals have found great insights in the book Crucial Conversations, by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. This book lays out the case and a process for connection and dialog between people when the stakes are high. In further exploring this model, I discovered Insight Management Consulting, a group of consultants and trainers certified to train the Crucial Conversations process. Blending equal parts conflict management, feedback, and collaborative problem solving, the folks at Insight Management Consulting have the mission of helping companies become and remain vital - full of life, vigorous, energetic and dynamic.
 
OKA immediately connected with this organizational effort and looks forward to hosting Insight Management Consulting and their workshops in our Fairfax training center throughout 2009.  To help Insight Management publicize their training approach, OKA invited them to host a sample introductory event at OKA in Fairfax, VA on January 21 from 10 AM to Noon. There is no cost or pre-work for this event, designed to introduce the structure and approach of the Crucial Conversations model.  We ask only that you RSVP, so we will know how many people to prepare for. Send an e-mail to Gina Carter to register your interest in participating.
Getting to Know Santa Claus
By Hile Rutledge, INFP and Chief Executive Officer, OKA 
 
Hile Rutledge
Over the last year, we have gotten a lot of feedback on our application of our various tools and models to the Presidential race. Now that 2008 is ending, it seems the time to focus some of these tools on a more timely celebrity: Santa Claus. What can type and the archetypes tell us about Santa?
 
Of course all projections on someone else's type preferences or archetypal motivations and connections are just that: projections, and they say more about the guesser than they do the subject being considered. If pop culture, political figures and other such real time folks who are in the news everyday are the recipients of our projection - getting spun positively for the things we like and at time viciously for those things that displease us - imagine what we as a collective do to Santa Claus! This thought is offered as a disclaimer and a backdrop urging you to take what I next say (and the type or archetype projections of anyone you ask) with a pound of salt.
 
Santa Claus' Archetypal Stories
 
Archetypes are patterns or structures common to all people cross-culturally.  Part of the core human experience, these archetypes can be seen as storylines that define with a particular meaning and context the events of life. Carol Pearson has identified twelve common archetypes and produced a psychological tool (the Pearson-Marr Archetype Indicator® or PMAI®) to assist people in identifying for themselves the archetypes that hold the most sway in their lives. While Pearson's model includes twelve archetypes, my observations on St. Nick are rooted in only three of them: the Innocent, the Caregiver and the Magician.
 
Innocent Archetype.  The story the Innocent archetype sees, understands and lives is one that asserts and needs to believe that the world is a place of hope and a happy tomorrow; a world in which faith and trust are justly bestowed on people and systems worthy of being believed in. The Innocent archetype helps us to trust, to hope and to believe that a better day lies ahead. This has to be Santa, who is clearly driven by faith and trust and the Innocent's assumption that all will be well and all wounds healed if only we believe.   
 
Caregiver Archetype. The story the Caregiver archetype sees, understands and lives is one that asserts that people's needs require and deserve attention and tending to as a primary focus, even at the expense of the needs of the one giving care. This care and giving is done (much like a parent might do) from a position of power.  In this archetype, however,  it is not the exercise of power that is the motive, but the drive to bestow care on those who need it: the care, concern and nurturing they lack but deserve.
 
Hey, what could Santa be but a Caregiver?  He is about giving to others-filling their needs, not taking anything in return save a cookie, some eggnog and maybe a shot of liquor every now and then. He's a powerful guy-remember he has the positional authority to decide who gets a new Nintendo and who gets only socks, but if we're good and if we believe, Santa will make sure we get everything we want.  Santa's a Caregiver.  
 
Magician Archetype. The story the Magician archetype sees, understands and lives is one that transforms reality by reframing it, realigning our understanding and shifting the very paradigms on which we have here-to-fore rested. Though Pearson's model is secular, the idea of the holy man or woman who transforms lives and understanding through an infusion of spirit or a fundamental paradigm shift is included within this archetype.  It is the Magician archetype that helps us transform and transcend current reality to find new ways of dealing, being and succeeding. 
 
A critical element of Santa's story is the magical transformation-from the rising up a chimney by the touch of his nose and his annual circumnavigation of the globe with his flying reindeer to his century-long efforts to transform a fitful and suffering world into one filled with gratitude, compassion and love, one child's heart at a time. This drive toward emotional and spiritual transformation suggests that Santa is a Magician as well.
 
While there are other archetypal strands that give Santa's life and efforts meaning, I think his primary archetypes are Innocent, Caregiver and Magician.
 
Now, what about Santa Claus's type preferences?
 
Santa Claus' Type 
 
Picturing the late 20th century, pop culture, largely marketing driven image of Santa that is most prevalent today, these would be the preferences I see:
  
Temperament of Santa - I can see the argument for NF. Santa is a poster child for personable and touchy-feely, right? But I would argue Santa is an SJ. Look at this man's project management skills. Toys for everyone in the world delivered all in one night: on time and under budget? Come on, only an SJ could pull that one off. Besides he makes a list and checks it twice. NFJs may make the list, but check it twice? Never. Santa's an SJ.
 
Extravert - Most of the shows and images we see of Santa show a gregarious and expressive man, frequently in the company of others. Can you imagine the network that that man must have? No Introvert would have such a thing unless he lived in total stress - and that jolly old elf certainly has a stress-free life 51 weeks out of the year.
 
Feeler - Santa has to be a Feeling decider. Don't be fooled by the naughty and nice list. That is not an objective, logical decision process. Fs can and do make the naughty or nice conclusion. But really, have you ever seen data that suggest that anyone has ever made it to the naughty list? There were many years that I deserved switches and coal, but I got the G.I. Joe with the Kung Fu Grip instead. Santa has shown more mercy than justice in my view. Santa is an F - a dominant Extraverted F, in fact.  
 
I would argue that Santa is an ESFJ, which we refer to as Host/Hostess of the World, also known as the ambassadors of the world.  How perfect for Father Christmas.
 
If you are interested in doing more reading or studying on the archetypes, take a look at Carol Pearson's What Story Are You Living?  or consider coming to a PMAI training event at OKA in 2009.  If further study on type is an interest, we have a number of classes and products to choose from at OKA's Store. All of us at OKA wish you warm holiday greetings and sincere wishes for a peaceful and prosperous 2009 - we hope to see you soon!

2009 Classes at OKA in Fairfax, VA

New Classes and Returning Favorites Will Include:

  • Emotional Intelligence Certification Class
  • Generations (& Generations with Type!)
  • MBTI Advanced Applications Classes
  • New Self-Guided Training Programs!   

Look for more in our next newsletter! 

Popular MBTI Training Products... 
Visit the OKA Store!  
 
OKA's MBTI training products continue to grow in popularity.  Save preparation time, and add a professional flair to your MBTI presentations with these ready-to-go tools! 

NEW!  A great gift for Type Enthusiasts - a TypeWatching Poster Tote Bag for only $10!  Learn more and order. 

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