It’s All About The Mindset!
Every year, Beloit College puts together a Mindset List to help college faculty and administrators better understand the viewpoints of the newest class. It discusses technology, social interaction style, and the American culture. For many college staff members, it’s a chance to reminisce and exclaim “WHAT?! They don’t know who that is?!” By the same token, we’re no longer making outdated references to celebrities these students have never heard of. It’s easier for college administrators to relate to students if we know where the student is coming from and what they understand- their mindset.
Mindset is important because, as you go through the world, it’s necessary to understand culture and the people around you. Things that may have never impacted you may be a huge influence on the life of someone else. It’s imperative to understand how the past is impacting the present. It’s easier to communicate and establish rapport with someone if you have, essentially, walked a mile in their shoes, and understand a bit about what makes them tick. For example, if you want to study abroad, it may not set a good example if you bring up something negative from that country’s past, or you argue with them about an aspect of their culture without understanding it. Or, you may be an intern pushing for more social media outreach and automated emails from a company that prides itself in face-to-face, personalized interactions. Have there been any times when someone didn’t understand your mindset? What about a situation where you really grasped a mindset, and the other person really appreciated it? How did you react?
Another service we offer to students who are conflicted about their choice of major or career path is the Myers-Briggs Temperment Inventory (MBTI). There are 16 potential combinations of results, and they reflect your personality and how you tend to interact with others. I’m not going into each potential outcome, but I am going to give an overview of each part of the result.
The first section relates to how you draw energy. If you are an Introvert, you get energy from within, and actually, can feel that your energy is drained when you have to interact with many people. On the other hand, Extroverts get energized after feeling energized from the people around them. You love being around people and usually find it easy to strike up a conversation even with people you don’t know.
The second section is how you prefer to take in information. Sensing people prefer the cold, hard facts. They want things to be realistic, practical, and concrete. However, Intuitive types prefer to use their imagination. They interpret abstract ideas and like things to be original and conceptual.
Third, we have decision making. People who call into the Thinking category can be tough decision makers. They use logic and reasoning, and can be critical. People who fall into the Feeling category use their heart more than their head. They are accepting and open and try to accomodate everyone when making decisions.
As our last category, we have Lifestyle. People who are Judging does not mean they are judgemental of others. Judgers simply like to have a plan. They are systematic and try to start everything early. People who are Perceiving are more likely to go with the flow. They are more spontaneous and may respond more quickly if the deadline is closer.
Based on what you’ve read, what combination of the four categories do you think you are?
ALBRIGHT ELCDC 