Breanne Potter

Breanne Potter serves as a Regional Consultant for CPP, Inc. In this role Breanne consults with a myriad of corporate and governmental organizations, that make use of CPP’s numerous publications and assessments, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®), Strong Interest Inventory®, FIRO-B®, Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) and California Psychological Inventory™ (CPI™ and CPI 260™). As a Regional Consultant, Breanne aids organizations and individuals, by providing guidance in the areas of initial needs assessment, program development, employee development, and application training. Breanne joined CPP in 2006, and consults with organizations in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado. Breanne received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and her Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology. Breanne is a career human resources professional with experience in recruiting, team building, leadership development, training, conflict resolution, and organizational development. She also has significant experience in developing and revising selection systems. Breanne is a member of the American Society for Training and Development, Association for Psychological Type, and the Society for Human Resource Managers. Breanne Potter's blog is Speaking of the MBTI... http://speakingofmbti.blogspot.com

Undercover Boss- 7 Eleven Episode

By speakingofmbti | February 22, 2010

I can’t say I had warm and fuzzies after this episode, but I felt like Undercover Boss is back on track after the disturbing episode with Hooters. Read HR Bartender or Great Leadership for some excellent responses to the Hooters fail. However, there is just as much to learn in an episode without a disaster employee like Jimbo, and places where I feel Joe DePinto both shined and missed the boat.

My favorite moment in this episode is when Joe travels to the one store that outsells all other stores in coffee sales. He wanted to know what made that store different and how he can duplicate that success at the other stores. It didn’t take him long to learn that there wasn’t a special brewing technique or coffee station setup that brought in customers. The answer was simple- it’s all about Delores. The customers at Delores’ store felt like it was home. She knew her customers by name and they greeted her with hugs. I was thrilled that Joe recognized how Delores was the key to that store’s success.

The next positive moment was when he met with Igor from Kazakhstan (yes, the Borat Kasakhstan). Igor is the kind of person with a positive outlook on life no matter what challenges are laid before him. He makes deliveries fun. He treats his job like it’s the highest priority. He even finds the silver lining in the schedule challenges that only allow him to see his wife two days a week.

We should all be so lucky to have employees like Delores and Igor.

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Undercover Boss- Hooters Edition

By speakingofmbti | February 15, 2010

I told myself I wouldn’t blog about this episode of Undercover Boss even before it aired, and it only took me 30 minutes to change my mind. After I watched the Waste Management episode, I had goose bumps of inspiration and hope. After this episode, I just want to take a shower.

No, that’s not because I have a problem with Hooters as either a restaurant or it’s implications for women’s rights. Actually, I dig their wings and fries. I have frequented the local Hooters more times than I can count and personally, I could care less what the waitress wears as long as she gets the order right and delivers it quickly.

I just felt “icky” after watching that episode for 2 reasons: 1) JIMBO and 2) the messages all fell on deaf ears.

Webinar: Use of Type in an STJ Environment

By speakingofmbti | February 12, 2010

JOIN US! A teleseminar hosted by the APTi eChapter

The Use of Type in an STJ Environment

Success Story: US Air Force Military Training Instructors

Hassan Kamel, Consulting Coordinator for Otto Kroeger Associations

Wednesday, March 3 at 3:30-4:30 p.m. Eastern/12:30 Pacific

PLEASE CHECK DAY for PACIFIC RIM TIME ZONES (www.timeanddate.com)

Deadline for registration: Thursday, Feb. 25

Undercover Boss and Decision Making

By speakingofmbti | February 8, 2010

I’m hoping you were able to fight over your food coma after the Super Bowl long enough to catch CBS’s new show- Undercover Boss. If you did, I bet the show gave you goosebumps. It really affected me in a profound way.

The premise of the show is a CEO goes undercover and works in the entry level jobs that are too often under appreciated in large companies. Larry O’Donnell, President and COO of Waste Management, was the first to take on the challenge of going undercover in his own organization. He picked up liter (and got fired), cleaned out port-a-potties, and ran a trash route. To say he had an eye-opening experience wouldn’t do the show justice.

Not only did he see the negative impact of some of his policies, but he saw one manager take an initiative too far (and corrected it). He also recognized an emerging leader in the organization and rewarded her with a promotion and career track.

First, let me give credit where it’s due. Mr. O’Donnell is clearly a man who has a huge heart. He didn’t take on the challenge to find out what he’s doing right, he took on the challenge to see what his employees see every day. He made personal connections and was moved by every experience. I don’t believe everyone going through this project will have a Larry O’Donnell moment, but there is a big lesson here.

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New Webinar via TypeLabs on MBTI and Leadership with Sharon Richmond

By speakingofmbti | February 1, 2010

Cultivating Leadership in Your Organization: Leadership Development, Emotional Intelligence and Personality Type

Presented by Sharon Richmond

Friday, March 5, 2010

1pm EST to 2:30pm EST MBTI CE Credits: 1.5

Secure Your Spot Today

Regular Price: $119

Early-bird Price: $79 (Save $40)

One of the most pressing concerns in organizations of all sizes is the quality of their leadership. The global training and development market is very large (X Billion), and continues to grow, but organizations remain concerned about how prepared for the future their leaders are.

How can you ensure that your (or your clients’) organization will overcome this challenge? Why do leaders continue to be concerned, despite the size of the training and development budgets they fund, and the many employees who attend leadership development workshops? Most important, what can organizations (and you) do differently to change their leadership readiness trajectory?

In this presentation, Sharon will introduce what some executives have called “the world’s simplest leadership model.” She will outline three critical leadership abilities, link them to core aspects of emotional intelligence and personality type, citing proprietary research results, and offer a five step strategy for building a more robust leadership pool.

What you’ll learn: 1) What’s creating this leadership shortage 2) The new essence of leadership 3) Encouraging the emergence of more leaders – and considering personality type 4) “Leadership Intelligence” – when emotional intelligence meets leadership and personality type 5) The leaders role in developing leaders

Join this popular presenter, and walk away seeing your own role, and your own leadership potential, in a new light.

Job Interview Tips for Introverts and Extroverts

By speakingofmbti | January 20, 2010

Interviewing is no fun! I don’t know anyone who enjoys the process of being interviewed for a job. Even when you feel like you’re a good match, there is still that feeling that you’re standing on the playground waiting to be picked for a game of dodge ball. It also seems that for some people, no matter how much you prepare or how confident you are, you will just feel like you didn’t click with that interviewer.

Sadly, not all interviewers are good at interviewing. Some will ask oddball questions like “If you were a cereal, what would you be?” Nevertheless, you need to be at your personal best when you interview, and part of that is affected by your preferences for Introversion/Extroversion.

(By the way, if you haven’t taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, you can do so online at http://mbticomplete.com/ or through a certified practitioner. Here is a link to some recommended practitioners).

An individual who prefers Introversion tends to spend a lot of time in his/her own head. Remember, Introversion has nothing to do with shyness or social ability, it’s only about where you draw your energy. An Introvert prefers to spend time alone considering ideas before responding. Therefore, an interview can be a challenge for an introvert because answers are expected rapidly. Unfortunately, an interviewer might mistake a pause before answering as a sign of hesitation or lack of knowledge. In addition, an introvert is more likely to downplay their role in a project which can result in others questioning the individuals ability. An introvert may also give an answer that is perceived to be too short, or lacking detail.

Learning Your Personality Type: It’s About Empowerment

By speakingofmbti | January 19, 2010

I have a Google Alert set up so I receive a notification when anyone on the web posts something about the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (if that doesn’t tell you what a MBTI nerd I am, then I don’t know what will). I am always sad when I read a blog post by someone who received a half-hearted MBTI debrief (or none at all) and they walk away without a transformation.

Learning about personality type isn’t like reading a fortune cookie message. You shouldn’t want to say “Hmmm…that’s interesting information” and toss the report in the back of your filing cabinet.

Learning about personality type should be empowering. Truthfully, you shouldn’t learn something about yourself that you didn’t already know, but what you will learn is a way to describe it and recognize why you behave the way you do. You should learn how your behaviors affect others, and why others behave differently from you. You should be able to recognize cues about personality preferences in others and learn how to adapt to their personality type. You should learn how to flex your type to grow and develop.

Knowledge is power. Knowing your personality type, examining your behaviors, recognizing type preferences in others, and flexing your type is power. Self-development is power.

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Posted in General Human Resources | Comment »

MBTI Workshop: Type and Mentoring Millenials by Judith Grutter

By speakingofmbti | January 19, 2010

I just heard that Judith Grutter (MBTI Master Practitioner and provider of Certification Programs) will hold a workshop on MBTI and mentoring the Millenial generation! It sounds very exciting! Judith also writes a great blog on MBTI, Strong Interest Inventory and career counseling.

Here is the info from her website:

___________________________________________________

Annual Lake Tahoe MBTI Workshop:

Type and Mentoring Millennials

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place”. — Gandhi

Born between 1980-2000, they are your students, your clients, your direct reports: the high maintenance-high performance Millennials. Like every generation before them, they bring unique characteristics to our schools, colleges, and places of work. Shaped by parent advocacy, they are filled with high potential and high expectations. They are confident, hopeful, collaborative, achievement-oriented, and they want IT now. The challenge? They don’t know what IT is!

Our 2010 advanced MBTI workshop focuses on the type development challenges of the Millennial Generation — how their type-related strengths and liabilities impact:

How we teach
How we counsel/coach
How we manage and supervise

New 2010 MBTI Training Dates from APTi

By speakingofmbti | January 18, 2010

I just received this updated list of APTi’s 2010 training programs, and the line-up looks amazing! Be sure to register early for these events!

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APTi Training 2010 Training Program is Here!

Are you happy holiday shopping is over for another year? Start 2010 with a gift to yourself. The gift of knowledge. “Type for You” is the 2010 theme for APTi’s online training and we are certain you will agree we have a great lineup of classes. You will find classes just for you within the learning tracks of: “Type for Professionals,” “Type for Daily Living” and “Type for Members.”

New topics, new trainers and of course, the names you’ve come to trust in the type community, will be presenting classes on topics ranging from improving email communication through type and learning styles, recognizing the eight cognitive processes, enhancing team performance, the philosophy of your practice, the impact type has on relationships and even relating your type, life gifts, spiritual gifts, and values to each other.

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A Preference is Not the Same as a Skill

By speakingofmbti | January 14, 2010

I hear it all the time- “I’m an extrovert, so I’m good at public speaking.”

Well, you may be good at public speaking, but that is not because you are an extrovert.

Too often we confuse a preference with a skill. Each time you start to confuse a preference with a skill, think about your food preferences. I happen to prefer chocolate ice cream over vanilla ice cream, but that does not mean I’m good at making chocolate ice cream. It’s simply a preference. No skill is involved.

Our personality type preferences are an indicator of what is natural for us. It is absolutely possible that what happens to be natural for us is also a skill, but it is not always the case. For instance, someone with a clear preference for Judging may be skilled at keeping organized or on schedule, but that isn’t always the case.

Similarly, someone who prefers extroversion does not necessarily have better social skills than someone who prefers introversion. Introversion/Extroversion is about where you draw your energy not about your ability to connect with people, speak in public, etc.

It is also important to remember that when you receive a “high score” for a preference, this does not indicate strength or skill. The only thing the “score” indicates is how reliable your answers were towards one direction of the dichotomy. I’ll give you an example using my ice cream analogy above. If I still answer that I prefer chocolate ice cream over 10 other choices (strawberry, chocolate chip, cookie dough, etc) then my preference for chocolate is clear. However, if I occasionally choose another ice cream over chocolate, but still answer chocolate the majority of the time, my preferences would be considered moderate. In other words, in certain situations I could flex to something other than my natural preference.

(Does anyone else have a sweet tooth now?)

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MBTI Certification Program in Kansas City Feb 23rd-26th

By speakingofmbti | January 13, 2010

Tentatively, there will be a MBTI® Certification Program held in Downtown Kansas City from February 23rd-26th, 2010.

This four day course will teach you how to ethically and professionally administer the MBTI® and provide tools and insight into adapting it to the needs of your organization/clients.

The cost for the Certification Program will be approximately $1,600 per person (which includes all materials and training for MBTI® Form M, Step II, MBTIComplete, and MBTI® ThinkBox).

If you (or any of your colleagues) are interested in attending, please let me know ASAP via email breannepotter@gmail.com. The roster for a local workshop typically fills very quickly.

Please feel free to forward this post to anyone who may be interested.

Here is some additional information on the MBTI® and CPP’s MBTI® Certification Program:

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On Becoming an MBTI Certified Practitioner

By speakingofmbti | January 13, 2010

Take it from a new practitioner; MBTI certification will help you be better.

I’ll admit that as the new product marketing manager for the MBTI assessment, the prospect of attending an MBTI certification training program was both exciting and a bit daunting. Although I had administered and interpreted the MBTI instrument during my counseling career, I was a bit nervous—that was 10 years ago! Yikes. And, exams? I still have those nightmares about forgetting to study for finals and turning in my graduate thesis two months too late. As I began the program I wondered – what will fellow participants expect of me? How will I fare alongside of all these training and development professionals? And, heaven forbid, what if I fail?

Well, needless to say, I passed the course without any problems. Now that it’s all over, and I have had some time to reflect on the experience, I wanted to share a little bit about my experience with the MBTI Certification training, to help anyone out there who has considered Certification, but wants an insider perspective.

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Newsflash: Your Employees are Not Happy

By speakingofmbti | January 6, 2010

When the Conference Board released it’s latest study showing the steady decline of employee satisfaction over the past few decades, I wasn’t entirely surprised. However, when you start to realize that 55% of those employed are saying they are unhappy with their jobs, that’s a problem.

Are you happy at your job? Well, then look to your left, and then look to your right…one of those two people are applying for every job they can find on Monster.com. One of those two people are praying for a snow day at work tomorrow. One of those two people will leave your company the second the market turns around.

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Posted in Talent Management | Comment »

SOLVED: The Mystery of Sherlock Holmes

By speakingofmbti | January 6, 2010

The most famous detective in literary history, and no stranger to the small and large screens, made his re-emergence, this time not from Reichenbach Falls, but onto the big screen in the hands of the consummate London East End thug culture movie specialist Guy Ritchie. I’m referring to Sherlock Holmes, of course, and his trusted partner (not to say “sidekick”) Dr. John Watson. In his new incarnation Holmes, revealed in Robert Downey, Jr.’s pitch perfect performance, still solves mysteries, but now he boxes for money, uses a revolver, and is outwitted by an American woman with whom he is much smitten. Not your grandfather’s Holmes, indeed!

But no matter how much Holmes’ details change for the modern viewer, his core remains the same. And this is the great mystery which Myers-Briggs type has solved. For the mystery of Sherlock Holmes type we finally have an answer. . .

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Using Assessments for Employee Development: They are The Starting Point not the Destination

By speakingofmbti | November 13, 2009

It may be a shock to some of you, but I do not believe that assessments are the answer to all situations.

I will wait for a moment while you process that earth-shattering reveal.

Now, I clearly believe in the value of assessments, especially the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) instrument. However, an assessment is just a piece of paper unless it is properly debriefed by a certified practitioner and then used by the recipient to better understand themselves and others. An assessment is not a crystal ball, nor will it tell you the meaning of life.

I was reminded of this fact today when I met with a group of expert coaches in a variety of fields. Some of them use assessments and some do not. The coaches who do use assessments are not better than the ones who don’t. They simply approach their business in a different manner. A coach can still coach without an assessment.

However, I personally use the MBTI because I believe the common language the assessment provides give a coach the foundation to help foster understanding and genuine behavioral change. The letters associated with personality type provide people with a name for how they think/feel/behave. It affirms that their behavior is “normal” and also helps them understand that the behaviors of other personality types are also “normal.”

That being said, the assessment itself is only a piece of paper- starting point- a diving board. Just knowing your 4 letters does not create change or help you learn to flex to another type. If the assessment itself were the destination, there would be no need for a certified practitioner to debrief the report. This is exactly why the fake (free) assessments online that purport to be the Myers-Briggs are worthless (to put my feelings mildly).

Never underestimate the value of an expert coach. A coach helps put context to the information held in an assessment report. They help you learn when and where certain behaviors are appropriate and effective. They help show you when you have a blind spot and how that impacts your life experiences.

This message is equally important for all corporate trainers and Organizational Development executives. Unfortunately, due to budget and time restrictions, we are constantly asked to do more with less- less time, less money, etc. When you cut back on time you typically only do the bare minimum. Here’s another message that may shock you- if you only do the bare minimum (a one-time debrief) you are wasting your time and money. The value of the MBTI debrief does not happen in one hour. I don’t even believe it happens in 4 or 8 hours.

The value of the MBTI comes through reinforcement and continuous learning, development, and reflection. The truth is that using an assessment is an investment. You must invest your time in coaching others and if you are the recipient, you must invest your energy in self-reflection and behavior modification.

It is through that investment that you will find the value of the MBTI, not through the paper itself. Take the paper and transform it into a map- the map that guides your life development and self-reflection journey.