White Sox Twitter Myers-Briggs GM Poll – Analyzed

Hi friends, it’s your favorite den mom, Mrs. BeefLoaf, here to discuss the July 3rd Section 108 Poll. Since there was a holiday in between this post, I’ll jog your memory – it was choosing a perfect White Sox GM, using Myers-Briggs as the framework.

When I am not balancing the hot tub chemicals after a Sunday Soak weekend, I geek out on personality and communication style assessments. What does this mean? It means I am certified to administer and interpret the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator^® (MBTI) assessment, usually through training sessions, as well as other similar assessments. I won’t bore you with the details of my profession.

It was really fun to see the results of the polls. There were no close calls. You selected:

And guess what? It is a UNICORN. It is not to say it would be impossible to get a GM that fits this mold, but it would be rare.

According to psychologist David Keirsey, the ENTJ type is quite rare, accounting for a mere two percent of the population¹.

Key ENTJ Characteristics

• People with this personality type enjoy spending time with other people. They have strong verbal skills and interacting with others helps them feel energized.
• ENTJ types prefer to think about the future rather than focus on the here-and-now. They usually find abstract and theoretical information more interesting than concrete details.
• When making decisions, ENTJs place a greater emphasis on objective and logical information. Personal feeling and the emotions of others tend not to factor much into their choices.
• ENTJs are planners. Making decisions and having a schedule or course of action planned out gives them a sense of predictability and control.
• They are highly rational, good at spotting problems, and excel at taking charge. These tendencies make them natural leaders who are focused on efficiently solving problems.
• One myth about ENTJs is that they are cold and ruthless. While they are not necessarily good with emotions, this does not mean that they are intentionally cruel. They are prone to hiding their own emotions and sentimentality, viewing it as a weakness that should not be made known to others.

When I think of a GM, the strengths, and actually many of the weaknesses, seem like pretty darn good qualities.

So what about our current GM? In my opinion, Rick Hahn is possibly an INTP and I will explain why I feel this way. (Sorry for the ambiguous language of “possibly” and “feel” – I haven’t had many interactions with the guy.) As with any of the 16, potential 4-letter combinations, there is no right or wrong “type”.

Introvert (I): Hahn doesn’t seem to be a man of the people. You don’t see him amongst the fans, like Arizona Diamondbacks President and CEO, Derrick Hall². Is being an introvert a bad thing? Absolutely not. It means one gets their energy from within, as opposed to externally. AND, according to the poll, it is not what White Sox Twitter wants to see in a GM.

Intuition (N): Yes, I realize that “intuition” starts with an “I”. The Myers-Briggs folks thought it would be too confusing to us non-scholarly types to have the option of two “I’s” so they moved to the next letter. Anyhoo, this category doesn’t necessary mean someone is intuitive – it means they prefer to explore possibilities and usually do not get bogged down by details, like the “S” folks do.

Thinking (T): Thinking versus Feeling doesn’t mean Hahn doesn’t have feelings, it just means he likely prioritizes problem over people (according to the poll.) Both “thinkers” and “feelers” think about the problem and the people – it just delineates what they focus on first.

Perceiving (P): As I like to remind my class participants, Perceiving doesn’t mean you are all that perceptive and Judging doesn’t mean you are judgmental. The reason I believe Hahn is a “P” is that he drags his feet, waits until the last possible moment to “pull the trigger” so to speak. I don’t want to get anyone’s blood up, so I won’t give specific, off-season examples. If an assignment is due Friday, a “P” will have it done on the due date without a moment to spare. A “J” would have it completed on Wednesday.

If I am right, Rick Hahn is close to a unicorn as well. From the diagram, only 3.3% of the population falls under INTP.

Now what do I think about the 108ers? I will return with more in the coming weeks – give your brains a chance to rest after all this nerd talk.

-Mrs. BeefLoaf

Mrs. BeefLoaf is a chemist at the 108 den, focused on hot tub cleanliness. She is also a learning and development consultant and founder of Elevate Performance Solutions, Inc.

Sources:

¹ verywellmind.com January 4, 2019, Kendra Cherry

² I had the pleasure of attending a keynote address delivered by Derrick Hall last November, on customer service, valuing employees at ALL levels, and being out in the crowd. I am a fan of him.