The Unique Psychological

World of Lawyers—

Strategies for Successful and Satisfying Careers

Yale Law School

March 13, 2013

Ronda Muir, Esq. 203-532-5630

RMuir@LawPeopleManagement.com

Copyright Ronda Muir, LPM

“Are Law Firms Manageable?”

1. “The problem of trust” 2. “Skepticism” 3. “Professional detachment” 4. “Approaches to decision-making”

– Analysis paralysis – Risk averse

David Maister, 2006

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What Makes Lawyers Different?

• Positive Psychology

• Conflict Resolution

• Caliper*

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)*

• Emotional Intelligence

*Some statistics related to the Caliper and MBTI results are drawn from articles by Dr. Larry Richard.

• Optimists or Pessimists? Positive Psychology

What Makes Lawyers Different?

• Fighters or Lovers? Conflict Resolution

What Makes Lawyers Different?

What Makes Lawyers Different?

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What Makes Lawyers Different?

90 89 85 78

30 12

0

20

40

60

80

100

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Skepticism Autonomy Abstraction Urgency Resilience Sociability

Lawyers’ Average Caliper Personality Traits

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®)

Carl Gustave Jung (1875-1961) Swiss psychiatrist Attempt to reconcile theories of Freud (Extraverted) and Adler

(Introverted) Wrote “Psychological Types” in 1921 about 3 types

Katherine C. Briggs (1875-1968)

Reconciled her type theories (1917) with Jung’s Added Perceiving/Judging types

Isabel Briggs Myers (1897-1980)

Katherine’s daughter; married a lawyer! Developed MBTI Questionnaire (1943)

MBTI is a trademark or registered trademark of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries.

Distinctions of MBTI

Preference Type vs. Psychological Trait

Dichotomy

Indicator

Clarity, not Strength or Ability

Lengthy History and Research

Worldwide

Most Common Assessment

The Eight MBTI Preferences

1: Extraversion—E vs 2: Sensing—S vs 3: Thinking—T vs 4: Judging—J vs

Introversion--I Intuition--N Feeling--F Perceiving--P

MBTI is a trademark or registered trademark of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries.

Characteristics of Extraverts and Introverts

E--Extraverts • Prefer to communicate verbally • Outgoing and action-oriented • Learn best by doing or talking • Have many friends and acquaintances • Enjoy sharing ideas at gatherings • Need external stimulus and input

I--Introverts • Prefer to communicate in writing • Private and inwardly focused • Learn best through thinking and processing • Have a select circle of friends • Appear to be good listeners • Need time alone to reenergize self MBTI is a trademark or registered trademark of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries.

Characteristics of Sensing and Intuitive

S--Sensing Types • Focus on what is here and real; use history as a guide • Observe and easily recall data and specifics • Gain understanding through hands-on experience • Tend to be factual and concrete; are creative in a step-by-step manner

N--Intuitive Types • Attuned to possibilities in the future Think in concepts and theories • Are concerned with meanings and patterns in information • Trust “gut” feelings • Tend to be imaginative and creative; use flashes of insight

MBTI is a trademark or registered trademark of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries.

Characteristics of Thinking and Feeling

T--Thinking Types • Value logic • Use cause-and-effect reasoning • Objective, striving for what’s fair and just • Critical and analytical

F--Feeling Types • Value compassion • Consider effects of their decisions on others • Seek to maintain harmony • Empathetic

MBTI is a trademark or registered trademark of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries.

Characteristics of Judging and Perceiving

J--Judging Types • Value organization • Methodical and disciplined • Decisive and need closure • Prefer to make plans

P--Perceiving Types • Flexible and adaptive • Tend to be spontaneous • Prefer to be loose and open to change • Prefer to keep their options open

MBTI is a trademark or registered trademark of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trust in the United States and other countries.

Contributions of the Preferences

Extraversion (E)

Breadth of interests

Introversion (I)

Depth of concentration

Sensing (S)

Reliance on facts

Intuition (N)

Grasp of possibilities

Thinking (T)

Logic and analysis

Feeling (F)

Warmth and sympathy

Judging (J)

Organization

Perceiving (P)

Adaptability

MBTI TYPE: US vs. US Lawyers vs YLS

What Energizes You? – E – 55-?% of US Population – I – 57% of US Lawyers – I – 61% of YLS

What Data Do You Pay Attention To?

– S – 73% of US Population – N – 57% of US Lawyers – N – 88% of YLS

MBTI TYPE: US vs US Lawyers vs YLS

How Do You Make Decisions? – F – 60% of US Population (65% of Women) – T – 78% of US Lawyers (60% of Women) – T – 57% of YLS

How Do You Structure Your Time?

– J – 54% of US Population – J – 63% of US Lawyers – J – 84% of YLS

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MBTI TYPE: US Population

ISTJ 11.6% 16.4 6.9

ISFJ 13.8%

8.1 19.4

INFJ 1.5% 1.2 1.6

INTJ 2.1% 3.3 0.9

ISTP 5.4% 8.5 2.3

ISFP 8.8% 7.6 9.9

INFP 4.4% 4.1 4.6

INTP 3.3% 4.8 1.7

ESTP 4.3% 5.6 3.0

ESFP 8.5% 6.9

10.1

ENFP 8.1% 6.4 9.7

ENTP 3.2% 4.0 2.4

ESTJ 8.7% 11.2 6.3

ESFJ 12.3%

7.5 16.9

ENFJ 2.5% 1.6 3.3

ENTJ 1.8% 2.7 0.9

Total Population Male Female

Total Population Male Female

Total Population Male Female

Total Population Male Female

Total = 3,009; male = 1,478; female = 1,531. Copyright MBTI

MBTI TYPE: US Lawyers

ISTJ 17.8%

ISFJ 4.2%

INFJ 2.7%

INTJ 13.1%

ISTP 3.9%

ISFP 1.4%

INFP 3.9%

INTP 9.4%

ESTP 3.3%

ESFP .5%

ENFP 5.2%

ENTP 9.7%

ESTJ 10.3%

ESFJ 2.7%

ENFJ 2.9%

ENTJ 9.0%

Data derived from studies by L. Richard, Esq.

MBTI TYPE: US Lawyers/Yale Law School

ISTJ 17.8%/3%

ISFJ 4.2%/3%

INFJ 2.7%/15%

INTJ 13.1%/36%

ISTP 3.9%/0%

ISFP 1.4%/0%

INFP 3.9%/1%

INTP 9.4%/2%

ESTP 3.3%/<1%

ESFP .5%

ENFP 5.2%/8%

ENTP 9.7%/3%

ESTJ 10.3%/1%

ESFJ 2.7%/3%

ENFJ 2.9%/11%

ENTJ 9.0%/10%

. YSL data supplied by permission of YLS

Definition of Emotional Intelligence

“Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive emotions, to access and generate emotions so as to assist thought, to understand emotions and emotional knowledge, and to reflectively regulate emotions so as to promote emotional and intellectual growth.”

Mayer & Salovey, 1997

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Assessing Emotional Intelligence

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Assessing Emotional Intelligence

Senior associate Ben has just received some bad news

about his brother’s health. He has a lunch meeting with a partner and potential client where he wants to be upbeat and positive. Ben should:

• Listen to sad music to calm himself down • Review his professional accomplishments • Sit alone in his office until lunch

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Lawyers and Emotional Intelligence

IQ

70 85 100 115 130

EQ

Management

Understanding

Use

Perception

Lawyers and Emotional Intelligence

Lawyers and Emotional Intelligence

“To deliberate well – which requires both sympathy and detachment – one must therefore be able not only to think clearly but to feel in certain ways as well. The person who shows good judgment in deliberation will thus be marked as much by his affective dispositions as by his intellectual powers, and he will know more than others do because he feels what they cannot.” Anthony T. Kronman (1999) Dean, Yale Law School

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