ENFJ
The Coach
Extraverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging
The ENFJ personality type is the action-oriented, people-centred character looking for and making connections between people. They are excellent glue for the team, assuming control and making sure that everything is planned, scheduled and organised, and that people are happy. They are excellent networkers who tune into what others want and are well-liked and popular among their colleagues. They have an innate sense of what is required and can genuinely make others feel really special. Consummate planners and organisers, they can juggle masses of activities and tasks at any one time, rarely dropping the ball and making sure each activity is given the right amount of attention and loving care.
ENFJ Characteristics
The ENFJ personality type is the people organiser, warm, harmonious and an enthusiastic champion of people who just wants to ‘do good.’ They make sure the needs of the people are paramount and taken care of, then they will want to plan and get on with it. They can generally be found at the emotional heart of a group or body and will be the one making sure things get done. Like the ENTJ, they excel at getting on and doing but with a much more people, as well as task focus, but with no less energy, commitment or vigour. Articulate and confident the ENFJ will be persuasive and tenacious; the one voted the leader or committee chairperson. They will look for and make connections between people, be excellent glue for the team, everyone knows they can depend on the ENFJ. An ENFJ will use their considerable energies and enthusiasm to make things happen and these characteristics are infectious and can be excellent at creating a feeling of 'team' and keeping morale high.
The ENFJ personality type has high drive, bundles of energy and a commitment to ‘the cause,’ (whatever that cause is) which borders on the evangelical. Their energy levels increase the more people they have to meet and the more activities they have to arrange. Consummate planners and organisers, they can juggle masses of activities and tasks at any one time, rarely dropping the ball and making sure each activity is given the right amount of attention and loving care. This desire to ‘get it done’ can at times mean that the ENFJ becomes inflexible and a ‘controlling parent’ in their desire to ‘finish what we’ve started.’ Under such pressure they can lose their sense of balance and perspective but will ultimately bounce back because that is just what the ENFJ is built for.
As ‘Thinking’ is their weaker function, the ENFJ may suffer at times from being overly subjective and lacking a cooler, slightly more dispassionate eye on people and situations. This also means the ENFJ may bite off more that they can chew as their first priority is to say ‘yes’ and take the pain away for others. During such times the ENFJ may feel weighed down by the amount of work to which they have committed and so may see themselves as ‘victim,’ feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated. They want to please and make sure things run like clockwork and when others let them down the ENFJ can be very disappointed. This desire to ‘do good’ can also mean that the ENFJ sees pleasing others as far more important than pleasing themselves and so they may run the risk of trading off honesty for harmony, keeping the peace rather than telling it like it is. At times they may also rely too much on their intuitive understanding of individuals, thus failing to make logical, empirical decisions based on objective facts and evidence, and the ENFJ may see good where none exists. Their 'N' perspective also means that the ENFJ may fail to see the smaller 'facts,' focusing instead on 'global harmony.' This would see the ENFJ move too quickly and make decisions based on a scant amount of facts. Their sensitivity can also work two ways. Sure, the ENFJ will be sensitive to the needs of others but this sensitivity can mean the ENFJ is overly reactive to perceived criticism of them. In these instances, the ENFJ may become self-indulgent and feel that their good intentions are being undervalued; but only until they are needed again.
ENFJ Careers
Linking ‘type’ and ‘careers’ would be easy if it was just about listing specific jobs that perfectly fit specific personalities. However in truth it is more difficult than that as ignores other, more important issues, such as the organisation, the values and the culture, which are far better determinants of suitability than a job title. Also individual jobs vary widely from industry to industry, organisation to organisation and person to person. Therefore our focus on ‘type’ and ‘careers’ will be far more on you: your personality, your aptitudes, interests, likes, strengths and weaknesses and then matching these to the sorts of environments, cultures and norms within organisations that will allow you, given your character, to thrive grow and flourish. We spend a lot of our time at work and so it is important to get these issues right or we could spend a lot of working time unhappy, unproductive and unfulfilled.
Strengths
The ENFJ will excel best in roles where they can satiate their need for action and drive with their passion for people. Passive, data-crunching roles will not suit their desire to get on and do and please. They are naturally service-driven and really do care and the ENFJ will want to apply this energy to tangible outputs, preferably that will help people. The ENFJ is interesting in that a passive caring role, or conversely an active, output-driven role that has no meaning or serves no purpose would be a bad fit. Their considerable talents are best served with a role where they feel valued and where they can see the results of their efforts. The ENFJ does not need the glory, indeed would shrink away from it, not liking being the centre of attention. But they need a real meaning, something that is worthwhile as an output, especially if that also takes care of people, or makes life better for them. They make superb managers as they really do care about people, they make sure things are organised and they are extremely future oriented, ensuring that what has been agreed is delivered. ENFJs are also intensely loyal people and will work hard for the cause, if they are bought in to the value system and they are clear it matches their own. Like other NFs meaning is important to the ENFJ and they will want to feel the role, or the organisation, is worthwhile.
Weaknesses
ENFJs are people who want to work long and hard if they believe in something and also are inordinately caring and this can mean they take on too much, sometime overburdening themselves with the problems of others or accepting too many tasks. It is for this reason that ENFJs can suffer occasional burnout as they want to please and to be appreciated and so their first reaction is often to say: “leave it with me” and their nature means they just have to complete so if this is not possible it can deflate the ENFJ who wants to do good and tick all the boxes off. When they are under such pressure, (to be fair this pressure is self-induced), they can become more sensitive and take criticism poorly, focusing on the negatives. ENFJs want to work in, and want to create, organisational harmony and they dislike conflict or people being treated badly. This can work against them in a competitive environment, as they are so keen to bring about and maintain harmony. Their desire for closure may mean that the ENFJ also miss some important facts that taking a moment’s reflection would have solved, as they are so positive and keen to get on and do, impatient to help and get it right. This makes it difficult from them to change tack once they have embarked on a project. This trait also means they may be reluctant to delegate or say ‘no’ and again take on too much for themselves.
Best Work Environments
ENFJs need to be busy and work at pace. They are keen to make things happen, even to the extent of jumping in a little early and will want to get a plan and get after it, ticking off the ‘to-do’ list as they go. A plan coming together is music to the ENFJ ears and they will not thrive in an environment of chaos or indecision unless that is they have the opportunity to bring order to the chaos and make some decisions. ENFJs are supremely organised and prefer their roles or work environment to be so too, and they love juggling, multi-tasking and lots going on. Incredibly warm and caring ENFJs will prefer an atmosphere of harmony and teamwork and will make sure the needs of the people are taken care of. ENFJs are built to help and support, but this will be undertaken through structure and planning. ENFJs are superb and likable relationship builders, engendering trust, authenticity and harmony. They like to be clear on what is expected and then the ENFJ will work long and hard to deliver pulling together all the disparate parts and making it happen on time and exactly as agreed.
Worst Work Environments
ENFJs are organised, people-centric planners and an environment that did not value people or which was lax or slow-paced. ENFJs are action oriented and want to quickly see what needs to be done and ensure it is completed, starting right now. They have little time for too much thinking preferring to look at the whole picture and understand what needs to be achieved and the deliver, exactly as promised then crack on. They need to feel valued and feel some affinity with the organisation and that there is some meaning and value on what they are doing and so roles with much repetition or which are just one tiny cog in the whole machine with little context would not inspire them to do well. Too much chitchat or downtime will cause anxiety for the ENFJ, as they like to be busy and at the centre of things making a real tangible, difference and pulling lots of levers. While they like to be busy, aggressive environments where conflict is the norm and where people are treated badly or unfairly would not be right for the ENFJ as they genuinely tune in to how other people are feeling and are positive and supportive helpers.
Best Careers
Fast paced, action-oriented environments with lots going on, plenty of multitasking and with a heart for people is where the ENFJ will thrive, be at their best and add most value. HR roles, support roles and managing teams are where they excel as they can both ‘do’ and ‘help.’ Harmonious environments where people are taken care of play to their strengths where they can create plans and where there are clear outputs and expectations and where the organisation appreciates the contributions of all individuals.
ENFJ Work
ENFJS will bring structure and impetus whilst at the same making sure the needs of all the people are taken care of. Often the first to the flipchart they capture ideas giving everyone the chance to contribute. The ENFJ will assume the leadership role simply because they want to drive for closure and ensure that people are happy. They need to satiate their need for action and their passion for people.
ENFJs need clarity, real meaning, a worthwhile output and closure. The ENFJ personality type loves a plan, a clear picture of where they are going, and they will work diligently towards the goal. Indeed, the ENFJ will feel less comfortable with too many options open, as they need closure. ENFJs focus on the organisational and people aspects and so are not primarily creative preferring to work on making sure that what has been agreed is properly planned and that people are happy.
In a work setting, the ENFJ personality type will be the harmonious team builder, good at maintaining group morale, accentuating the positive and encouraging contributions from all team members making the team more open and participative. The ENFJ combines the action orientation and desire to get things moving of the ENTJ with the people orientation associated with ‘F’s. The ENFJ may not be the most creative or the one who has the best ideas but will be the one who drives for closure and bring the people along too.
ENFJ Relationships
ENFJs know and appreciate people; they really tune in and ‘get’ other people. Like other ‘F’s they may forget their own needs as they’re so keen to take care of those around them, often taking on far more emotional baggage than they should. They are so keen to take care of people that they may also get taken for granted and feel underappreciated as their focus is always on other people. ENFJs really work hard at relationships and want those around them to be happy.
Whilst an ENFJ will encourage trust and openness they may not be so open about how they are feeling, indeed they might not even think about that so focused are they on caring for, and organising others. They have the dual powers of being insightful and caring with being extremely organised and so they’’ be attuned to what’s happening between people and pick up on the cues and work tirelessly to help solve people issues. Superb networkers, ENFJs will be likeable and popular among their friends and colleagues. ENFJs have incredible discipline and willpower and they’ll love a plan, whether for themselves or for those they’re trying to care for.
ENFJs bring a sense of optimism which is really helpful but it can, at times, mean they try just too hard and flog a dead horse, believing that every people problem has a solution and they work long and hard, thinking ‘if at first you don’t succeed…’ when in fact it’s not going to work. Sometimes, just sometimes, you have to give up and say you did your best, but an ENFJ would struggle with that, even at times becoming a little bossy in their heartfelt desire to make everyone happy. In that sense they’ll find it difficult to say no and would see every lost soul as a personal failure.
ENFJs are consummate harmonisers; they dislike conflict and are extremely adept at smoothing everything over. They make great mediators as they’re so genuine and trustworthy and people will appreciate them. However, this may mean at times they over-harmonise when in fact some friction is OK or even necessary. ENFJs almost see all conflict as bad that must be smoothed over with everyone happy, and life is not really like that all the time, but in the ENFJ world it has to be worked at.
How does the ENFJ personality type compare to other personalities?
Choose another personality type to compare side by side the different approaches work, attitudes to conflict and the way they engage with others.
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