If you're trying to figure out if this is an ENTJ, read the article.

I recently asked my staff to take the Myers-Briggs personality indicator test. We’re going to have a session led by a trained counselor so we can understand each other better and work together as best as possible as a staff.

I took the test 3 years ago when I started the job. At the time, I scored an INTJ (low I, low N, high T, high J). When I took the test yesterday, I expected the results to be almost the same, except maybe I’d be a slightly lower T (hi, I’m Jamey, I’m 29, and I’m starting to learn about feelings). Most of all, I thought I’d be a higher I. Over the past few years, I’ve fully embraced my inner introvert. If I want time to myself, I make it happen. I don’t struggle against it. It’s who I am, and I’m happy with it.

And then I went and scored an ENTJ today. Not just low E, but middle E. According to the test, I’ve become a mid-level extrovert. (Everything else remained the same.)

I’m trying to make sense of this result, but I’m truly baffled by it. However, I am pleased by the description of my personality type according to Wikipedia:

ENTJs are among the rarest of types, accounting for about 2–5% of those who are formally tested. They tend to be self-driven, motivating, energetic, assertive, confident, and competitive. They generally take a big-picture view and build a long-term strategy. They typically know what they want and may mobilize others to help them attain their goals. ENTJs are often sought out as leaders due to an innate ability to direct groups of people. Unusually influential and organized, they may sometimes judge others by their own tough standards, failing to take personal needs into account.

It’s not spot-on, but it’s pretty accurate. And it’s always nice to be a rare breed.

What’s your Myers-Briggs score? How has it changed over time?

Daily Quickie: I’ve made a delicious Vietnamese sandwich called Banh Mi three times this week, culminating in the masterpiece you see in the photo here. It’s a buttered and toasted baguette topped with seasoned and grilled pork strips, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, Thai peanut sauce, and ginger sesame dressing. Amazing.

No one would want this desk? Really?

…or a more boring title would be “Survey Results.”

Because that’s what today is all about.

I want to thank everyone who took my crazy little survey last week. 47 people filled it out, and the 23rd person (you know who you are) was randomly selected by random.org to receive my copy of Rework by Jason Fried.

I learned one thing right away by doing this survey: I should use Qualtrics for my next survey (the website I used for my Perfect Woman survey). It takes more time to make, but it lets people see how their results compare to everyone else at the end of the survey. There’s something each of us that (a) wants to feel like we got the “right” answer, validating our humanity, and (b) wants to be unique on some questions, validating our individuality. I took that away from all of you, and it won’t happen again.

The other thing I learned is that a free book isn’t enough to get people to forward a survey to their friends. I’m really, really interested in this. What would it have taken (and it may not have anything to do with the prize) for you to forward this survey to friends and coworkers?

The good news is that you’re all normal. Well, all but two of you (apparently almost everyone would use PowerPoint for a presentation). For many of the questions, there are no outliers, no strong results. Here are the most interesting answers that stood out:

• Not a single one of you said you’d wait until later in the year to see a friend who showed up in town without any warning whatsoever.
• 43% of you would feel more appreciated at work by receiving a heartfelt compliment than a cash bonus or an extra vacation day. Shows you how far a few words can go.
• 53% of you desire a strong connection between your effort and the resulting value added over autonomy or complexity. So if you’re a manager, keep an eye on this.
• Only one of you would like to have your office in a big, open space. I think that shows that we need privacy to be productive, and yet I think a lot of people may look at the photo on the left and think, “That would be a cool office to work in.”
• This was surprising to me–50% of you would rather reorganize your office on a slow day than plan a holiday party or be a part of a teambuilding activity. Either there are some messy offices out there, or people really don’t like ropes courses.
• 68% of you would trust online reviews over the advice of friends and family when it comes to buying a car. Entire social networks are built on the idea that we trust people we know more than strangers, so this was interesting.

Here are some other interesting results:

• 18% of you would never invest in a startup
• 70% of you describe your desk as “organized chaos”
• 67% of you would ask a potential employer how he/she motivates employees
• Only 28% of really enjoy public speaking, but only 22% of you are petrified of it
• 32% of you–more than I expected–are really indecisive when it comes deciding what to order at a restaurant
• 68% of you would rather a summer intern do a menial task than you or a freelancer.
• 40% of you have had some sort of work relationship

I know, it’s a lot of data. Does it mean anything? With a sample size that small, probably not. I’m much more interested in cross-calibrating the successful and unsuccessful “roles” that people indicated at the beginning of the survey with all of their answers. At this point I’m not quite sure how to do that without doing it manually, but I’ll figure it out.

It’s the kind of book that is easy to read but is so dense that almost every other line is quotable. Here are a few of my favorite lines from the first 50 pages of the book:

• “Why is expansion always the goal? What’s the attraction of big besides ego?” I’ve always wondered this. I read about a new startup  boasting of its staff of 50 employees (and growing), and I wonder, why am I supposed to be impressed by the size of you staff? Shouldn’t I be more impressed if you can be just as successful with fewer people?
• “Workaholics aren’t heroes. They don’t save the day, they use it up. The real hero is already home because she figured out a faster way to get things done.”
• “A strong stand is how you attract superfans. And they spread the word further, wider, and more passionately than any advertising could.”
• “Lots of things get better as they get shorter. Directors cut scenes to make a great movie. Musicians drop good tracks to make a great album.” Fried even exemplified this point by sharing that he cut the length of Rework from 57,000 words to a lean, hard-hitting 27,000.

I’m done with the book, and I’d love to share it with you. But I’m hoping you can help me out as well. I’d like to ask you to take a short, 3-minute survey about your work self. These are fun questions (all multiple choice) like what your desk looks like and how you make decisions about buying a car.

I’m hoping to collect a critical mass of data that at the very least will reveal some interesting things about the roles in which we’re most successful at work. At the very most, it will help me launch a new job search algorithm that could potentially aid a lot of people.

If you fill out the survey or if you refer the survey to someone who takes it before Sunday, August 29, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win my copy of Rework. I’ll even sign it for you (“Jamey read this!”) Thanks so much for your help.

Daily Quickie: Speaking of acting on amazing ideas, my friend’s food truck restaurant website just launched. It’s based in Austin. Check out The Peached Tortilla here. Very slick, if you ask me.

His pickup game is played on a real soccer field with marked sidelines and goals. We play 11 or 12 people per side, and people generally spread out across the field.

I always walk away from the Virginia pickup game feeling like I played on a huge field. But I played on that size of field every day growing up; it hasn’t changed in size. What has changed, I wondered recently.

Comparing the Virginia game with my regular St. Louis game, I’ve figured out the difference. In my local pickup game, we usually end up with about 8 or 9 people per side on a field that’s 60-70 yards long. The ratio is about the same as the Virginia game.

But the biggest difference is that we don’t play on a marked field. The sidelines are…well, they’re not there. We just play until we hit the parking lot or the next game over. There’s no defined line.

As a result, the game ends up being much tighter. Our brains can’t calculate the amount of free room that we have, so we tend to err on the side of caution and gravitate toward the middle of the field. As a result, the game feels much smaller.

Without the limitations of the marked field, the St. Louis game is tighter. We’re less free in that game.

This oxymoron is so interesting to me, so I’ve been looking for examples in the business world. Today I stumbled upon one during a meeting. Someone mentioned their frustrations about the budget at the CSC where we work. Namely, that we don’t have budgets. So if you’re running a program, the general rule is that you keep frugality in mind and buy what you need to make it happen. But there are no specific limits for programs or events or ministries.

The person’s frustration was that she wanted those limitations. She wanted to know how much money she had left so that she could have the freedom to spend it if necessary.

This may seem counterintuitive, but I see her point. If you’re not given a budgetary limitation, you have to create imaginary restrictions instead. As a result, you feel less free to do what you need to make a certain program or event a success.

The lesson? Mark your fields and define your budgets!

Where have you experienced this phenomenon?

Daily Quickie: The photo above is Biddy examining a box of Stegmaier beer that my best friend Trev brought me back from Kentucky. It’s very difficult to get Stegmaier beer (and yes, I’m distantly related) because few states are authorized to import it from Pennsylvania where it’s made. But Trev went out of his way to find out that Kentucky didn’t have those import regulations (apparently they like to drink awesome beer in Kentucky) and ordered some for me while he was there. If you’ve never gotten a box of beer with your name on it, you’re missing out. It’s the best thing ever.

Bryce had a really interesting answer (beyond the other benefits of NASA research, like anti-gravity pens, velcro, and dry ice cream). He had recently listened to a renowned physicist (Neil Tyson DeGrasse) on NPR who said that not only should we be continuing space research, but we should be actively striving to get a man on Mars.

His reason? That having such a lofty goal as putting a man on the moon could inspire an entire generation of American children to take science and technology to a whole new level.

The main example he used was the previous space race, the goal of putting a man on the moon. Although it may seem like a fairly pointless goal, the very fact that there was such a lofty goal helped to inspire millions of kids to think big. It made Americans dream big. And there was urgency behind it–we wanted to get our man on the moon before the Russians did.

Compare those days to 2010. What goals do we have like that? Cure cancer? Sure, that’s a great goal. But it’s not as sexy as putting a man on Mars. If you want to inspire little kids, you need to have an exciting goal. And you never know–maybe the ensuing out-of-the-box thinking will result in a cure for cancer. You never know.

I think these types of lofty goals can help any business succeed. At my organization, we have a few “visioning” meetings every year, during which we sit around and talk about where we’d like to see our organization in 5, 10, even 50 years. Looking that far into the future–a future that even the most loyal employee won’t be around to see–helps us think bigger than ourselves. There’s always an excited buzz in the air after we walk away from these meetings.

Last, I think dreaming big can help us in our personal lives. Why do you think people run marathons? It’s an arbitrary distance to run, an activity that can potentially do long-term damage to your joints…but it inspires people to reach deep inside themselves and achieve something spectacular. Or your dream can be even less logical. The point is that it gives you something to strive for.

What’s your big dream?

I’m going to share two things with you in this post: One, why you shouldn’t be late. Two, the secret for always being on time (no, it’s not setting your clocks 5 minutes early…that actually just makes you feel like you always have extra time, even when you don’t).

I want to preface this post by saying that I am not always on time. I don’t like to arrive somewhere and have to wait for someone. It’s something I’m working on.

Why You Shouldn’t Be Late. Ever.

Quite simply, you shouldn’t be late because you inconvenience those who have arrived on time. I know this may sound harsh, but you are literally wasting their time if you choose to be late.

This applies to all areas of your life, but I want to focus on business-related lateness. Imagine trying to have a staff meeting where 8 people arrive on time, 3 people arrive 10 minutes late, and 1 person arrives 20 minutes late. The whole point of a staff meeting is to discuss things as a group that you can’t discuss over e-mail or in smaller groups, so those people are integral to the intent of the meeting.

In that situation, if a person is 10 minutes late, they’re not just wasting 10 minutes of another’s person’s time–they’re wasting a total of 80 minutes from all of those people who were on time. That’s inexcusable.

Worse yet, lateness is contagious. If people know that one person is going to be late, they’re much less likely to be on time themselves. Pretty soon, instead of 4 people being late, 8 people are late and only a few are on time. Every time you’re late, you give someone else permission to be late the next time.

Got thyme?

Another Huge Reason Why You Shouldn’t Be Late.

Have you ever noticed that you take more risks when you’re driving when you’re late? You’re rushed, your hurried, so maybe you speed through that yellow light or careen past cars on the highway in an attempt to make up lost time.

Driving while late is extremely dangerous.

I definitely do this. And this is coming from a by-the-book, 10-and-2, use-my-blinker-in-parking-lots guy. I’m a very safe and aware driver. Except when I’m late.

The Secret for Always Being on Time.

It’s simple: Get a smart phone.

People are late for a myriad of reasons, but I think a number of them involve some level of concern that they could be doing something else with their time. Why leave work 5 minutes early when you could do 5 more minutes of work instead of waiting around for someone? Why would you ever purposely put yourself in a situation when you would need to wait?

Because of the reasons I discussed above, that’s why.

So how does a smart phone help? It gives you something to do while you wait. You can entertain yourself or continue working if that’s your prerogative. I spent 30 minutes waiting at the vet’s today, but the time flew by because I was a reading a book on my iPhone’s Kindle app and answering work e-mails. It was time spent, not wasted.

Just consider that the next time you’re stalling a departure so that you won’t have to wait when you get to lunch or the coffee shop or wherever. You have a whole world in your pocket. Just go ahead and leave, and if you arrive at your destination before the other person, do something productive or fun on your phone. By being early or on time, you’re doing your part to create a culture of punctuality.

What I don’t have is a way to ensure people get to meetings on time. Smart phones don’t help as much there, because one of the core rules of meetings is that you should start them on time. I don’t really like negative reinforcements (you could shame someone by closing the door to the meeting room when you start or put $5 in the cake fund jar if they’re late)…but even positive reinforcements (like giving a cupcake to everyone who’s on time) can come across as negative to those who feel like they were justified in being late. Any suggestions?

But then along came this company called Groupon, and I was intrigued. I loved the simplicity of the idea–one groupon a day, delivered by e-mail, always an amazing deal. I figured it reached thousands of St. Louisians every day–even if they didn’t buy the Groupon, they saw the e-mail in their inbox, which could help Cutters’ exposure.

So I contacted Groupon and told them I wanted to put a Cutters deal on their site. This was a few months ago. Groupon called me back almost right away, but their approach surprised me and taught me a valuable lesson about business.

When I talked to Mike at Groupon, he started asking me questions about Cutters as if he was choosing us as a client, not the other way around. He tried to determine if we provided a unique, cool service and if we were well reviewed on Yelp and Citysearch. I found myself wanting to prove to him that we were worthy of the Groupon.

Think about this: By being selective about their clients, Groupon actually becomes more desirable (to the clients, to their customers, and probably to their investors too).

The famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright did the same thing. He chose his customers. Many came to him asking for plans, and he chose a select few of them. In doing so, he improved the perception of his brand, and he was able to focus on the projects he was truly passionate about (although he took projects just to pay the bills at times as well).

In the end, the Groupon was extremely successful–it was live this past weekend. Groupon sends their e-mail out to a mind-boggling 140,000 people in the St. Louis area. And they make good money–a minimum of $5/Groupon sold. Hopefully Cutters will wow all those new customers and hook them for return visits. Time will tell.

Have you encountered businesses and services that were effectively selective?

What’s the right answer to that question? Especially when you don’t know what the employer is offering?

I’ve seen a couple different answers:

1. The low answer: Some people come in really low. That’s fine for me as employer, but once I see that, I’m less inclined to offer you much more. So you may be selling yourself short.
2. The high answer. Some people come in really high. Whether that’s based off their current salary or their ego or their cost of living, I don’t know. I’d say you generally don’t want to come in high when applying for a job at a nonprofit, just out of respect for the mission. But I will say that a high answer probably can’t hurt you. If I can’t offer you that much, I’ll just offer something lower and put it on you to accept or reject.
3. The range. This one is interesting. It says, “I’ll accept this low amount, but I’d prefer something higher.” The range is good, a decent answer. But it also comes across as a bit wishy-washy.

What’s the right answer? Well, there’s probably no truly right answer to this question. It’s highly situational. Sometimes you’ll only have a small blank in which to write your request, so you don’t have room to spell it out. But if you do, especially if someone asks you this question outloud, here is an answer that I would love to hear. The numbers are made up.

“I currently make $35,000. I’m 29. When I turn 32, I’d like to be making $45,000.”

This works on so many levels:

1. It shows how much the applicant currently makes. That’s a great starting point. It doesn’t mean the employer has to beat or even meet their current salary, but it’s a point of comparison.
2. It doesn’t pin the employer down to a specific amount right now (since it deals in futures), but it still places a definitive value on the applicant’s worth. It lets the employer work backwards and in a way, feel like they’re getting a deal.
3. It shows that the employee is looking ahead to being with your company for several years (at least, that’s the insinuation).
4. Both parties could walk away happy from such a request. The applicant has named an amount that they’d truly be happy with, but they don’t need it immediately–they just need a plan to get there. And the employer feels like they can start with a reasonable amount and then work towards the applicants worth–if they prove to be worth it. It’s the same effect as a trial period–you don’t know you’re going to like something, so you try it out at a discount for a little while to earn your trust.

What do you think? Do you have a different answer?

See more management tactics and leadership advice from Jamey here.

How much would you pay for this painting?

Last week, the news broke that a St. Louis Bread Co. (known as “Panera” to the rest of the country) in Clayton, where I work, was using a similar pricing scheme. This one Bread Co. is now officially a nonprofit, as they’re asking customers to pay what they want. There are no registers, just the equivalent of a tip jar on the counter. I’ve heard that lines have been out the door, and people are pretty much paying the “correct” value.

I’m fascinated by these pricing models. Note that they’re not free (I generally don’t support freemium models for online services). The consultant and the Bread Co. are asking people to pay what they think their services and goods are worth.

There’s an institution that I think could truly benefit from this type of pricing strategy: art. Specifically, art in restaurants.

How many times have you been eating dinner in a restaurant, and there’s a beautiful painting hanging over the table. You think, “You know, I would love to have a piece of real art in my home.” So you check the price tag. And it’s $400.

Now, an artist will say that that’s what the painting is worth. Sure. Maybe it is. But (a) you haven’t sold the painting, so it’s probably not priced correctly, and (b), the artist is losing trust by putting a perceived overinflated price on the painting. The same would happen if the artist undervalued the painting–if the price were $15, you wouldn’t think it was special. But it’s so hard to find that sweet spot when you’re dealing with an array of customers.

My suggestion? Instead of putting a price on the painting, put the following information:

You Name the Price

frame + supplies = $170

time to paint = 23 hours

contact: monet4eva@gmail.com

Now that would catch your eye, wouldn’t it? If the painting is appealing to you, you’re fairly likely to contact the artist to name a price. You ensure that you’re not losing money on the frame (better yet, don’t frame it), and you add a ton of value by informing the customer how many hours the painting took to create. As the painter, you retain the right to reject an offer, but at least then you’re in touch with your customer. You’ve established a relationship, and maybe you could suggest a similar–but smaller–piece.

What do you think? Where else would the “pay what you want” model work?

Your first job won’t be your last job, your first love probably won’t be your only love, and you’ll make way more mistakes than perfect decisions.

I had it all planned out in my head–I’d say it, notice some seniors nodding, letting it sink in. I’d get some pats on the back later, maybe an e-mail thanking me for my insight, and in 10-15 years, I’d get a letter from one of the students saying that my words had such a profound impact on them that they never forgot my wisdom, and they wanted to express their gratitude by buying me a tank full of dolphins and sea kittens.

Unfortunately, we didn’t say our advice outloud.

I think I might also add some practical advice that I’ve written blogs about, like:

1. Always have a friend with a pickup truck.
2. Hold your beer in your non-handshaking hand.
3. When going out for a business lunch, make your selection in advance.

There’s plenty more on the guy talk and leadership pages.

What advice would you give a graduating senior?