Banksy in Kew

Hearing that Banksy had done a drawing by Kew Bridge was an opportunity that I was not going to miss and I had the opportunity to see it very quickly as I was meeting friends in that area, all I had to do was stay on the bus for a few more stops.

There was a decent crowd there all doing the same thing, having their photos taken with the Banksy behind them; so I joined in.
 

 

I am an ESTP

I had to do a Myers-Briggs test for work and while I am extremely sceptical of such things I took it seriously and answered honestly. As when I did a Belbin test ten years ago, I found the simplicity of the questions difficult given the complexity of real life and in many questions the correct answer would have been, "It depends on the situation", but I had to give one simple numerical score. I tried to answer for an "average" situation but I am not sure that I succeeded.

The end result is that I came out as an ESTP.

As with the Belbin, I recognise some of this but less so. Thinking and Perceiving I have no quarrel with. Sensing is not bad but the word "traditional" surprises me a little. Extraverted I do not get. Some of that is true some of the time but I do not see that as a fair summary.

It did not help that the evaluation tool helpfully listed some famous ESTP people that I could compare myself to.

This was not a good day to be linked to Kevin Spacey.

Belbin Team-Role Report for Rees, Matthew

I have never been a fan of Belbin because I deliberately play different roles within a team according to the situation, e.g. as Chair of Governors I lead governors meetings, at KATA I sit back quietly and listen and at BCSA I play a supporting role to the Chair (I hope!). That said, I was a little surprised how true some of the comments on the Belbin test I did this week were.

Here's an extract:

For a thinking and analytical person, you have an outgoing outlook and personality. This offers you special advantages in the role of an adviser to others or as assessor of external resources. We would expect you to be very well informed about everything that is going on, due not so much to your specialised technical expertise as to your broad interest in everything that is happening. You have an aptitude for being at the right place at the right time. For you, "Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted". Hence, your advice can be widely appreciated because it can often throw a new and unexpected light on things that are commonly taken for granted.

One of your additional values in an organization is to help it stop "re-inventing the wheel". You are not afraid of making contact with the people who can help. This could make you the counter to those who resist outside influences or the "not invented here" brigade. If you choose to make a stand it will be because you have thought it through. One of your special roles might be as the guardian against proceeding with anything that could soon become obsolete.

Your ideal operating role is that of an investigator. In occupational terms, it comes close to that of a detective. Your probing mind can be a force for progress. So whatever job you may be in, you should be a force for improving what is there.

This sounds just right for a Management Consultant!