Workplace Habits
Advocates (INFJs) have specific requirements for a satisfying work environment. Individuals with this type of personality are motivated by the knowledge that their work helps others and enhances their own development. As a result, their work must align with their values, principles, and beliefs.
Advocates thrive when they are able to express their creativity and insight at work, and they are especially motivated when they feel that their work has a purpose. In addition, they tend to do better when they can ignore office politics and hierarchies, and simply focus on what matters to them. Generally, people with this personality do not think of themselves as above or below others - regardless of where they are on the career ladder.
Fortunately, Advocates are resourceful and creative, and they can adapt to almost any situation.
As Subordinate
Cooperation, sensitivity, and independence are values of Advocates. They tend to gravitate toward managers who are open-minded and willing to listen to their suggestions as employees. When advocate personalities feel unheard, they can become frustrated, so they need a manager who will listen to them.
Advocates should also find a manager whose values align with their own and who offers encouragement and praise. Advocates tend to take action based on their convictions, so they can be vulnerable to criticism, especially if it's unwarranted. There may be other morale killers for these personalities, such as strict rules, formal structures, and routine tasks.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to have a perfect work environment every time. Advocate employees with less-than-ideal managers may need to rely on their inner resilience and seek out other mentors. The good news is that people with this personality type are more than capable of handling workplace challenges, including difficult managers.
As Colleague
Advocates are often popular and well respected among their colleagues. Positive, eloquent, and capable coworkers are more likely to be found with this personality type. It is among their greatest strengths that they can discern the motives of others and diffuse conflicts and tension before others are even aware of it.
Advocates may put more importance on collaborating with and helping colleagues who need help than on being efficient. There is a risk, however, that others will take advantage of their willingness to help. Advocates can find themselves picking up the slack for their less dedicated coworkers at the expense of their own energy and well-being.
Advocates tend to be warm and approachable colleagues, but they are still introverts. Occasionally, they may need to take a step back and work alone, pursuing their own goals in their own way.
As Manager
It may be difficult for Advocates to wield their power as managers. They see their subordinates as equals. Advocates usually empower their subordinates to think and act independently rather than micromanaging them. They encourage their subordinates rather than threaten them.
That is not to say Advocates have low standards - quite the contrary. They expect their subordinates to live up to the same standards they set for themselves. They expect their employees to be rigorous, motivated, reliable, and unfailingly honest, and if their employees fail to meet those standards, they will notice.
Compassionate and fair, Advocate managers recognize the unique strengths of their subordinates. They strive to understand their employees' motivations - a task that is helped by Advocates' intuitive insights.
Despite that, people with this type of personality can be quite harsh when they catch someone behaving unethically. Advocates don't tolerate mistakes or lapses in morality. Advocates, on the other hand, work tirelessly to ensure that all their employees feel valued and fulfilled when their employees' good intentions match their own.
