Scenario:  A J and a P assigned to work together on development of a new product line for their company with a very tight budget and deadline.

J Speaks
The first thing a J wants to do is create a list and organize the tasks involved in making this line happen on time and on budget.  Js need to schedule a brainstorming meeting (probably with an agenda) to identify all of the potential tasks, assign ownership, and commit to a timeline so we keep the project on track.  And somewhere in the organization of all of these details, a J may sometimes be viewed by their P counterpart as a bit controlling.  As things take off, the J wants to make sure the plan gets completed, resources are allocated appropriately, time is spent effectively, and ultimately the projects gets completed smoothly in an organized and orderly way.

In actuality, it doesn’t always work that way on a project team.  New and different ideas are needed and identified sometimes as things move forward in the process, so Js have to learn to adapt on the fly because resouces and time are a very unpredictable thing.  The J has to learn to stay flexible enough to let the new ideas in and readjust as needed.  The adaptability of their P counterpart is just as valuable to the team as the coordination of making it happen. Ps are sometimes the best real-time crisis managers because they can see the alternatives and are open to other possibilities.

Here’s the secret of working effectively with a P – allow more time than you may think is necessary and gently press to get the information or response you need to complete the project. Ps need you to keep pushing them – in the end, they may even secretly appreciate your prodding (but they’ll never tell you that).    Ps know they need Js on their projects to ensure they get done on time and on budget.  Js need the Ps to help create the best new product line ever.  It’s a win-win for everyone!

P Speaks:
This type of project is both exciting and intimidating for a P.  As soon as the project is announced, ideas being to emerge.  P’s are always excited at the beginning of a project – it’s new, it’s different, it’s challenging.  But the tight budget and deadline are intimidating.  How to get it all done within those constraints?  Oh well, the P happily shrugs off the boundaries and focuses on generating ideas because that’s what she does best!  Too bad she’s been saddled with a J who can only seem to focus on the end result, time frame and action steps.  How tedious, thinks the P.  The J begins dictating structure and timelines for to the project just as the P is warming up to the possibilities.  The P will be uncomfortable as soon as a course of action is chosen because of all the ways those plans limit the options and directions they could take.  As soon as the J thinks a door has been closed, the P will have one more option or idea– sometimes her best idea– to offer. 

Here’s the secret technique for working with a J and her plans:  the “Hit & Run”.  A P with a new idea needs to “hit” the J with the concept and then “run” away to another room.  Don’t feel guilty about this.  The J needs time to whine and complain and mourn the loss of her perfect plan.  After a little while the J will see the benefit of the new idea and how it fits.  She might even claim it was what she meant to do all along because J’s are nearly always sure they are right!.  That’s OK, because you know the truth – it took both of you to get the job done!