ISTJ: POLAR BEAR Famous Polar Bears:

Jeff Tracey (dad in Thunderbirds), Steve Davis, Gordon

BUZZWORDS: Practical, loyal & reliable Brown, Kelly Holmes, Mr Darcy (from Bridget Jones’s
Polar bears are strong and determined. They Diary), Alan Shearer & Michael Owen.
are at the top of their food chain and, like ISTJs, they can Delia Smith was one of the first celebrity chefs and is still
be the boss. To hunt for food, they have to learn and selling cookbooks by the millions. Also, chair of Norwich
perfect their skills. ISTJs also like to perfect their skills City Football Club. Personality strengths include being
and then use them throughout their life. Polar bears, like responsible, focused, quietly determined, realistic,
ISTJs, can spend a lot of time of their own and be practical, objective, organised and a careful planner.
perfectly happy while in their own company.
Strengths Preferred learning style
 Can work quietly and steadily on something until it is finished.  They like quiet for concentration and to work alone.
 Like using skills we’ve already learned.  They like to know the practical benefits before starting.
 They like logical order and to be able to show they
 Good at planning how long a task will take. understand.
 Pay attention to details and like to get the job done properly.  They like a clear structure and timetable.
 Like analysing and putting things into logical order.
Revision tips
 Good at organising their own time.  Discuss your work with tutors and friends and be flexible to
 Can make decisions without being soft. their ideas to enhance your knowledge base.
 Can follow plans and decide quickly.  Don’t just stick with working alone.
When they’re pointing in a positive direction
 They use their experience to explore problems. Degree course ideas
 They solve problems in a practical way.  business & management
 They are careful, sensible, honest and determined.  built environment (architecture/surveying)
 They learn from their mistakes, have fun.  engineering
 law
When they’re pointing in a negative direction  environmental protection
 They can imagine the worst is going to happen. To reduce stress
Take a break sometimes and praise people around you.
 They jump to the wrong conclusions.
As a teenager In an argument
o Often more adult than the adults! they value their  Would rather go away and think things through.
independence, privacy and personal space.  Keep quiet until things build up so much that they explode.
o They tend to have a small number of close friends.  Argue specific facts.
o Perhaps they could learn to be more sensitive to people while  Focus on details.
talking to them and sometimes be a little more open to new  Tell people ‘not to get emotional’.
ideas and new ways of doing things.  Say ‘it’s not personal’.
o They’re dependable, loyal and responsible.  Jump to conclusions quickly.
 Oversimplify issues.
As a boyfriend/girlfriend How to avoid an argument
o They’re usually more practical, loyal and sensible than romantic  Allow people to talk through their ideas and don’t assume
and spontaneous. their ideas are rubbish because they’re thinking out loud.
o They like stability and structure with clear rules and roles.  Don’t dismiss new ideas straight away.
o They’ll tell you what they think and expect from the relationship.  Let others dream and fantasise.
 Consider people’s emotions, not just the task and the goals.
In a parent/child relationship (note: parent/child can be
substituted for other relationships, eg friendships, marriages & working relationships)  Say what’s in it for people.
Parent:  Consider all of the options before deciding.
o Tend to like setting rules and expect things to be done their way.  Remember doing things the same way is not always best.
o Value traditions, family roles and explaining right and wrong Preferred job roles & themes
through ‘should’, ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’. inspector / supervisor / organiser / leader / parent
o Tend to remove ‘treats’ as punishment.  Organising things (using systems & procedures) – financial
Child: (accountancy/insurance), law or administration
o Like to know what the rules are & be shown how to do things.  Uniformed & protective services (police / traffic warden /
o Generally, like to help. prison officer / roadside breakdown recovery
o Value safety.  environmental services (trading standards / RSPCA inspector)
 floristry, air-cabin crew, plumber, surveyor
o Respond well to praise when completing tasks ‘properly’.
Jobs that don’t require loads of qualifications
Buying a present for a Polar Bear? postal delivery / shoe/key-repair / traffic warden / bricklayer / tiler /
o a small ‘list’ books they can jot down their ‘to do’ list on the go. car mechanic/fitter / painter & decorator / welder / plumber / driving
o Encourage them to make lists of things that make them feel good instructor/examiner
too, not just lists of the stuff that needs to be done.