‘Introvert’ is the umbrella term for personalities who enjoy their own company more than socializing. This is a generalized idea; if you dig deeper into personality types, you’ll realize that not all introverts are the same.
Let’s take two Myers-Briggs personality types: INFPs (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving) and INFJs (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging).
INFPs have an artistic bent, love escaping into the make-believe worlds of fiction writing, and take action spontaneously. In contrast, INFJs are meticulous at planning, solve problems with an analytical mind, and prefer understanding the real world by reading non-fiction. But if you look at them from the outside, their aversion to social situations and thoughtfulness make them appear identical.
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) methodology uncovers these finer personality differences. It’s a self-reporting questionnaire designed to help you understand yourself better after taking the test, you’ll know which personality type you belong to, your strengths and weaknesses, and why you approach the world the way you do.
Organizations use this personality test to get deeper knowledge about their employees and design a workplace conducive to the workforce’s well-being, productivity, and growth.
In this article, we’ll discuss INFP vs. INFJ, examining their differences and similarities and how they affect the way these personalities approach and execute work.
Summarize this article for me pleaseINFP vs. INFJ Personality Types at a Glance
Here’s a brief overview of the differences and similarities between the INFP and INFJ personalities.
Differences:
| INFP | INFJ |
| Spontaneous and artistic | Organized and analytical |
| Mirror others’ emotions | Absorb others’ emotions |
| Persuade/lead by inspiring others | Persuade/lead by offering insights |
| Prefer reading fictional works for leisure | Love to read and write non-fiction |
Similarities:
- Both are introspective
- Both prefer to maintain privacy
- Both are empathetic
We’ll dive deeper into the INFJ vs. INFP debate shortly. But before that, it’s important to understand the two personality types individually.
First, let’s understand their approach to the outside world, work ethic, strengths, shortcomings, and management styles.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Is an INFP Personality Type?
Known as the Mediator or Idealist, INFPs are creative and idealistic. They are Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Perceiving types, who prioritize their values above everything. They want to make the world a better place by helping others, and in the process, they also aim to understand themselves and their role in the grand scheme of things.
Key characteristics of an INFP
- Introverted at the core, INFPs quickly feel drained in social situations. However, they enjoy interacting with a close circle of friends
- They regain their energy by spending time alone
- They’re driven by perception
- They focus on the long-term vision instead of sweating the trivial stuff
- They make decisions based on their feelings rather than logic
- They tend to stay away from conflicts or competitive environments
INFP strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- They have their eyes set on the bigger picture
- They can work well independently
- They’re loyal and devoted in relationships (both personal and professional) and empathetic toward others
- They stay true to their values and conscience, even if it leads them to make tough decisions
Weaknesses
- They look at the world through rose-tinted glasses
- Their aversion to socializing makes them feel lonely
- They find it difficult to live up to the high standards they set for themselves
INFPs at work
INFP personality types work well when they have like-minded people around at the workplace. They can develop creative solutions to almost any problem, making them a great asset to any team.
INFP in leadership
As leaders, INFPs are glued to the organization’s greater vision. They understand which actions lead to which outcome and create successful long-term strategies and project plans accordingly.
They strongly care about the development of their team members, creating an environment of perpetual learning and growth. They encourage innovation and creativity and allow teams to think outside the box instead of being confined to tried-and-tested solutions.
INFPs as employees
As employees or team members, INFPs are loyal and helpful. They prefer to work within small groups where they can have meaningful connections with their colleagues. They thrive in roles where they can work independently or there is a good balance between working solo and collaborating with others.
While INFPs are passionate and devoted to the tasks they take up, the work must align with their values. Otherwise, they can lose interest quickly.
INFP career paths
The following career options suit best for INFPs:
- Graphic designer
- Animator
- Editor
- Writer
- Training and development manager
- Teacher/professor
- Public relations manager
- Mental health counselor
Want to learn more? Explore this curated list of INFP books to gain an in-depth understanding of this personality type.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat Is an INFJ Personality Type?
Also known as Advocates—for their strong value system and integrity—INFJs make sense of patterns and possibilities through intuition. As Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging types, they prioritize others’ emotions, empathize with them, and like to stay organized in their personal and professional lives.
Key characteristics of an INFJ
- INFPs attempt to help others with practical and unique solutions
- They are perpetually on a quest to find the purpose of life
- They help others unleash their real potential
- They possess a deep understanding of others’ emotions
- They can connect the dots between actions and consequences—a trait that makes them great visionaries
- They feel energized by spending time with themselves
INFJ strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- They’re profound thinkers as well as practical problem solvers
- They can work as mediators to pacify conflicts
- They stick to their decisions with conviction
- They recognize intuitively when their close ones are suffering
Weaknesses
- They get caught up in the big picture and often forget to pay heed to small details
- They’re extremely private, even with close friends and family
- They cannot tolerate dissent
INFJs at work
INFJs pause, introspect, and think deeply before making decisions instead of moving ahead impulsively. This quality makes them exceptional additions to modern workplaces dealing with complex projects and workflows.
INFJs in leadership
INFJs rarely seek leadership roles, but they bring much value when they find themselves in such a position. They’re highly perceptive of their team members’ talents, ensuring accurate utilization of skills and resources.
INFJs work with an open mind, listen to every point of view patiently, and lead teams with a unified vision.
Even though they do not enjoy socializing or interacting with people, being surrounded by people with similar ethics and values brings out the best in INFJ leaders.
INFJs as employees
INJF employees are team players. They understand their team members, work honestly, and solve problems thoughtfully.
They might find it difficult to survive in teams with too many conflicting points of view, but they put their best foot forward to mitigate and manage conflicts.
INFJ career paths
The following careers help INFJs make the most of their potential:
- Human resource manager
- Environmental scientist
- Professor
- Social worker
- Psychiatrist
- Nutritionist
- Clinical psychologist
- Writer
Summarize this article for me pleaseKey Differences and Similarities between an INFP and an INFJ
The thoughtful and contemplative nature of INFPs and INFJs make them appear similar, but both are wired differently at the core.
A separate set of cognitive functions governs each personality:
| Cognitive functions | INFP | INFJ |
| Dominant function | Introverted Feeling (Fi) | Introverted Intuition (Ni) |
| Auxiliary function | Extraverted Intuition (Ne) | Extraverted Feeling (Fe) |
| Tertiary function | Introverted Sensing (Si) | Introverted Thinking (Ti) |
| Inferior function | Extraverted Thinking (Te) | Extraverted Sensing (Se) |
Now, let’s explore the similarities and dissimilarities between INFPs and INFJs in depth.
Key differences
The two personalities have distinct ways of looking at the world, feeling empathy, leading others, and enjoying intellectual pursuits.
1. Perceiving the world
INFPs have Introverted Feelings (Fi) as their dominant function. They rely on their own feelings, beliefs, and value systems to understand the world. As a result of the Perceiving function, they have a flexible and spontaneous approach toward situations, and they often come across as artistic.
On the other hand, the dominant function of INFJs is Introverted Intuition (Fi). They understand the world through intuition. Governed by the Judging function, they like to stay structured and organized in their day-to-day work and approach situations with an analytical mind.
2. Nature of empathy
INFPs understand other people’s emotions as their own. They can mirror (or re-create, as opposed to absorbing others’ emotions in real-time) others’ emotions exceptionally well. Be it through works of literature, art, or real-life situations, they can feel and emulate the nuances of emotions, which brings them success as actors or performers.
On the other hand, INFJs tend to absorb other people’s feelings, willingly or unwillingly. They possess a deep understanding of human emotions and nature. Despite understanding what others are going through, they find it challenging to understand their emotions.
3. Ways of persuasion
With a profound understanding of their own emotions, INFPs can channel their energy into others, making them feel the same way they do. This unique trait makes them master persuaders. INFPs use their persuasion skills to inspire others.
On the other hand, INFJs persuade others by offering alternative solutions—a brand-new perspective that resolves a problem quickly. Great leaders who help team members consider a complex issue from multiple points of view and offer unique insights to address it can demonstrate this quality.
4. Reading and writing styles
INFPs enjoy reading fiction, especially those dealing with the joys, sorrows, and struggles of the human condition, to gain a deeper understanding of people. They love to express themselves creatively, which makes them great writers.
On the other hand, INFJs prefer to read nonfiction or analytical works, and the same goes for their writing preferences. They observe the world and attempt to bring about social change when necessary, which makes them potential changemakers, social reformers, or prophets.
Key similarities
The two personality types share the following similarities:
1. Introspective
Both the INFJ and INFP personality types are introspective and thoughtful and desire to find the deeper meaning of life.
2. Private
Both personalities value their privacy and prefer to stay reserved. They take a significant amount of time to get acquainted with new people.
3. Empathetic
INFPs and INFJs are led by the Feeling function, which makes them caring and sympathetic individuals. They try to understand the emotions of people around them.
Despite the apparent similarities, the way INFPs and INFJs introspect, maintain privacy, and feel empathy is not identical, making the two personalities inherently distinct.
Summarize this article for me pleaseINFP and INFJ Collaboration Strategies
Every workplace has multiple personality types, as detailed in the Myers-Briggs framework, including INFPs and INFJs.
Working with each other can be overwhelming due to their differing personal values, work styles, problem-solving approaches, and worldviews.
This is where people managers and team leads can create a difference. By understanding how each personality type functions, they can develop effective collaboration and communication strategies that incorporate everyone’s preferences.
1. Cater to different personality types with diverse communication channels
Some personalities like to go at tasks solo, while others have an inherent need to connect and collaborate with others.
A collaboration tool like ClickUp Teams can strike a perfect balance between the two. This customizable work management platform offers various communication channels designed for different personality types and their preferences.
Let’s explore them here:
- Record your screen and send audio or video messages through ClickUp Clips. Convey your ideas to your team members instantly, without any confusion. No need to hop into unnecessary meetings, which is a blessing for introverted INFPs and INFJs
- Interact with team members in real time and unify team communications in a single place with ClickUp’s Chat View. Use the @mention feature in Task comments to directly address team members, get clarifications, or follow up. INFJs may appreciate the Chat view for having focused discussions without the distractions of a bustling office environment. They can use it to engage in thoughtful exchanges with team members, share ideas, and clarify any misunderstandings
- Turn ideas into actions with ClickUp Whiteboards. It’s a virtual creative canvas where employees can collaborate on ideas, brainstorm, design strategies, and build workflows. INFPs, with their creative and imaginative nature, might appreciate Whiteboards for expressing themselves artistically. They can use them to capture their thoughts and sketch out concepts in a more expressive way than plain text documentation
Besides these tools, you can also leverage ClickUp’s fully customizable communication plan templates. This ensures that every personality type understands their role within the organization and works alongside their team to achieve the shared objectives.
Here are a few templates you can’t afford to overlook:
ClickUp’s Communications Plan Whiteboard Template helps you devise an effective communication plan within seconds.
The framework allows you to outline the message you want to convey to stakeholders (for example, providing monthly project updates to the client). You can specify your target audience, project objectives, delivery methods, and frequency and maintain all types of communication in a structured way.
INFJs, known for their strategic thinking and attention to detail, could leverage this template to map out a comprehensive communication plan, considering various scenarios and potential challenges that may arise.
ClickUp’s Communications Matrix Report Template outlines which team members communicate with each other and the frequency of communication and helps identify any potential communication gaps that could be hindering project progress (for example, team members reporting to the team lead every week).
You can customize the template to fit your workflow to eliminate redundant communication efforts and deliver messages quickly across teams.
Both INFJs and INFPs value effective communication and may find this template useful for streamlining communication processes within their teams. INFJs, with their strong organizational skills, could use the template to ensure clear communication channels and responsibilities are defined for different stakeholders.
INFPs, who often seek harmony and understanding, might utilize the template to facilitate open and authentic communication among team members, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and valued.
ClickUp’s Team Communication and Meeting Matrix helps establish clear communication among team members.
The template allows team members to schedule meetings effectively and design strategies to optimize workflow. Use the template to convey the roles and responsibilities for each project, outline guidelines to get regular updates from team members, and set deadlines to keep teams productive and goal-oriented.
2. Keep everyone on the same page
Miscommunication and schedule clashes often create conflict among cross-functional teams. That’s why it’s important to offer everyone clear visibility into who’s working on what, the project progress status, and whether the team is on track with upcoming deadlines.
Different personalities prefer different views to understand their workflow. Some are happy with a simple overview, while others want a more granular picture of their status of tasks.
This is where ClickUp Views can help:
- Understand where your projects stand at a glance with the List View. INFJs may find the List View helpful for its straightforward and organized presentation of tasks and information. They can use it to create detailed checklists, break down complex projects into manageable steps, and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks
- Visualize your workflow in Kanban style and identify bottlenecks early with the Board View. The visual nature of the Board View can help INFPs see the bigger picture and understand how different tasks and projects fit together. They can use it to identify patterns and connections that may not be immediately apparent in other views
- Stay aligned with the team’s priorities—check tasks completed, workload capacity of colleagues, and organize specific team members’ comments in one place with the Box View
- Create visual outlines to understand your workflow better, edit/delete unimportant tasks, and improve your processes with Mind Maps
This is just the tip of the iceberg—ClickUp has 15+ customizable views to address employees’ unique needs and keep them on top of their tasks.
3. Cut down on busywork with automation
Some personality types, especially INFPs and INFJs, are driven by purpose. Maintaining focus and interest becomes challenging if their day-to-day tasks do not align with their greater purpose in life.
If your workflow involves many repetitive tasks, you can fast-track them with automation so employees have more time to engage in meaningful work.
This is where ClickUp Brain can help:
- Ask questions about Tasks, Docs, and people from within your Workspace and get accurate answers. No need to speak to a teammate unless it’s necessary
- Craft messages and emails in the right tone of voice with simple prompts
- Summarize meeting notes with zero manual effort
- Create automated standups and get daily updates on your team’s priorities, workload, and achievements
4. Get to know your team better
Unlock valuable information about your workforce with ClickUp’s Meet the Team Template. Use the customizable framework to create profiles of team members, highlight their skills and achievements, and attract new business and talents.
Promoting your employees on the company website boosts their morale, and they feel encouraged to push harder and strive toward bigger accomplishments. It also allows employees to showcase their Myers-Briggs personality types, better understand their team members, improve team communication, and foster team collaboration.
Summarize this article for me pleaseTry ClickUp—One Platform to Bring Together Different Personalities
Once you understand the essential differences between INFJs and INFPs and how each type functions, it gets easier to resolve conflicts in the workplace. You can establish clear lines of communication, allocate tasks, and lead the team toward success.
With an all-in-one collaboration and communication app like ClickUp, you can cater to the distinct traits of INFPs, INFJs, and the other MBTI types, ensuring everyone feels seen and valued.
When you go the extra mile to dig deep into the employees’ needs and preferences, you create a positive work culture where all personalities get equal opportunities to shine and contribute their best efforts.
Get started with ClickUp today, and say yes to a happier workforce!
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