The Judging-Perceiving Facets
The five facets of the Judging-Perceiving dichotomy are Systematic-Casual, Planful-Open-Ended, Early Starting-Pressure-Prompted, Scheduled-Spontaneous, and Methodical-Emergent.
Systematic-Casual
This core facet of the J-P dichotomy focuses on how we organize our physical environment, including the flow of events, activities, tasks, and projects.
Systematic
People at this pole have a variety of ways of achieving orderliness in their lives. They have a methodical and deliberate approach to doing both small, brief tasks and large, long-term ones; they have a need to schedule tasks and activities efficiently; and they want to be punctual in beginning and ending things on time. They use structures, methods, and deliberate systematic approaches to use their time efficiently, meet deadlines, and predict how long activities will take. Their approach permits them to have reserves of energy and time that would otherwise be wasted. This gives them the freedom to enjoy doing things for which they would not otherwise have time. They manage their leisure time and activities in the same systematic, well-ordered way, and for the same reason - it allows them to make the most of their leisure time and enjoy it more.
People at this pole maintain that if they were not systematic, too many things could go awry, wasting time, effort, and resources. Inefficiency and waste are unacceptable to them. They try to keep their homes and offices free of clutter and disarray. Clutter disrupts their ability to concentrate. Chaotic environments, be they at work or at home, interfere with their ability to get things done. Systematic people prefer to spend a few hours organizing things at the outset, and a few minutes a day to keep them that way, to avoid wasting time looking for misplaced files, memos, or tools. They consider it crucial to control their time, physical environment, and approach to work. They are quite uncomfortable if they do not have that control because that will lead to disorder that will have disastrous consequences. However, they can readily yield personal control to someone else who is also Systematic, once they know that the other person will maintain the necessary orderly structures.
The need for order and system extends beyond the physical environment for Systematic people. They also seek closure. Leaving decisions hanging is the same as having a messy desk or leaving tools scattered all over. When a task or decision is left unfinished, its incompleteness creates tension. Such tension depletes energy that could be better used for acting on the decision or tending to other matters.
Casual
People at this pole prefer a more spontaneous approach for accomplishing things. For them, system and order are burdens and impediments to working effectively, especially when being orderly inhibits their immediate response to what interests them. Casual people dislike the effort it takes to be systematic and may find such efforts to be quite difficult. They are most comfortable with an easygoing approach to schedules, deadlines, decision making, their physical environment, how they spend time, and how they perform tasks. This casualness entails openness to seeing and experiencing things in new and fresh ways. At times, others may mistake this for laziness. When there is too much order and predictability, Casual people miss the excitement, energy, and variety that spontaneity brings. They actively seek variety and newness and avoid constraining structures and systems. A loose, unstructured approach allows them to see, experience, or respond to opportunities they might otherwise miss. Casual people bring the greatest energy and enthusiasm to their work when, for example, an unexpected task is dropped in their lap. They do not being interrupted and asked to do something else in the middle of the day. Such interruptions create the kind of variety that keeps work from becoming patterned and boring. They like surprises that keep their days from being too predictable and repetitive.
Casual people are at their best when they are free to act on impulse, work on whatever tasks happen to strike their fancy, or respond to whatever requests or events come their way. Although they are certainly able to work systematically when necessary, variety and newness are intrinsically very satisfying to Casual people. They may therefore be at their best in work settings where procedures are not well established, and in non-routine types of jobs and activities. They are likely to thrive and perform well on projects types of jobs and activities. They are likely to thrive and perform well on projects requiring rapid development of goals and methods.
People at this pole are comfortable postponing decisions, and often prefer to do so. They may postpone making an important decision until they are satisfied that they have considered it from all angles. For minor decisions, they may simply prefer to let a period of time pass before they make their final decision. When it is time to decide, they make a decision based on all the information that has been brought to their attention. They are able to make a decision before they are ready if circumstances require this, but they may change it if new information becomes available later. On the other hand, when they have reached a decision after thoroughly weighing the issues involved, they may be quite reluctant to change it later. This is because they have invested so much effort in making the decision the first time.
Planful-Open-Ended
This facet emphasizes how we arrange our leisure time or social activities. Both daily and future plans are involved.
Planful
People at this pole like a definite schedule for their leisure time, one that specifies what day and what time they will do something. Such advance scheduling ensures that everything planned will actually happen. This requires knowing what you want to do ahead of time so a schedule can be devised. Planful people tend to structure any areas of their lives in orderly, planned ways. They like to pan in advance how they will spend each day, including vacation time and recreational activities. They prefer to know the dates and times of parties, dinners, and other social affairs in advance. They can then be certain that they will not miss something by scheduling another activity at the same time. This planfulness also means that they will likely not be available to accept invitations or attend social events on short notice, since their time will already be scheduled.
Their planfulness also extends to future events and goals. Such long-range planning ensures, for example, that they will meet their important financial and education objectives. Planful people are not comfortable leaving such important areas of life to chance occurrences in the future over which they will have no control. They are therefore likely to devote time and energy to gathering the information needed to accomplish such long-range planning.
Open-Ended
People at this pole prefer their leisure time to be unscheduled so they can take advantage of unexpected opportunities that may arise. Planning free time in advance virtually guarantees that something else will come up that is more interesting, important, or rare. In such situations, Open-Ended people may cancel preset plans rather than miss out on a more appealing activity. Their approach to leisure time involves the vibrancy and enthusiasm that results from interacting with an ongoing flow of events. Their liking for variety and improvisation in their use of such time is as meaningful as the specific activities in which they participate.
For Open-Ended people, variety and having the freedom to choose among the events that present themselves are what is most important. They do not necessarily feel they have missed something by choosing one thing over another on the spur of the moment. They may regret having to bypass a particular activity, but this is usually balanced by being able to choose something that matches the mood of the moment. This matching of oneself to the flow of life events and activities cannot occur if the activities and events are planned far in advance. It is only possible with an Open-Ended approach.
Early Starting-Pressure-Prompted
The fairly narrow focus of this facet is on how we manage time with regard to deadlines.
Early Starting
People at this pole much prefer to cope with deadlines by starting a task far enough in advance to allow plenty of time to finish. They tend to become quite stressed when they find themselves working until the last minute on projects that have deadlines. The stress caused by time pressure often spills over into relationships outside of the task they are trying to complete because their tension becomes general and persists until the task is done. This is often noticeable to the other people around them.
Early Starting people prefer to know their assignments well in advance. They can then begin their work early and not be pressured to get it done at the last minute. They do their best work when they can avoid last-minute rushes. Unexpected tasks or events that use up the time they had reserved for a scheduled project will be quite distressing for them. Severe time pressure can become so stressful for Early Starting people that they may find it hard to concentrate on what they are doing. They will then use their available time inefficiently.
Early Starting people feel like failures when they miss a deadline or were so rushed that they were not able to do their best work. Finishing just in time may be somewhat disconcerting, particularly if they have not had a chance to check their work thoroughly. Having time to spare after a task is completed is especially satisfying to them and they explicitly include such time for checking or reviewing in their plan.
Pressure-Prompted
People at this pole do their best work when they are under sufficient time pressure that meeting the deadline is a challenge. They find it hard to work well without the time pressure of a deadline. In fact, others observing them may have grave doubts that they will complete the job on time. Pressure-Prompted people find the adrenaline rush of trying to meet a tight schedule almost enjoyable. They may put off working on a project until the deadline is close enough that they will have to make a significant effort to finish it in time. This can be mistaken for procrastination, but it is actually not an avoidance of doing the task. While they appear to be doing nothing and letting valuable time slip by, they are actually working inside their heads. During this "inactive" time these people are doing something very similar to what a steam engine does when it stands idly by building up a head of steam. Pressure-Prompted people need a "gestation" period to stimulate the energy they need to tackle the project. If they are working on several projects, this gestation may even occur while they rush to finish other tasks whose deadlines are imminent.
The Pressure-Prompted approach to work involves more than just enjoying the energy aroused by time pressure. People at this pole feel that they actually do their best work under the stress of a severe time constraint. They have more ideas, work more efficiently, and think more clearly under those conditions. Depending on what kind of work they are doing, they may not know how long it will take them to finish. However, their awareness of the time available helps them determine what to include in the finished product and what to discard. Time pressure is thus an important part of their work style and they can use this to structure their finished product. If Pressure-Prompted people meet a deadline with time to spare, they are likely to feel that they began too soon and wasted time that could have been spent on something else. In fact, their enthusiasm may also fade near the end of a project if they finish too early. Such waning of enthusiasm may be a short-lived problem, however, as Pressure-Prompted people usually have several other imminent deadlines to which they can turn their attention.
Scheduled-Spontaneous
This facet centers on the degree of structure in one's daily activities.
Scheduled
People at this pole are comfortable with routine because it enables them to function efficiently. The appeal of routine is that time and energy are not wasted and things can be done "correctly." Routine promoted concentration and ensures continuity in work, so that it all flows together smoothly, efficiently, and as flawlessly as possible. Scheduled people enjoy fitting themselves into a routine that allows them to blend their own abilities and energy with those of other people. This ensures a predictable and productive flow of tasks and activities. They like structuring their daily activities in a known sequence because it prevents the energy waste that could occur if they had to suddenly shift gears. Scheduling their time allows them to look forward to all parts of their day, whether they are restful, satisfying, personally meaningful, or exciting. For scheduled people, routine itself is restful and comfortable in that one is not caught by surprise.
For the Scheduled person, routine also includes broad spans of time, in addition to morning rituals of rising, dressing, and getting ready for work. Weekly, seasonal, and yearly patterns of work, leisure, and family time are involved. The repetition used for some daily and longer-term routines is itself meaningful, providing a kind of anchor by which friendships and family relations are maintained.
Scheduled people are able to function without a fixed pattern of daily activities, for no one's days are all the same. However, they are apt to feel uncomfortable without a structure by which their days and weeks can be organized. If such a structure is missing, they may seek was of recapturing at least parts of their previous routines to restore order and avoid distressing confusion.
Spontaneous
People at this pole are energized by the prospect of variety in their daily work. The very thought of following the same routine day after day feels cramped and confining. They can work within a routine when it is necessary but find it painful to do so. They work best and with greatest energy when their work presents them with constant variety, and they will likely find as many ways as possible to introduce it into their work. Otherwise, they will become bored. They like the freedom to decide what tasks they will do and when. If they have this freedom, they may begin their workday by tackling whatever task strikes their fancy first, moving on to the others as they feel inclined, regardless of any deadlines attached to tasks.
Spontaneous people may also be bored by the thought of longer-term routines. Annual family vacations, holiday and birthday celebrations, and other recurring events may leave them cold. They may suggest some variations in ways of celebrating seasonal holidays just to keep them fresh. If there is too much routine in too many areas of their lives, people at this pole can break the monotony by exploring new activities. They may take courses at local colleges, join clubs, do volunteer work, or otherwise spend leisure time doing things they have never tried before. Variety and the freedom to respond on the spur of the moment are essential for their mental health. Being stuck in a rut from which there is no obvious escape is one of the worst things that can happen to them.
Methodical-Emergent
This facet is narrowly focused on how we sequence the smaller tasks that need to be done in order to finish larger projects. Time and scheduling are not considerations here.
Methodical
For people at this pole, getting ready to tackle a large project begins with organizing themselves and whatever materials, tools, or other people they will need. They may make lists of what they need to do and make notes about the specific steps required and the order in which they will do them. They make sure they have the necessary materials available or arrange to acquire them when they are needed. They may even arrange their materials in the order in which they will be used. They therefore will be unlikely to have trouble finding what they need when they need it. If help from others in doing something is necessary, Methodical people will contact those people well in advance. They may also call to remind these helpers shortly before they are needed.
Methodical people believe that approaching tasks in this way saves time; it also minimizes mistakes and reduces costs. These efficiencies produce faster and better work, as well as personal satisfaction. Methodical people enjoy organizing their work, tools, and materials. Doing so frees them to concentrate on doing a good job. If they have to work on a task with someone who is not Methodical, they may find the resulting inefficiencies frustrating. They may do as much advance organization as possible to minimize such frustration and accomplish the task efficiently.
Methodical people are likely to read through the complete set of directions that come with a project before starting to work on it. That way they know what tools and tasks are required and what sequence they should follow. By doing this, they may get a good enough grasp of the project that they can complete it correctly with only minor detours. Methodical people like to set sub-goals or milestones to help them assess whether they are on track.
Methodical teachers and trainers function best by making well-ordered lesson plans that build the students' knowledge sequentially. This ensures that important objectives are covered adequately. They also organize their lesson plans around explicit learning objectives. The lesson's parts must fit together well so that students will be best able to grasp new material.
Emergent
People at this pole tend to treat projects as explorations or discoveries and take delight in finding out what to do and how to do it as they go along. They do not usually start a large task by beginning with the first step. In fact, they may not complete any of the steps in a particular order, unless this is absolutely necessary. When they do make an outline or a list of required tasks in tackling a large project, it is apt to be very general. The list may include the tasks to be done, but it will not necessarily reflect the order in which they need to be or will be done. Taking tie to organize tools, materials, and people before beginning is not satisfying, interesting, or efficient for Emergent people. They prefer a looser, less structured approach to preparing for and carrying out tasks. They are eager to tackle parts of a task that interest them first, and they proceed to the other steps the same way. When a strict sequence of steps is required to complete the task correctly, they may discover this sequence by trial and error. As a last resort, they may read directions. Their exploratory approach means that they most likely will look for tools only when they get to a stage that requires them. At that point, they may have difficulty finding them; the tools may have been left with another project, or not yet returned to their usual place.
If they read directions at all, people at this pole almost never read them completely through before beginning a project. That would take the exploratory spirit out of the whole endeavor. They may glance at any diagrams shown, begin looking for parts that match those in the picture, and proceed from that point. If a part is missing or mislabeled, they will likely discover this only after they have already partially assembled the piece.
With the exploratory approach of Emergent people, the completion of one task leads to starting another. This trial of associations from one task to another can be best described as playing the whole thing by ear. At the end, the Emergent person will have an overall picture of how all the pieces fit together. This approach is particularly suited to new situations or projects where the specific tasks involved are not known, or where improvisation is needed. By tackling the core piece first, Emergent people spend most of their time and energy on what is most important. They then don't need to spend as much energy on the "frills".
Teachers and trainers at the Emergent pole prefer an adaptable approach to lesson plans. Their plans are likely to be general rather than detailed and to leave much room for improvisation. They may introduce new material that was not in their outline or digress and explore a particular topic in greater depth than they originally had planned. They are likely to explore new areas that were not in the plan at all if class interest warrants this. They will still cover the major learning objectives, but their sequence arises dynamically out of their unique interaction with a particular class on a particular day.
