People with the ENTP personality type (Debaters) have straightforward expectations in the workplace, but ones that aren’t always easy to meet. Strong believers in meritocracy, ENTP personalities expect their ideas to be heard by those above them, seek out robust debate among their peers, and demand that those they manage offer up new solutions and ideas regardless of their positions. While this isn’t always how things play out in reality, they know what to look for and can avoid those strictly hierarchical institutions that they would otherwise struggle with.

ENTP Subordinates

A meritocratic preference is clearest with ENTP subordinates, as they are comfortable challenging their managers’ ideas and have a strong (and well-expressed) dislike for restrictive rules and guidelines. ENTP personalities back this unorthodox behavior with their keen mind and curiosity and are as capable of adopting new methods as they are of suggesting that others do so. If something can be done better, it’s as simple as that. They will gladly take criticism, so long as it’s logical and performance-oriented.

The biggest challenge for ENTP subordinates is that it is often the fate of the “lower” positions to implement the details, do the dirty work, and follow through on plans set out by their managers. This couldn’t be further from what people with this personality type prefer to spend their time on. They can’t stand simple, routine work, and monotonous tasks are the stuff of nightmares. Things go over much better if managers are able to properly utilize ENTPs’ preference for tackling complex challenges and diverse projects.

ENTP Colleagues

It is as colleagues that ENTP personalities prove most polarizing, as their passions for brainstorming, debate, and overanalysis drive more practical, task-oriented colleagues up the wall but serve as stimulating inspiration for those who appreciate the innovation brought to the table. Nothing bothers people with this personality type more than getting out of a meeting where everyone agreed with the first plan presented, only to hear everyone complain about how stupid the plan was 10 minutes later – but they “didn’t want to make waves.” ENTPs strive for honest, direct, and objective assessments of these ideas, so much so that they often earn reputations for their insensitivity and condescension.

Luckily, ENTP personalities know how to relax too, and their witty wordplay, healthy sense of humor, and outgoing nature usually help them win new friends quickly and easily. Always willing to draw on their repository of knowledge, conversations with these inventive types are informative and entertaining, which makes it easy for them to be the go-to person for tough problems that stump more predictable approaches.

ENTP Managers

While not always their goal, management is often where these personalities are most at home, allowing them the freedom to fiddle with different approaches and come up with innovative ways to tackle new challenges without having to handle the tedious step-by-step implementation of these plans. ENTP managers are open-minded and flexible, not just granting but also expecting the same freedom of thought that they themselves enjoy. This can lead to disorder and conflicting ideas and approaches being put forward, but ENTP personalities are also great at accurately and objectively assessing which plan is likely to be most effective.

This doesn’t always help them make friends, but being liked is rarely their primary goal in this role. Instead, ENTPs would rather be respected and seen as intelligent and capable. And whether they are liked or not, people with this personality type hold firm ground in rational debates, making them fearsome advocates for their teams. The challenge for these personalities is focus, as they may find themselves jumping from project to project in a quest for novelty and excitement before their teams are able to wrap up the details of their existing goals and obligations.