The 16 Personalities in Team Building Activities

Hands up who has been subjected to “two truths and a lie” or “trust falls” as a way to unstick the team and get everyone working together?

I get it, sometimes it's important to improve bonding and culture. But is that the result you're going to get when you throw a promotion chaser, chaos maker, rule follower and class clown into the same activity? Today we're looking at the 16 personalities in team building activities — let the awkwardness begin!

ESTJ: Controls Like a Boss (Which You Usually Are)

ESTJ comes from the logic that bonding is great for productivity. You do tons of research on the options before settling on “something that seems like it would be fun for everybody," and fun is what you're going to have (even if it kills you). You don't participate as much as you preside over the event — calling attention to the discussion prompt, barking out instructions, and pointing to the clock when others are wasting time. So, not that different from every other day in the office, then.

ISFJ: Way More Into It Than You Let On

After weeks of proclaiming you're “just not into it," ISFJ goes into a full-blown panic attack when someone suggests you slack off and hide in the kitchen until it’s all over. No! This is your moment to show everyone how much of a team player you are — someone has to stop Jim from using glue during the Paper Tower Challenge, and it might as well be you. Soon, everyone else has picked up on how you have to do breathing exercises each time someone deviates from the rules, and they start doing it on purpose to rile you up.

ESFJ: Fills Every Awkward Pause

ESFJ, you cringe when a suggestion is met with dead air. Nothing, nothing, is worse than the silence that follows when nobody knows what to say. So you crack jokes, tell stories and do your best to make the others feel comfortable. When Ron from Accounts shares yet another boring fact about himself, you nod in approval and ask follow-ups (“Tell us more about the carpet you bought this weekend!”). When a co-worker suggests a strategy so terrible that the group sits in silence, you swoop in with a gracious “Thank you for that perspective!” Saved it.

ISTJ: Follows Rules to the Letter

ISTJ, you try so hard to be chill. When your boss gave a totally pointed speech about not taking the game too seriously, multiple co-workers side-eyed you. But soon enough, you’re sweating every detour: How come the compliment circle turns into side conversations when there are only 15 minutes left? Why is everybody pretending not to notice the ISFP cheating at cards? Eventually, you stop pretending: “No, we can’t swap phone numbers right now. We are five minutes behind schedule!” and “Why would you make that suggestion? Didn’t you listen to the instructions?” Pretty soon, nobody can slack off on anything without facing your wrath.

ENTP: Creates Happy Chaos

You, ENTP, are the reason why the team-building exercise was proposed in the first place. The boss mistook your constant debating as an issue of team cohesiveness, and thought some collaborative games would help. You took it as a personal challenge to bring out the competitive side in everyone. If you’re doing an escape room, you ignore the rules and start adding a secret twist to the clues. If it’s two truths and a lie, you tell three lies on your turn. Did you really cheat on the game, or did you just push the boundaries a bit? Somehow, nobody can argue with your logic.

ENTJ: The Bossy Boots

It’s so easy to space out when rules are explained. But you, ENTJ, never space out, so you re-explain the rules to the others as if they are five years old (cheating bad, honesty good!). You obviously take charge — telling people what to do and deciding problem-solving strategies. Your co-workers call you bossy, but they low-key like your leadership. Besides, nobody else understood the rules anyway.

INTP: The Silent Plotter

While your boss barks out instructions, you INTP sit silently because it takes you 3-5 business days to make decisions. No matter how loudly the others argue — cough, ENTP, cough — you sit just like Rodin’s statue and THINK. When you speak up, everybody is so shocked that they shut up to listen. You share a suggestion so good that silence rests upon the break room. Your boss then yells, “How come nobody else thought of that?” Cue: knowing smile.

INTJ: The Promotion Chaser

INTJ, you scoff when the boss announces the game: Forging friendships? Building communication skills? No. The team-building day is obviously all about winning and proving that you and you alone deserve that promotion. In the beginning, you let everyone believe you’re not a threat. After faking ignorance for the entire game, you pull the greatest Monopoly save in history. As you celebrate your victory, the ISFJs all mumble under their breath about addressing your trust issues in therapy.

ENFJ: The Human Motivational Poster

Forever seeking to add meaning to the mundane, ENFJ approaches team building like they’re prepping for the final game in Remember the Titans, complete with a rousing speech about unity and backed by swelling orchestral music no one else can hear. “Attitude reflects leadership, Captain!” you’ll say, fully expecting someone to slow clap and start a chant. The team gets sore hands from all the high fives you give them, but they have to admit you did boost their self-esteem.

INFP: Includes Others Like Your Life Depends on It

When the boss announces a corporate bonding session, everybody cheers but you, INFP. That’s because a social interaction is never just a social interaction – it’s a minefield of emotional explosions. You’re so bogged down by others’ feelings that you ignore the exercise and focus on working them into conversations (“You guys are planning to go to coffee after this? No way, Miranda loves coffee too!). By the end, your neck is sore from nodding to show attentive listening.

ENFP: Actually Loves Team-Building

While everyone else is pretending to have fun, you, ENFP, aren’t acting. For the past few weeks, you’ve been so confused about an Excel function that you’ve secretly been playing Papa’s Pizzeria on your work laptop. Corporate bonding is a fantastic distraction from that! You talk to the others so personably that they enjoy playing charades in a dimly lit breakroom. By the end of the game, you’ve been asked on three first dates and are a new godparent.

INFJ: Has a Black Belt in Passive Aggression

Because you’re hyper-aware of how things should be, INFJ, you know precisely why the boss proposed a team-building exercise. Nobody notices how much people slack off or sends as many passive-aggressive group chat reminders to use coasters as you do. Even your boss plays Candy Crush in the bathroom because he’s scared of your eagle eye. When you notice others not taking the exercise seriously, you mention their lack of communication skills. When some try sneaking out for break-room coffee, you bring up last quarter’s report. Somehow, this inspires their attention.

ESTP: Throws Others Off Their Game

The game is afoot, and you ESTP are locked in. You want to be in the middle of all the games and will do anything to win. That includes throwing co-workers off their game by snickering at their poor bowling form ("you're gonna hit a lot of gutters that way, champ!"), and ignoring the debate about the locked door in the escape room, instead trying each key until one works. If a co-worker is stuttering through their suggestions with little time left, you'll cut them off with a "good enough for me!" and take the win. You weren’t trying to be mean. You’re just efficient!

ISTP: Is So Over It

ISTP, you’ve struck a deal with your co-workers: unless they have a technical question, they don’t bother you. So when your boss forces you into a break room for “team-building,” you’re understandably peeved. Why are you forced to play charades on a Monday?  Why spend hours solving “Two Truths and a Lie” when the person whose turn it is could just come clean? The only route back to playing Tetris at your desk is finishing this exercise ASAP...or maybe you'll just duck out for a long lunch break.

ESFP: The Class – or Workplace – Clown

ESFP, you’re a walking distraction from the beginning – cracking jokes, asking silly questions to wind up your ISTJ coworkers, and making everybody die of laughter. You’re so distracting that the boss orders you back to your desk to deal with some pretend emergency. But after just a few minutes, everybody begs you to return because the day is dry without you. A small applause erupts when you walk in. Score!

ISFP: The Real Team Bonder

Because you hate inauthentic connections, ISFP, the team-building activity seems like a waste of time. Why trade fun facts with co-workers instead of actually getting to know them over coffee? Instantly over it, you duck out to “use the bathroom” with a friend and debrief in peace. When the other co-workers catch on, they ask the boss one by one for “bathroom breaks” so they can join the restroom convo. Your boss eventually finds you all huddled by the bathroom stalls, discussing your attachment styles. Did you blow off the team-building exercise, or did you just make up your own? Somehow, your boss can’t be mad at you.