The Brent Labour Group are being asked to take a controversial personal traits test ahead of a Group Awayday by the Labour Chief Whip Steve Crabb. It appears to be part of his bid to make this administration's Labour Group the 'most united Labour Group in the history of Brent Council.' (1)
Each councillor is asked to answer a battery of questions that Crabb suggests will enable them to better know themselves and others in the way they approach tasks, and thus work more effectively within the Group. Crabb who is a qualified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator practioner will analyse the answers and place each councillor in one of 16 categories.
What happens to this result?
Crabb's entry on the Council's Register of Interests includes 'Independent Consultant, SC Consulting'. His Myers-Brigg work is done voluntarily and not connected with the consultancy.
The video below summarises well the critique of the method which has become part of a multi-million industry used by many corporations.
As an education student in the 1970s I came across this test and many other psyschological tests which were fascinating at first, obsessed as we humans are with finding out about ourselves. However, the novelty soon wore off in the face of a critique from sociologists who saw the tests as masking the real differences between people that were often of a philosophical or political nature.
Treating the Labour Group as if it is some kind of corporation feeds into what appears to be the managerialist approach of Labour in Brent. If the Labour Group unites as a team, and understands and value each other, political differences will somehow disappear.
There is a common belief that if we only understand each and and communicate effectively we will all be 'nice' and will end up agreeing. On the contrary, effective communication may mean differences are clearer. (For example on affordable housing!)
Given the very limited role of backbench Labour councillors in terms of policy making and strategy alongside the highly controlling current leadership, this is worrying. Genuine debate on conflicting ideas can lead to progress.
I am not sure what some of the more grounded Labour councillors will make of the MBTI but certainly they need to be asking questions about how the results will be used, who will have access to them, and whether the Group time devoted to it could be better used to address the very many issues confronting the council and its residents.
For those who would like to know more I list some references below. Some advocates of MBTI will argue that the tests have been refined since publication of the video so perhaps the best introduction is a recent article in the Independent:
How thousands of companies ended up using a bogus psychology test ontheir staff
https://steve.myers.co/mbti-criticisms/
https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/my-mbti-results/your-mbti-best-fit-type.htm
https://www.livescience.com/65513-does-myers-briggs-personality-test-work.html
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-echochambers-28315137
https://www.vox.com/2014/7/15/5881947/myers-briggs-personality-test-meaningless
https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/the-problem-with-the-myers-briggs-personality-test
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/give-and-take/201309/goodbye-mbti-the-fad-won-t-die
(1) Following Wembley Matters coverage of appointments and election to council roles at the Labour Group AGM after the local elections, newly appointed Chief Whip, Steve Crabb, wrote to all the Labour councillors expressing his disappointment that there had been a leak. He went on express the hope that the leak was not from a member of the Labour Group: 'I want us to be remembered as the most united Labour Group in the history of Brent Council. Let's work together to make sure the first leak is the last.'
11 comments:
“Treating Labour as a corporation” Brilliant post. If they want to value difference and accordingly differences of opinion, give backbenchers a voice and power to make a difference
Who is paying for this nonsense?
Let's work together to make sure the first leak is the last
Hahaha excellent
This explains a lot! Instead of being thoughtful individuals doing what’s best for their communities and Brent residents as a whole they act like sheep. It sounds more like a cult than being concerned with doing the right thing. Their New Council Homes Programme has an engagement strategy that is more concerned with briefing the members and keeping them on board than talking or listening to residents.
I could give a four-letter description of Butt's Labour Group, but I don't think Martin would publish it!!!
Are you the type of person who will do what you are told by the Party Leader, without question or complaint, and attend at least two meetings a year in return for an annual allowance of £12,000?
If the answer is yes, your an ideal Brent Labour councillor.
£20,000 if you are willing to ignore all objections read none of the officer or application papers and vote on the planning committee as instructed by the supreme leader Butt.
Let’s hope it is a busy news day tomorrow this is a very Daily Mail story echo’s of barmy Brent circa 1980’s
Spot on Anonymous 18/10 at 20.27!
Edited version of previous comment following representations.
What a load of codswallop, I read through quite a lot of the questions/options and unfortunately fit both sides of most criteria as the selections are not mutually exclusive. If I had to participate in this nonsense I would not be able to choose one side or the other! And what's the point, Butt makes all the decisions. At Cabinet today you could see the Cabinet members reading out their prepared statement. Butt's prattle about how wonderful he and his councillors are was cringe worthy; it was obvious his awful spouting of self admiration was not pre-prepared due to his disjointed and repetitive diatribes throughout the meeting. Some of the questions from Cabinet Members were appalling and showed that most haven't got a clue. Take Ms Knight who had to be corrected by the real leader Ms Downs about spending of SCIL on residential Property. It was also to be noted that Towerblock Talter has joined Butt in Gas Lighting. One day we might get a council who look after their residents and not property developers.
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