More Human Patterns (Pt2)
Several weeks ago in a hurried attempt to pick up our house before guest arrived, my wife and I put the things that were on our counter top and kitchen table out of sight.
Notice I said, "out of sight" and not "put away." You would never confuse my wife and I of being overly organized.
Our garage...total joke.
Our small little office area only we see...nightmare.
My first pattern for today is the ultra organized person.
Pattern 1: Organized people
Organized people have some awesome strengths.
-Ask them where ______________ is and guaranteed they have a place for it.
-They are often structured, prepared, and orderly.
-They can create a vibe of safety and comfort because they seem to have things in order and taken care of.
PS. I think organized and prepared are cousins or maybe brothers. They seem to go hand in hand.
A former coworker is this. They always had things in place, were extremely prepared, and seem totally buttoned up.
The constraint to this person is rigidity.
They are often unable to 'go with the flow' or adapt.
When the situation calls for some flexibility, they shut down.
They are often unable to 'think off the top of their head'.
They can often fall into 'black and white thinking'...and lack thinking in grey or nuance.
Possible Helps
Because I am not this type of person, I actually wish I had more of this in me. So coming up with helps is a little difficult for me. But I'll throw these things out...
When things don't go as planned, take a deep breath, and see this as great opportunity to learn to adapt...and do it with a great attitude.
Practice thinking in 'grey'. Often times when we are problem solving, we think there are only two possibilities. Again, very black or white. In this situation, come up with a third and fourth possibility to potentially solve the problem.
Pattern 2: The Doer Person
The doer brings so much value to organizations.
-When you need something done, the doer gets it done.
-They rarely need recognition or the spotlight. They work really well behind the scenes.
-It will get done on time and be done at a really high level.
The constraint can be their lack of awareness of people.
They will often value getting stuff done over developing people.
The project takes precedent over people.
People can feel ignored and devalued.
After completing a project or 'finishing the race' doers can often look behind them and see a path of destruction left in their wake.
If a doer is not leading people...no big deal. In this case, the doer does no damage.
But if the doer is leading others, it could become a problem.
Possible Helps
People, people people. This must be the doer's refrain.
Several years ago, I was on a call with eight people who were in athletic administration. One younger AD said something to the effect of "I try to shut my door consistently or else I won't get anything done."
To which an older, more experienced AD simply said, "The job is to get people done, not necessarily projects." **
True leaders develop people.
Create an apprenticeship model...or to put it another way, take people with you. If you are an elite doer. One of the best ways to develop others is to simply 'take them with you' when you are doing.
The Right/Wrong Seat On the Bus
This brings me to a key point. If a leader will do a good job of getting people in the right seat, the constraints are not as impactful.
Getting in the right seat avoids exposing our constraints.
So, if you have a doer managing or leading a lot of people, maybe they need to be in a different seat.
If you have the ultra-organized person in a position that requires adaptability, thinking grey, and constant pivots, maybe they need to be in a different seat.
There are two ways to minimize our professional shadows...growth and a new role!
Elite leaders are constantly trying to help develop their people AND constantly asking if there are any ways (i.e. shifting people around) they can make their organization better.
** This person was not unaware of the need to get stuff done. He was simply pushing the younger AD to make sure he saw people as the primary part of the job!
CLICK here to order my book The Leadership Greenhouse
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One of my weekly disciplines is scouring the internet for articles/tweets I can learn from and/or use with those I work with. Below are two that I hope help encourage and equip you.
Article 1- How to guarantee a life of misery (Charlie Munger)
Article 2- Andy Reid's leadership principles
Podcast: Jordan Fish. Dallas Baptist Volleyball. One of the best young coaches in volleyball!
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