TheFieldGeneral

Fly with the Eagles. Taking high C’s to the next level August 7, 2012

High C’s are generally easy to spot. They are your technicians. Details are in their blood. Perfection and organization drive them. The C is symbolized by the eagle. They are precise, powerful achievers who effortlessly soar to heights of excellence.

Thanks to Pat Bell @http://www.flickr.com/people/pmbell64/

High C

Superpowers

1. Excellence – C’s are motivated by excellence. They tend to be very skilled in whatever field interests them. Nothing less than perfection satisfies. They will achieve more than expected and push the team to achieve things far beyond what people think is possible.

2. Creativity – C’s are detail people. One of the odd side effects of this is they tend to be very creative as well. I suspect their creativity is simply the C seeing connections and combinations that the rest of us miss.

3. Conscientiousness – C’s value truth and are extremely hard on themselves. They will kill themselves to keep a promise. They will do their job without monitoring.

4. Scouting and Analysis – C’s detailed focus comes into play. It allows them to accurately forecast anything. Thus, a C can give a team forewarning of trends, problems, and solutions that others see too late to react to.

5. Organization –C’s can, at a glance, see how something should be organized to produce a particular efficiency. Note, this does not include prioritization.

Weaknesses

1. Social Awkwardness (Criticality and Shyness) – C’s tend to be socially awkward. There are two reasons for this. First they are annoyed by the lack of perfection around them. This leads to a tendency to be critical. Second they are terrified of the lack of perfection they see in themselves. This tends to make them shy. They tend to avoid the lime-light.

2. Inflexibility – C’s are the worst about change. They build coping mechanisms to deal with the imperfect world around them and change disrupts those processes. (and in the C’s opinion the changes are generally not the right ones anyway).

3. Emotional Fragility – C’s tend to internalize feelings. They let them build up until they explode. They also understand intensely their own flaws and struggle with criticism. This leads overall to an emotional brittleness.

4. Analysis Paralysis (Perfectionism) – C’s have a difficult time making decisions. This is because they want the decisions to be perfect, and there is always insufficient data. The end result is analysis paralysis and ultimately tardiness with delivery. They also have difficulty prioritizing because in order to be perfect, everything must be done right.

Dealing with C’s

C’s see the world in a different way. At times, they almost seem to live in an entirely different world. They are not people-people. They are over-achievers. You see them most in jobs that require precision: Engineering, Computers, Science, Medicine, Law, and the Arts. They don’t tend to be team players, but excel as specialists. The highest C’s would prefer to see no one, hide in an office all day, and do their job. However, if you want a job done right, give it to a high C.

Healthy Vs. Unhealthy

Only an unhealthy D is more disruptive than an unhealthy C. Unhealthy C’s tend to take criticism to an artistic level. They have given up on perfection. This can lead to a loss of excellence, success, and conscientiousness. The behavior spirals and often leads to depression that further exacerbates the behaviors. Pulling a C out of this is very difficult because by the time it shows externally, the C has been spiraling internally for a long time. The best method is prevention. Strangely, the best prevention is the very thing the C is not looking for, companionship and fun. C’s don’t seek it out, but it is the thing they need to keep them out of the dark patches. A C that has fallen into a deep spiral may require professional counseling.

C’s as employees

C’s are the absolute hardest employees to manage. They are fragile, critical, inflexible, and generally incapable of moving forward without someone else helping them to move past perfection. On the other hand, C’s can literally do things that the other people can’t. They come up with solutions that other people cannot see. They do work that seems impossible, impossibly quickly when the pressure is on. C’s take your organization to a level that it cannot reach without them.

Key Management Thoughts:

1. Involve C’s in your decisions – What’s the point in having this wonderful, perfect, analyst if you don’t ask their opinion. Also this gives them the lead time to be ok with the changes when they come.

2. C’s lead better from the middle – D’s and I’s make your best top level leaders. S’s Make tremendous middle managers, retaining critical personnel like no one else. Pure C’s lead best from the middle. More accurately, they lead best from an advisory position. High C’s can lead in other roles, but it tends to be dissatisfying to them as they must focus on politics or interpersonal interaction instead of what they most enjoy: achieving tasks, creating new ideas, and mapping out strategies.

3. Be careful mixing C’s and I’s – They tend to annoy each other. A critical C is one of the few things that can anger a bouncy I. An optimistic I will grate on the nerves of a C who sees all the imperfections around them.

4. C’s take a LONG time to develop to their full potential – This is because they are ultra-careful and take every step. But if you are patient and expend the effort, they become amazing.

5. Help keep their heads down – C’s when exposed do things that cause their heads to be taken off. I have numerous stories of C’s who said the wrong thing at the wrong time to the wrong person. While the D might ignore social rules, often the C just doesn’t realize they exist.

C’s can be the funniest personalities because they see the world in a different way than the average person. Do you have a story about a high C you would like to share?

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Pure strength, Cultivating S’s to their full potential. July 31, 2012

How do you spot an S? They Smile. They are warm. For some unidentifiable reason you like them. They are counselors, full of serenity. The S is symbolized by the Ox, massively strong, serene, and stable.

With thanks to Nicole Compton
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nic2488/

High S

Superpowers:

1. Warmth – The overwhelming personal warmth of the High S can overcome frustration and anger. They easily manage difficult personalities and calm angry customers.

2. Serenity – The High S lives in a bubble. Sorrow and anger tend to roll off of the bubble, allowing them to project an aura of peace.

3. Stability and Strength – The S can push longer than other personalities. After the D and I have grown bored and the C has exhausted themselves, the S will continue forward.

4. Contentment – S’s will generally stay at a job, working solidly until they are pushed from it. Many of your long tenured employees are high S’s.

5. Long Term Focus – S’s are not consumed with the immediate. They are focused on the long term. An S will never accidentally sacrifice a relationship for a temporary material gain.

Weaknesses

1. Fear of Conflict – S’s hate conflict. They fear it and will avoid it. Sometimes they will even make poor moral decisions, lying to avoid conflict.

2. Low Ambition – S’s contentment is a double edged sword. They think in terms of relationships, not careers. This tends to limit their career unless a strong sponsor takes interest.

3. Susceptible to Peer Pressure – Due to their people focus and conflict avoidance, S’s will bend to peer pressure. This can lead to destructive behaviors including substance abuse.

4. Laziness – S’s can be lazy. They work hard when motivated, but they don’t easily generate internal motivation. An external push is required.

Dealing with S’s

S’s love people. They are the masters of one on one. They excel in counseling, customer service, or collaborative positions. They require strong structure or they will tend to drift into steady mediocrity. Remember, the S personality is your workhorse. When driven by a strong leader they are rocks who you can lean on to be consistent and stay with you even when conditions are tough.

Healthy Vs. Unhealthy

Unhealthy S’s are driven by fear and peer opinion. They will tend to go to extremes to avoid conflict and garner approval. This behavior is characterized by bad habits, laziness, and even dishonesty. For a strong leader, S personalities are the easiest to bring to health. Provide a strong, safe structure. Push them occasionally. Most importantly, appreciate them. S’s steady performance is often overlooked, yet, as people persons, they absolutely crave appreciation.

S’s as employees

S’s tend to be straightforward. Managing them is similarly straightforward.

1. Give them team or people oriented work – S’s like to work with people. To best motivate them, put them in team or people oriented work. This is also an excellent environment for their Warmth superpower. In teams they serve as peacemakers and arbitrators. In client facing situations, give them the worst clients. They will amaze you with how they turn your dogs into diamonds.

2. Protect your S’s – An S operates best under a healthy D they trust. Someone who will tell everyone else that no one is allowed to attack the S but them. Seeing that ferocious Lion guarding the pasture from enemies, they will operate contentedly. Forever! Other personalities can achieve this as well. The key is to protect them from attack. They won’t protect themselves.

3. Give them structure – S’s need to be pushed. They need deadlines. They need expectations. Don’t expect them to come up with goals themselves. They are very poor at short term goals.

4. Provide them with Appreciation – S’s are the most unappreciated personality. The high achieving D’s and C’s care little for approbation, but their achievements tend to draw it. I’s will demand appreciation whether they deserve it or not. S’s wait hopefully for a pat on the back. Oblige them, and they will follow you into Hell. Forever!

5. Build a Career for them – When you take on an S as an employee you are recruiting the strongest, most loyal of the personalities. What they lack in drive, creativity, and energy, they more than make up in pure tenacity. This gift requires recompense. Provide them opportunity; they will not seek it themselves. Show them the way to the next level. They still require strong upper managers to protect and provide them structure, but S’s make special managers. Their Warmth superpower takes over and anchors all the other personalities to them. Suddenly you find your D’s are more patient, your I’s are more stable, your C’s are happier, and far fewer employees are leaving the company.

Tell me about a high S you love.
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Pure strength, Cultivating S’s to their full potential.

Fire-Starters and Rain-Makers. How to maximize their potential. July 17, 2012

High I’s are loud. Tremendously, hugely loud. They are bright balls of energy. When they float through a crowd they light fires of interest as they go. They are Rain-Makers and sales people. An I is represented biblically by the “man”, who lives by his words more than his brawn.

With Thanks to Aaron “Tango” Tang http://www.flickr.com/photos/hahatango/

High I

Superpowers:

1. Energy and Charisma – The high I’s energy is infectious and overpowering. An I will get people so excited that they will say yes to something before they realize what they are agreeing to.

2. Vision Casters – An I has the natural ability to find the precise words to make you see the world as they do.

3. People Sensitivity – I’s understand someone’s mood and underlying attitudes far quicker than other personalities.

4. Traditional Leadership – An I’s ability to read people, project energy, and cast vision makes them fit well into traditional leadership roles.

5. Gab – All I’s have the gift of Gab. They will say things that would cause other people to get fired, and people will laugh. Negativity seems to slide right off of them.

Weaknesses:

1. Lack of consistency – I’s get bored easily. They will change things just for the sake of change. They often lack the long term consistency to tackle big projects.

2. Shallow relationships – I’s like excitement. Thus they tend to have a broad, shallow pool of friends. Their ability to see deeply into others may give them an impression of depth that does not exist.

3. Inability to organize and prioritize – Hi I’s often have difficulty organizing and prioritizing tasks.

4. Easily manipulated – I’s can be very focused on approval. They can be very susceptible to peer pressure.

Key Phrase: “Let’s all get excited and do something”

I’s are critical team components. They are your encouragers. They provide energy to your team. They also tend to have a keen sense of the human spirit and can identify potential interpersonal problems early on. Most people think of sales people as high I’s.

Dealing with I’s.

I’s love excitement. Thus they need variety, encouragement, and most importantly people. Unlike other personalities who will stay and become angry, passive-aggressive, or unstable, I’s will simply leave the organization when inappropriately used. Keep them busy with a variety of topics and engaged with people.  You will also have to pacify the Ds and Cs around them, whom they will annoy.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy

I’s become less stable when unhealthy. They tend to bounce around a lot to start with. An unhealthy I will show emotional swings with increased intensity and depth. Depression is common. Anger can be a problem as well. I’s are easily influenced so being in a positive environment can help an unhealthy I.

I’s as employees

To groom your Fire-Starter to do big things for you, you must teach them:

• Task Completion
• Prioritization and Organization

It is critical that you teach an I to complete what they start. I’s love to start new things, but their interest quickly deteriorates as the project ceases to be new. Managers need to focus on ways to keep the activities fresh. Celebration of success and clarity of progress is critical. It helps keep the excitement level up and show the impatient I that the goal is coming and that it is worth achieving.

As the I is naturally a poor organizer and prioritizer, it is your job as a manager to help them with this task. Often times training is simply not sufficient. Software or Methodology solutions can be somewhat successful, especially if the I recognizes their weakness. This works right up to where the I abandon’s the boring process or system. A better methodology is a very regular review with the manager.  High I’s love people, thus the face time will be a well-received experience. Some things to note in this meeting:

• Be positive – I’s do not take negativity well
• Use a “bright” tone and super-positive words like “awesome”, “super”, or “tremendous”. Superlatives like “best”, “greatest”, and other “est” words are great too… I’s are walking, talking hyperboles. They love things to be over the top.
• Do not get too broad. The I is naturally broad themselves. Keep the priority items to 1-3 and talk about where things are, where they were last time you met, and where they should be next time.
• Make this meeting regular. 1ce per week is minimum.

What is your opinion of High I’s?
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