"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny." -- unknown

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results - Albert Einstein

personality test
July 25, 2008 - 5:05 pm

One box is your basic/instinctive mode of operation -- i.e. how you operate under stress.

The next box is how you learned you should operate -- what you feel is the socially acceptable way to behave.

The last box is your ideal method of operation. In your fantasy world, how you'd like to do things.

And... the first two also have negative meanings. So you learn your most basic negative reaction to stressful situations and then your socially acceptable way to react to something negative.

Curious read.

Some bits of my results:

Socially Negative: Reacts to the loss of ability to be self-directed and question authority by becoming resentful and detached. Is likely to rationalize actions and become uncommunicative and procrastinate.

I'm not so sure about the first part, but certainly the last sentence. Cut me out of the loop and I will simply fall into a "do the bare min necessary at the last possible moment" sort of mode.

Instinctive Negative:
Will withdrawal to buy time to assess alternatives. Reacts negatively to perceived loss of understanding.

In other words, the more stressed I get... the less you'll hear or see of me. I'd call that pretty accurate.

On the non-negative stuff...

What I want most is to understand. To assess, to identify alternatives and to pick one with as much info as possible.

I do expect reasons why... and highly value communication and expects to be able to pose questions.

In-direct input/supervision is good.

Flexible. Adaptable. Prefers a teamwork approach and to delegate while keeping the focus on main objective.

Enjoys solving problems through a mentally active and creative approach.

In other words, I very much enjoy being the idea person. The one to come up with the course of action at work and to harness a team to get there.

Which.. is kinda of good sine that's sort of what I do. The objective at work is plainly stated from the outset, so no real mystery there... but it is my job to get the task done... and I don't do much of the actual work myself... though I don't directly manage anyone. Which often leads me to frustration there.

And.. no doubt, people who don't communicate back to me piss me off. As one person at work on that shit list from today. Needed a report back to send to a client.. turns out that without telling any one involved, she took the afternoon off. So... I get be a tool and send off an email saying X is taking longer than expected.

That should be unacceptable.. but it's all I could do. She should have said "This is taking longer... and I'm out Friday, will have to you Monday" yesterday. I'd have happily told the client that... and set the proper expectation. Not meeting a deadline and telling them just at the last minute is piss fucking poor.

I grow very frustrated with that sort of attitude from my matrix partners. In its own way, it does make me look bad... but that's the small picture. The bigger picture is that it could piss a client off and cause us not to win something.

After all... if we can't even get reports out on time, do you really think we handle administering your benefits?