Morning Minute 4/18/23:
“How Would You Respond?”
Yesterday was a great day!
It was perfectly mapped out to ensure maximum success. The plan included Zoom coaching calls, offsite appointments, personal contacts, as well as time allotted for writing and content creation. My planned productivity was guaranteed to be off the charts successful.
Then two appointments cancelled at the last minute, one of my coaching calls lasted much longer than expected, and my perfectly crafted schedule was turned upside down.
How should I respond? Should I write off the day as an unmitigated disaster? Would it be productive to complain and lose focus? Was it possible to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat? Understanding that when one door closes another door opens, helped me to pivot and enjoy a very productive day. How did this happen?
First, I received a heartfelt email from Tony in California. He was responding to a recent Morning Minute concerning the importance of families and supporting children. His message described his broken childhood, the lack of support from his parents, and of his many bad breaks.
He was the youngest of 4 children and the only one to finish high school. His childhood efforts were never encouraged or support by his parents. After school, the divorce of his parents threatened to destroy their lives and his. His mother became an alcoholic and his father spent his time in destructive behavior. Tony set out have a “normal” family. In spite of never being supported by his parents, he helped his mother overcome her disease and his father to change his life. Along the way, he and his wife supported their children in the ways that he never enjoyed when he was a child. His determination changed his parent’s lives and he set the example for his children of how family takes care of family.
After reading Tony’s message, I was inspired to invest the balance of yesterday following up with clients and working on long term projects. The day turned into a complete success.
We all have “bad” days when circumstances affect us and our plans. Remember, it’s not what happens to you. It is how you respond to it, that turns defeat into victory, both for you and for those around you.
And, that is
today’s Morning Minute.
Morning Minute 4/21/23:
“How Do Your Questions Describe You?”
When asked for their first question in problem resolution, here were the main results:
What? Who? When? Why?
These questions may identify their personalities.
WHAT?
Dominant/Direct personality. Because these people are results-oriented problem solvers, who desire to be in control, their initial question is usually what. What is the problem? What are we trying to accomplish? What do we have to work with? Direct persons get to the point quickly to solve problems. Because they are direct, they may appear to be critical or brash. However, they are simply saying what is on their mind and expect you to do the same.
WHO?
Extroverted Personality. These people use lots of conversation to solve problems starting with who. Who is involved? Who will be affected? Who will be in charge? They constantly use conversation to convince others to use their solution. They use collaboration to get agreement. They prefer to be part of a successful team as opposed to taking the lead. Because they want agreement before moving forward they may appear indecisive. However, they simply want all to agree on the plan.
WHEN?
Paced Personality. Usually very calm and seemingly unexcitable, these people focus on timing, harmony, and cooperation. They usually start with when. When do we start? When is the deadline? When do you want this completed? They are very organized…in their own
way. Their process takes time. They hate to be rushed. They may appear aloof and uncaring. However, they are processing in their mind how to complete what you expect as they fit it into their time frame.
WHY?
Structured Personality. The requirement for them to be right by using the “correct” process has these people asking why. Why is this being done? Why is this important? Why are we using this process? These folks are massive note-takers. They want everything written either on paper or online. They may appear to be stubborn and inflexible. However, they simply want the “right” decisions made. And, they will decide what is “right.”
This is a skin deep look into these four primary personalities. Most people are a combination of two or more of these. I will cover these in depth, as well as many other topics, in a leadership and team building course that will be available soon.
Which of these personalities best describes you?
That is today’s
Morning Minute.
