What are a few words that describe your decision-making style?
What are the opposites of the words you chose?
Could you see any benefits to making decision using an approach that is based on either the opposites or somewhere in-between and what outcomes would you expect to see?
In terms of a decision making style, I would describe mine as flexible, collaborative, and perfectionist (Swinton, 2005). There are several personality traits I have studied in order to understand myself better, and popular evaluations focused on leadership style have helped me to utilize my strength effectively. These studies have been StrengthsQuest, Myers Briggs personality type indicator, true colors, and, strangely enough, my horoscope.
My StrengthsQuest profile includes Maximizer, ideation, strategic, and learner. My Myers Briggs personality type is an extroverted, intuitive, thinking perceiver. In true colors, I am mostly blue, but also gold. On top of all of that I am a Gemini.
My Myers Briggs personality type is a ENTP (however, under stressful conditions, I turn into an ENTJ). ENTP are described as visionaries. The ENTP is an innovator, who likes to find new solutions to problems (Berens & Nardi, 1999). We like to include the understanding of people, operations, and history who inspire change. We enjoy being around people and using communication to lead. We are rarely judgemental but have a low tolerance for incompetency. Because of this, I am more interested in generating possibilities and ideas then actually making decisions. With the Ideation StrengthsQuest type, I realize that I believe that no idea is a bad idea, so I want to hear them all. Though this may sound like someone who procrastinates, I'm far from a procrastinator. I like to get things done earlier rather than later, so I like to turn things in early and get feedback before I deem a project completed. I do not appreciate when people make group decisions for themselves, or feel as if their decision is not to be clarified to, or questioned by all involved. Why? It is certainly not because I want to be argumentative. As a TrueColors Blue-Gold personality, I need harmony in the workplace and in my relationships, and I am very adaptable. My goals are to bring unity and stability to my environment. I really want to be 100% behind a decision that affects me or a decision I may have to explain to others, so I need the time to ask questions. Therefore, as a leader, my preferred mode of decision making is to bring all parties to the table to discuss the issue, hear all of the ideas about how to resolve the issue, discuss the pros and cons of each idea, and see if there are any ways to synergize the best of each person's ideas. This also very much aligns with the Gemini personality type, in which open mindedness and open heartedness are very important. We also can see both sides of an issue equally, which makes it difficult at times to make a decision.
I would say that term which are the opposite of my decision making style are intolerant, obstructive and fatalistic (Swinton, 2005). Throughout my life I have always heard Gemini described negatively as a dishonest, two-faced character. In fact, I have been in situations where I have heard two friends arguing, separated them, listen to both of their sides, and agreed with both of them. unfortunately, in my youth, it was very difficult to use this trait of dual understanding effectively, as it always came out as someone who was eager to please everyone. Through experience, I believe I have learned to utilize this straight to become a better negotiator and mediator. Some other traits of Gemini can be that we have little patience and become bored easily. My StrengthsQuest even speaks to this; my top trait is Woo - winning others over. Woo enjoy meeting new people, and see every stranger as a new potential friend, but we can struggle at maintaining close long-term relationships (Rath, 2007). I have noticed this in myself with really being a sampler of things. I have several interests and know a little about everything, but I am hard pressed to call myself a master of any specific topics. However, we Gemini are empathizers and can put ourselves into the shoes of others. We are welcoming and accepting of people and ideas. This is also a trait of the Learner StrengthsQuest type. I am very well known for taking notes in a large leather bound book everyone thinks is a Bible. In many ways, it is my Bible - within it are all the things that I have learned since starting my position, and it includes the knowledge of multiple wise people, with sometimes conflicting information but none-the-less, it's important information. I believe that every one of my team members, whether below or above me in level or pay grade, brings a mastery to the table of some type. I really like to hone in on that mastery and experience and utilize their knowledge. Even if we don't use everyone's ideas at the time of the issue, I'd like to revisit their ideas in my notebook for future application.
As a Maximizer, I like to look at something and figure out how it can be even more amazing (Rath, 2007). This really aligns with my description of perfectionist, because I like to see things as always improving and never the same. To be doing what everyone else is doing, is very limiting and boring to me. At times I do set myself up for failure through taking on things that are too large to handle alone, or doing too much of the same time.Don't get me wrong - I love working with people, but I like to challenge myself to see how much I can do by myself. I am severely over ambitious and I set my standards too high. I will never stop doing all of the things I have signed up for, and I will always put my best work out for everything I am involved in, but it can lead to me being very stressed out and becoming burned out prematurely.
References
Berens, Linda & Nardi, Dario. (1999). The 16 Personality Types, Descriptions for Self-Discovery. Huntington Beach, CA : Telos Pubns.
Rath, T. (2007). Strengths finder 2.0. New York: Gallup Press.
Swinton, L. (2005). 3 creative brainstorming activities, games and exercises for effective group problem solving. Retrieved April 10, 2015, from http://www.mftrou.com/creative-brainstorming-activities.html
Whetten, D., & Cameron, K. (2011). Developing management skills (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall/Pearson.
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