October Issue 108
McBride Career Group: Gaylene Smith
Ever have
one of those days where you should wear a warning label that says “does not
play well with others?” At the animal shelter where I volunteer, all new dogs
undergo an assessment as to how well they play with others – both canine and
human others. The gentle and affectionate “rub my tummy and I will devote my
entire life to making you happy” dogs get a green tag. The “I like the looks of
you, you can walk me, but that guy over there, I’m going to crap on his shoe
while I walk past” dogs get a yellow tag. Red tags are reserved for the pups
that don’t play well with others. You go to give them a treat and they give you
their fangs. Another dog happens to glance in their direction and hackles raise
and growling commences. (A surprising number of Chihuahuas fall into this
group.)
I really
wish humans came with the same labeling system. Seems to me that any time
people gather in groups larger than one, conflict can occur. I know green label
people. The perpetually happy, always going out of their way to please
everyone, brings baking into the office every week, cheerleaders of the world. These
are the glass is always half full – hey I got laid off, I can start a wonderful
new adventure now - individuals that have the ability to make we want to commit
some small felony or another. They have the ability to exceed my quota of warm
and fuzzies. Yep, I am a yellow tag wearing, and proud of it, person. Most of
the time I like everyone but it might take a bit for me to fully jump on board
the friendship train. And sometimes there are those few people that no matter
what, I’d rather shove under the train then travel aboard their light rail
transit of insanity. I also know some red taggers. How dare you take the time
to ask how their day is going? They will figuratively bite your head off. No
matter what you do, it isn’t good enough, fast enough, big enough, small
enough, JUST ENOUGH.
In
university, nothing could cause me more anxiety than a dreaded group project. I
actually paid my chemistry lab partner to not show up to labs because his
approach to one of our first “group projects” resulted in first degree burns
and the need to buy eyebrow pencils in bulk. Really people should come with
labels. Caution – does not use caution! Be aware, intense need to micro manage!
Do not approach – likes to hug, and (shudder) touch people’s hair! (That causes
me nightmares, by the way). Continued exposure may result in need for medication!
You get the idea. But alas, my boss tells me I can’t go around slapping labels
on my coworkers anymore.
So what is a
girl to do? Break out the personality indicator tests. You may have heard of
some of them such as Myers-Briggs, Holland Code, Enneagram Tests, or True
Colours. Each of these “tests” has you indicate how you would react in a
situation or which statement is truer of you. For example, after a long day at work are you more likely to, a) stay at home with a
good book, b) go to the local pub with a group of friends? I find that
these assessments when taken honestly are pretty darn accurate. They are a
great tool for helping you figure out what your learning style is, what careers
you may excel at and even what type of work environment would suit you best. The
fun comes in when all of your coworkers do the assessment too. That’s when you
get those ah-ha moments that cause
you to understand why your to-do-lists drive your co-worker crazy and why his
inability to be on time drives you wacky. By understanding each other’s
personality traits, you can figure out how to coexist and collaborate better. My
coworkers now understand my chronic need for post-it-notes and I know to bring
an extra pen or two for the guy that always forgets to bring one to the meeting
that will be starting ten minutes late because that’s just how it works on his
train.
If you and
your coworkers are interested in learning more about each other and how to
build a stronger team, feel free to give me a shout at the office. I’d be happy
to walk around slapping caution stickers on you all.
Gaylene
Smith is a Career Coach with McBride Career Group, an ISTJ according to Myers
Briggs, a Helper – Peacekeeper according to Enneagram Testing and a Green
according to True Colours. You can reach Gaylene by calling 403-361-0655 or by
emailing gsmith@mcbridecareergroup.com.
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