Personal Development

I’ve made sense of some things, just not all things.

Last week I paid for and took the new online assessment tool, StandOut. This is a Marcus Buckingham product. He co-wrote (with Donald O. Clifton) the book, Now, Discover Your Strengths.

When I began my business career companies regularly used polygraph exams for pre-hiring assessment. Hard to believe, but it was common practice in the 70’s and into the 80’s. Experience taught me that the polygraph exams weren’t nearly as valuable as the opinions of the examiner administering the test. I went to greater lengths to find an examiner I trusted than most because that was what I valued most. The fact is, I’ve always trusted observation – body language, tone, personality, demeanor, eye movement, response and communication skills – more than any test or profile.

Personality profiles and other forms of assessment fascinate me. I have used a variety of tests designed to show us how people are wired. For many years I used the DISC profile during the pre-hire process, but I always used it after being convinced I was going to hire the candidate. I wouldn’t offer a candidate a job until I got the results of the DISC profile. The outcome of the profile never affected my decision to hire. The DISC profile helped me see ways I could better communicate and coach the person once I did hire them. I found it helpful, but it was just one piece of the roadmap I used to lead companies.

But this short video isn’t really about assessment tests or profiles – well, not entirely.*

A few years ago I revisited my interest in profile testing when Tom Rath‘s book, StrengthFinder 2.0, was released. My interest was no longer in the pre-hiring process. Now, I was interested in personal discovery and development. Those remain the focus.

The StandOut profile indicated I’m a person who tries to make sense of it all. Life is a puzzle and I’m a guy who is constantly trying to put the pieces together. It’s true. At least I feel like it’s true. It doesn’t mean I’m successful all the time.

Today, I focus on just one little business phenomenon that has constantly puzzled me. I can’t figure it out. I confess. I’m beaten. The puzzle is too complex. My mind, too simple.

Have a great weekend,

*I’m planning a show on profiles and assessment tests. Do you have experience with one that you think is the cat’s meow? Would you be willing to join me on an upcoming podcast to discuss your use of it? Drop me an email or leave me a voice mail.

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You got up this morning feeling great. You had a good night’s sleep and you’re rather excited about the day ahead. Then, an email hits your inbox and suddenly everything changes. In a FLASH.

Suddenly, you’re feeling drained. You’re sad, unhappy, nervous, anxious or feeling a variety of other emotions that cripple performance.

One email. One message has managed to completely alter your feelings and negatively affect your emotions. It happens to all of us.

We have to manage how we feel – our emotions. Don’t just surrender to the adversity. It’ll smack you around, knock you to the ground, then stand over you and mock you. What are you gonna do about it? Well, you must do something about it. Fight back.

We need emotional head room. Our feelings play a big role in how well we perform. Performance fuels success.

I don’t believe in The Law of Attraction. It’s called a law by clever marketers. It’s a theory. And a poor one at that, but some people believe it…because they want it to be true. Wishing it won’t make it so. However, I do believe in emotional head room. That’s the subject of today’s show.

Mentioned in today’s show:

• Proverbs 23:7 “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
• Muhammad Ali – He may have invented smack-talking
• Proof that Ali knew how to manage his emotions, and how to impact the emotions of his opponents
• And still more proof

I’m not Special Agent Timothy McGee on NCIS. He’s an MIT graduate whiz.

I do envy his triangulation skills though. A few days ago I started thinking about the math of triangulation. Like most people I went directly to Wikipedia.

In trigonometry and geometry, triangulation is the process of determining the location of a point by measuring angles to it from known points at either end of a fixed baseline, rather than measuring distances to the point directly (trilateration). The point can then be fixed as the third point of a triangle with one known side and two known angles.

Once I got my eyeballs facing front again, I re-read it. Then again. It finally made some sense.

Triangulation may help us solve two of the most pressing questions people have about their life pursuits.

1. Where am I?
2. Where am I headed? (What we usually want to know is, “Where do I want to go?”)

I’d like to give you three points of a triangle to help us pinpoint the answers:

a. Desire
b. Natural Aptitude
c. Skill

Let me explain in today’s video

Mentioned in today’s show:

• Mitch Rossell, aspiring country music star – let’s call him a “star in the making”
• My Word A Day Video using Mitch as an illustration. Look at the links in the notes to that video for more on Mitch.
• Donald O. Clifton, a pioneer in the notion of soaring with your strengths
• Soar With Your Strengths, the book
• StrengthFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath
• The Element by Sir Ken Robinson, another book