This is the last in the series of articles which explore your personality profile to help you understand how you can enjoy more flow and less stress in your day to day life. As this is the last article, I will also use it to serve as a summary.
What is flow?
First of all flow can be considered as that feeling where you are at your best, highly motivated, focused and productive. Work feels like fun. Like a top athlete, you are ‘in the zone’.
The biggest secret to having more flow
There are many ways you can be more productive. But to have more flow, the best approach is to play to your strengths.
We can pretty much put our minds to anything we want to, but, if we are doing something which is not a natural strength to us, it takes a lot of thought and effort. It is more stressful and you are likely to be prone to more mistakes. Not only that, it is less likely you will enjoy it.
The Steel
In previous articles we have explored the profile of the Dynamo, The Blaze and The Tempo. Today it is the turn of The Steel. A Steel is very comfortable with analysis and will be great with detail. They tend to see things in absolutes – there is a right and a wrong answer. In this way they are likely to make great accountants or book-keepers. They are also likely to think in terms of consequences more than opportunities so, while this can be frustrating to those who like to rush ahead with a new idea, they are an important balance, making sure the I’s are dotted and the T’s crossed. They tend not to indulge in small-talk but prefer getting on with the task, great with detail but not always seeing the big picture. They enjoy predictability and so a fast-changing, ambiguous environment can be a challenge for them. Does this sound like you? Or anyone you know?
The profiles in summary
Each profile has its strengths and corresponding weaknesses. Remember that just because something is not a strength for you, doesn’t mean you can’t do it. You just need to work harder at it. By understanding your strengths and playing to them as much as possible in your day to day life, you can enjoy more flow.
| Profile | Strengths | Challenges | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamo | Strategy
Creativity Goal achievement |
Impatience
Can be blunt Detail |
Keep focused on main priorities and avoid too many projects at once Recognise that not everyone can work at your speed Work with detail people to implement your plans Learn how to use the language of influence to communicate with the other profiles |
| Blaze | Great with people
Communication Variety |
Time management
Can be disorganised Can take a while to get to the point |
Balance people-focus with the task you need to achieve
Set clear timelines and stick to them |
| Tempo | Working with systems
Analysis and detail Implementation Team needs |
Conceptual ideas
Don’t like to be rushed |
Work as a great support to an ideas person
Understand how your role fits into the big picture |
| Steel | Detailed work
Analysis Spotting problems |
Uncertainty
Ambiguity Can appear negative |
Learn to see the positives of a situation Learn how to speak the language of the Blaze and Dynamo so you have stronger influence* |
Obviously this is a simplistic view and there are many variables of these profiles. We are all different. However, hopefully you have found something to help you identify your own strengths and challenges and how to work with them better. If you would like a more personalised insight into your profile, do feel free to call me. I can be reached on 0845 130 0854.
To your continued success.
*For more information call me as this could make a huge difference in your work and your flow
© Tricia Woolfrey 2015