Today, our main points are:
1. The more we know about ourselves, the more confidence we can have about proper direction.
2. The only way we can handle change is to know what is changeless about ourselves.
3. A personality profile is important. Personality profiles look at your behavior, not at your abilities.
Remember when we said in the first Miller Monday section that 85% of the reasons people are considered for advancements and opportunities is because of their personal skills? 85% of the process of having the confidence to find proper direction in your life and work is also because of these personal skills. Well, now it's time to figure out what those skills are.
Dan begins this section with a series of questions such as:
In what kind of settings are you most comfortable?
How do you respond to management? How would you manage other people?
Are you better working with people, things, or ideas?
Your answers to these, and other similar questions will help you define the kinds of work that you are best suited for. Remember, you need to incorporate your skills and abilities, personality tendencies, and values, dreams and passions into the work that fits your life.
While skills and abilities are necessary components to work you love, just because you have the skills to do a particular job, that does not mean that job is the best fit for you. Skills and abilities can be developed in new areas!
Your personality tendencies should speak louder than your skills and abilities. Recognizing how you work best (regardless of the task), the environments you are most comfortable in, and how you relate to other people will help you to narrow down your search for the best working situation. Dan includes a short version of the DISC personality profile to work through. You choose from lists of personality characteristics that best describe you. Based on the number of characteristics you choose from each category, you can be fit into one of four primary categories: Dominance, Influencing, Steadiness, and Compliance. (I have 13 Dominance characteristics, and 10 Compliance characteristics - these are seemingly opposite styles, so I am not sure what to make of this just yet.)
Finally, review your values, dreams, and passions. What is enjoyable to you? If money was not an issue, what would you do for "work?" When do you find time flying by? What do you enjoy doing, but have been told that it is impractical for a career? We are often under the impression that "growing up" means taking a job that pays the bills, but that we don't enjoy. Dan challenges this paradigm. What if your dreams and passions could be turned into income? What do you want people to remember about you when you are gone?
Make lists of your skills and abilities, personality tendencies, and your values, dreams, and passions. How do they fit together? Can you see a pattern? Is there work that comes to mind that would fit all these lists? Think outside of the box!
Next week, Section 4: Nuts & Bolts.
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