How well do you feel you work with other people? Describe how you interact with others. For example, are you timid or shy? Outgoing?
I would never be described as timid or shy 🙂 I love working in groups and I find myself quickly assessing their behavioral style so that I can quickly adapt to make a connection with them. I am trained in the DiSC behavioral assessment tool, so I consider these styles when working with people. I am a “high I” (Influencing), and I naturally connect to others who are loyal, good listeners, like to work in teams, but are inclined to adapt vs. control- these are the “Steadiness” style. I find that I struggle the most with “Conscientious” styles, because I am not naturally organized or a good plan-ahead type of person. When I recognize that someone values “C” types of things (detailed plans, well-thought out agendas, research, analytical research, etc), I will adapt when working with them so that we are able to work effectively together. I think that my ability to adapt, and the fact that I really value all styles of behavior allow me to work effectively with people.
If someone asked your friends about you, what would they say about your personal strengths and areas for improvement? Why would they say what they say?
The most popular response from my friends regarding my “strengths” is that I’m entertaining and fun to be around. I’ve been told by some counterparts in other departments that when there is a project team that is assembling and they see that I’m going to be part of the team, they will immediately express interest in it, “…because we know we will get the job done, and have fun doing it”. I become friends with the people that I work with, and take an interest in their lives- if they are willing to share. They respond to this by viewing me as someone that they trust and can confide in. I also have a lot of my peers who frequently “bounce things / ideas” off of me- and I respond naturally with a lot of discovery coaching, helping them come up with their own course to pursue by virtue of answering the questions that I ask. This happens a lot, and I have a lot of “return customers”, so I believe that people view me as a good coach.
I think that people view my area of opportunity as over-committing. I have a hard time saying “no” when asked for help or asked to be a part of something. I have a tendency to underestimate the number of items on my plate. Or rather, I overestimate my ability to balance all of the items on my plate. As such, I find myself in positions where I’m stressed out because I’m overwhelmed with approaching deadlines. I wear my emotions and my stress, specifically, on my sleeve, so others can plainly pick up on this.