In Part 2 of this series, Marc covers the second half of a feedback session with Juan about his personality assessment.
[1:12] Marc welcomes you to Episode 84 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast and invites you to share this podcast with others. Please subscribe, share it on social media, write an honest iTunes review, or tell your neighbors and colleagues.
[1:40] Last week’s episode was part one of a four-part series called “Can Juan Repurpose His Career?” Juan is in his mid-fifties, a former school teacher, technology trainer, adjunct professor, and multipotentialite. Juan is trying to figure out what is next.
[2:04] This episode covers the second half of the first feedback session Marc held with Juan. If you haven’t listened to the first half of the feedback session, please stop and listen to it on episode 83, presented last week, before listening to the rest of this episode.
[2:13] You will find all the reports used in this four-episode series at CareerPivot.com/Juan. You may pause the podcast now to download the reports.
[2:27] After today’s episode, Marc will take a two-week break in the “Can Juan Repurpose His Career?” series, first, with an interview with Denise King and then a report on the Miller family’s pivot to Mexico. Then Marc will present Parts Three and Four of this series, “Can Juan Repurpose His Career?”
[3:00] Marc directs Juan to the organizational piece of the Birkman Assessment. First comes Juan’s attention to detail. Juan is systematic and process-driven. He likes an environment that’s predictable. He values policies and rules. Juan doesn’t do well in chaos. He is reassured by having a predictable income and stressed without one.
[5:52] Juan’s causes of stress are, pressure to change his plan of action, and too much attention to details. Juan’s stress reactions are a de-emphasis on systems and being over-controlling.
[6:34] Juan’s assertiveness score: positions of command and control appeal to Juan. Juan is satisfied by giving and carrying out definite, clear-cut directions. Juan organizes, initiates, and carries out his own activities and the activities of others. Juan is self-assertive, enjoys directing others, and seeks to influence and excel.
[7:46] Marc notes that Juan’s emotional side probably gives him a softer touch in dealing with people, even when being direct.
[8:24] Juan needs to know that authority is being exercised in a fair and effective manner. Both the dictator boss and the weak boss will drive Juan “crazy.”
[9:34] Juan responds adversely to people who are extreme in handling authority. He will either back off or become argumentative.
[10:10] Restlessness, or seeking varied activities, is the next trait discussed. Juan is always ready to start new things and enjoys handling a variety of task at the same time. Juan’s assets are adaptability, responsiveness, and attentiveness. Juan tends very much to be a catalyst to change. He is easy to stimulate, flexible, and attentive.
[11:33] Juan’s surroundings should provide a balance of variety and novelty with ample opportunity for him to change his activities. He left school because it was monotonous and devoid of anything creative.
[12:58] Juan may find it more and more difficult to discipline himself as changes are imposed upon him. His strengths are related to the extent to which he has control over his daily routine.
[14:33] Juan is resistant to abrupt change and annoyed at delays.
[15:08] The next topic is time management and decision-making. Juan is energetic, enthusiastic, and vigorous. His natural high energy level leads him to take on many activities and projects, making it easy to neglect rest and relaxation. For optimum performance, he needs time for re-energizing.
[16:55] In Juan’s career, he has found himself at full steam and going at high power until he was exhausted and needed to take a break now and then. His high incentive score leads him to compete for the reward. Marc asks him to read Quiet, by Susan Cain. Susan comes up with the idea for restorative niches. This is a tip for introverts.
[18:30] Juan should schedule in restorative niches, or ten-minute breaks he can take during the day to do a quick activity he enjoys.
[19:38] Marc talks about how, at conferences, he took breaks away from the group, and even went out for dinner by himself.
[21:05] In hurried situations where Juan does not have the opportunity to think through a process, he is likely to feel rushed and less-effective. He likes to consider all the possibilities. It took him a month to buy a laptop. He describes making the decision.
[24:50] Juan worries about his decision-making about big decisions.
[25:35] Situations that require quick and decisive action make Juan feel hurried and rushed. Making decisions when he is not ready is very stressful for him.
[26:42] Juan’s stress reactions are over-concern for consequences, postponing decisions, and anxiety. He can procrastinate.
[27:04] Marc gives Juan an assignment. Juan needs to remember events when he went into stress and analyze them. What was stressing him? Then he wants Juan to put these into 8-15 statements and distill them into a narrative about himself.
[28:24] Marc explains that Juan can perform this exercise with any of the assessments using the strengths finder.
[28:48] The next feedback session (in three weeks) will cover Juan’s preferred management workstyles, how he fits in the corporate workstyle, how he fits in society, and how he makes decisions.
[29:57] Juan is a global conceptual thinker. He is creative in his decision-making. The more you understand how you think, the more you will see how other people think differently. Marc talks about the next assignment. Juan needs to consider three problems he solved in his personal life and three problems he solved at work.
[31:21] Juan will do his homework and then schedule his next session with Marc. Marc wants Juan to be able to explain his decision-making process to potential employers. Meanwhile, he is learning classroom education is not for him.
[32:12] In a couple of months, we will do this again with Sarah. Sarah is a creative who has managed to stuff her creative streak in her career. She is a square peg.
[34:10] Check back next week, when Marc will air the interview when Denise King interviewed Marc during the “Escape the Corporate World, Now” summit.
CareerPivot.com/Episode-83 “Can Juan Repurpose His Career? Part 1”
CareerPivot.com/Episode-84 “Can Juan Repurpose His Career? Part 2”
Reports used in the Feedback Session with Juan Doe
CareerPivot.com/Episode-48 “Can Tim Repurpose His Career? Part 1”
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
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