"That Ibanez woman gave her notice. I need you to disable her accounts next week." Stan reproaches himself for denying his instinct to let the call go to voice mail. "Thanks for the heads up, Carl. Is there any chance you could call me next week, instead? She still needs her accounts, right, until then?"
"I'm calling you now." There was a click, and dead air. Stan presumes the conversation is over and sets a reminder on his calendar to disable Issy's computer accounts. "I probably should have asked if he wants her email deleted or archived," Stan thinks out loud.
Stan's workstation is cluttered with notes scribbled on random pieces of paper, unframed pictures of his family tacked to the cube wall, and several action figures. He seems fond of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. He's wearing khakis and a moss colored sweater. His hair is tussled where the band of his headphones was sitting. On his desk are two computer monitors. One displays his email inbox full of messages he's already read. The other a dozen overlapping windows of gobbledy-gook which presumably pertains to his work managing the computer systems. But he's primarily focused on his smart phone; on which he tweets, "Coworker is rude when asked to do his own work. Poor guy must have no friends."
After staring into space for a moment, Stan's mumble is barely audible and incomprehensible. What he said was, "I'd better go ask him." He stands and walks from his cubicle, takes the long way past the receptionist and smiles at him, crosses through an empty conference room, walks past the break room, hangs a right into what looks like a supply area, and enters the "back office," where Carl glares at his computer monitor and clicks angrily.
Carl's office has three desks, one chair, and no windows. It's flanked front to back by five-drawer file cabinets. The cabinets and two desks are covered with binders and file boxes full of what Stan assumes to be unnecessarily printed accounting papers. On Carl's desk are several pencils side by side with fresh points, a cup full of one each of: red, blue, and black ink ball point pens; yellow, pink, blue, and green highlighters; black, red, blue, and green dry erase pens; and a black sharp point marker. The papers in Carl's inbox appear to be alphabetized based on the presence of lettered sticky-tabs on their right-hand margin.
Carl is wearing a pressed white shirt with blue stripes. His collar and his cuffs are buttoned and he's wearing a tie and a tie clip. His navy pinstriped jacket is on a hanger hung from a hook on the back of the door. The toes of his polished black shoes are poking out from under the desk.
There are no decorations that Stan can see, nor any item which does not pertain to the business of accounting, except for a single 4x6" photo of him and his family in a plain wooden frame. It seems to Stan it's there because it's "supposed to be."
Carl still hasn't acknowledged Stan, so Stan summons the courage to interrupt, "Hey, Carl, what's wrong?"
"What? Nothing, why?"
"You seem, I don't know, kinda angry."
"Why?"
"Never mind. Hey, I have a question about Ms. Ibanez' email account."
"I asked you to disable that next week." Carl turns his ill-temper on Stan. Stan does not react, keeping his wounded feelings in check.
"Actually, you asked me to disable her network account, which I've scheduled."
"Why didn't you just call?" Carl interrupts.
"Are you sure nothing is wrong?" Stan seems more concerned than chaffed by Carl's apparent disregard for his feelings.
"What's wrong is this computer isn't doing what it's supposed to do and I keep getting interrupted by everyone in the office." Carl straightens in his chair, reveling in his self-perceived boldness, and glares at Stan apparently awaiting acknowledgement.
"I'm sorry. Who else has disturbed you?" Stan asks out of curiosity.
"No one," Carl says with a smirk.
Stan moves on, "Right, so Issy..."
"Who's that?"
"Isabella? Ms. Ibanez?"
"Oh. Why did you call her that?"
"She likes it."
Carl scoffs.
"Anyway, we don't disable email. I need to know if you want it deleted or archived," Stan is trying to hurry this along so he can go outside and release his new-found tension.
"I don't," Carl sighed, or deflated, Stan isn't sure.
"Sorry?"
"I don't want either. I don't care at all. Just do what you usually do." Carl's "patience" has apparently run out.
"I usually do what the requester, um, requests. Hey, who does Issy report to?"
"Townsend."
"Great, thanks! I'll just go ask him what he wants to do and update the information you gave me."
"Super," Carl says sarcastically.
"So, what are you working on, anyway? If your computer isn't working maybe I can help?" Stan offers.
"You can't help. My whole life is like this. I'll just have to suffer like always."
"Great. You enjoy that. I'll talk to you later." Stan lets out a deep breath as he passes the break room.
Showing posts with label human behavior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label human behavior. Show all posts
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Human Behavior: Danielle Interviews Isabelle
Danielle Davis sits bolt upright—her cellphone laid clock facing up on a table for two in a cafe downtown—and glares at the entrance. The clock reads 10:02 AM. Her tailored, navy-blue, wool business suit shouts, “I mean business!” A simple but distinctive necklace made of large silver links interrupted periodically by topaz tiles that match her eyes almost exactly hangs down to her waist. With her white silk blouse buttoned nearly to her neck, only the drape of the necklace reveals the contour of her gym sculpted body. Her straight, brown, shoulder length hair is pinned behind her ear, from which a long, twisted, silver triangle dangles. She commands attention.
Isabelle Ibanez enters clumsily. Her phone is pinned between her cheek and shoulder. Her huge, red, unfastened, patent-leather bag flees her shoulder, presumably chasing its contents; some of which have already escaped. She’s waving to someone through the shop window as a man who was passing by stoops to collect her wayward belongings. Dani wonders for a moment how Issy’s big, curly blond hair fit through the door before she remembers how angry she is. Issy smooths her white cotton skirt printed with large flowers in primary colors before taking her seat at Dani’s table; her numerous pieces of jewelry clinking merrily as she does so. Her yellow blazer barely constrains the ruffled blouse beneath. She may not be as svelte as the day she bought this outfit. She attracts attention.
“Hi! Danielle? It’s so good to finally meet you!”
“You’re late,” Danielle almost shouts through her clenched teeth. She tilts her phone-clock toward Issy without breaking eye contact.
“Oh, it took forever to find a parking spot, and then I got a phone call...” Issy begins; she was obviously about to launch into a lengthy and dramatic recounting of her commute.
“Let’s get started,” Dani interrupts. “You’ve applied for a sales position. I’ve already called your references. They agree that your best asset is your relationship with your clients.”
Issy ejaculates, “Oh, yes! I have hundreds of clients! I love them! Each one is my very best friend!”
Dani grimaces as she decides not to mention that one can have only one best friend. She proceeds, “Can you tell me the average gross sales of all 87 of your accounts?”
“Oh, no. I don’t worry about that stuff. Somebody else does it.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. I think it's one of those quiet people that work in the back of the office. Do you know they have no windows?! They always look sad.”
Dani’s seething is evident to everyone within earshot, except Issy, whose hazel eyes are darting around the cafe at the other patrons. “Am I keeping you?” Danielle asks, annoyed.
“No! Why?!”
“Never mind. Are you saying that you don’t track your daily and weekly achievements against your monthly goal?” Dani is visibly disgusted.
Issy seems confused, “I make as many friends as I can every day, and when they like me they introduce me to their friends. When I tell them I’m an account rep they always want to buy from me, because they like me!” She straightens in her chair, obviously proud of being so well liked that her bills are paid, as if by magic.
“I see. I have to be honest. We expect our sales reps to be organized and meet or exceed their quotas. We really don’t pay people to ‘make friends.’ We aren’t looking for friends, we are looking for sales.”
“If you don’t have friends, who do you sell to?”
“Our clients.”
“But, they aren’t clients until after they like you, are they?” Suddenly, Issy seems less like a clown, and more like an eccentric genius, but Dani is not about to share that with her. “Where did you get it, by the way?”
“Get what?” Now Dani is confused and wondering how she lost control of the conversation so quickly.
“That lovely necklace! I absolutely love it! I have to say, you looked a little uptight sitting here, but now that I’m close enough to see your necklace, I feel like I found your inner party girl! I can’t wait until we work together so we can go to happy hour and break the boys’ hearts!”
Dani finds herself unable to suppress her smile entirely, letting slip a Mona Lisa like grin. “Oh, I picked it up at a house party one of the girls in the office threw last year. You really like it?”
Isabelle Ibanez enters clumsily. Her phone is pinned between her cheek and shoulder. Her huge, red, unfastened, patent-leather bag flees her shoulder, presumably chasing its contents; some of which have already escaped. She’s waving to someone through the shop window as a man who was passing by stoops to collect her wayward belongings. Dani wonders for a moment how Issy’s big, curly blond hair fit through the door before she remembers how angry she is. Issy smooths her white cotton skirt printed with large flowers in primary colors before taking her seat at Dani’s table; her numerous pieces of jewelry clinking merrily as she does so. Her yellow blazer barely constrains the ruffled blouse beneath. She may not be as svelte as the day she bought this outfit. She attracts attention.
“Hi! Danielle? It’s so good to finally meet you!”
“Oh, it took forever to find a parking spot, and then I got a phone call...” Issy begins; she was obviously about to launch into a lengthy and dramatic recounting of her commute.
“Let’s get started,” Dani interrupts. “You’ve applied for a sales position. I’ve already called your references. They agree that your best asset is your relationship with your clients.”
Issy ejaculates, “Oh, yes! I have hundreds of clients! I love them! Each one is my very best friend!”
Dani grimaces as she decides not to mention that one can have only one best friend. She proceeds, “Can you tell me the average gross sales of all 87 of your accounts?”
“Oh, no. I don’t worry about that stuff. Somebody else does it.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know. I think it's one of those quiet people that work in the back of the office. Do you know they have no windows?! They always look sad.”
Dani’s seething is evident to everyone within earshot, except Issy, whose hazel eyes are darting around the cafe at the other patrons. “Am I keeping you?” Danielle asks, annoyed.
“No! Why?!”
“Never mind. Are you saying that you don’t track your daily and weekly achievements against your monthly goal?” Dani is visibly disgusted.
Issy seems confused, “I make as many friends as I can every day, and when they like me they introduce me to their friends. When I tell them I’m an account rep they always want to buy from me, because they like me!” She straightens in her chair, obviously proud of being so well liked that her bills are paid, as if by magic.
“I see. I have to be honest. We expect our sales reps to be organized and meet or exceed their quotas. We really don’t pay people to ‘make friends.’ We aren’t looking for friends, we are looking for sales.”
“If you don’t have friends, who do you sell to?”
“Our clients.”
“But, they aren’t clients until after they like you, are they?” Suddenly, Issy seems less like a clown, and more like an eccentric genius, but Dani is not about to share that with her. “Where did you get it, by the way?”
“Get what?” Now Dani is confused and wondering how she lost control of the conversation so quickly.
“That lovely necklace! I absolutely love it! I have to say, you looked a little uptight sitting here, but now that I’m close enough to see your necklace, I feel like I found your inner party girl! I can’t wait until we work together so we can go to happy hour and break the boys’ hearts!”
Dani finds herself unable to suppress her smile entirely, letting slip a Mona Lisa like grin. “Oh, I picked it up at a house party one of the girls in the office threw last year. You really like it?”
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Human Behavior: Game Plan
Since posting about human behavior recently I have struggled with how to present the material. I have decided to invent a cast of fictitious characters and write soap opera style stories about how they interact with each other.
If all goes well, you and I will learn:
If all goes well, you and I will learn:
- To understand our own behavior model: how we differ from others and what our strengths are
- To read others' behavior model
- To adjust our expectations of others based on their behavior model
- To adjust our behavior toward others to improve our relationships
Monday, January 31, 2011
Human Behavior: People Are People
Personality traits are preferences, much the same as being right or left handed.
Names that authors give to the four personality archetypes vary and are often archaic. These articles will use plain language words: Direct, Interactive, Steady, and Calculating. Likewise, the phrase "personality types" suggests you are stuck with your preference. Here we'll discuss "behaviors," because these can be adjusted.
A right handed person has a perfectly good left hand, which is every bit as capable as the right. He simply prefers the right, and his natural tendency is to use the right. However, he can train his left. For instance, during summer vacations I used to like to play basketball. I am right handed. I was weak on the foul line. To improve, I practiced shooting foul shots with my left hand. Doing so also improved my performance with my right hand.
Similarly, the more you learn about personality types, the better you understand yourself. You learn how to play to your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses; becoming a well rounded person.
Also, the strength of the preference varies among individuals. Some people are mostly right handed, but will bat left handed. Some people are ambidextrous. It's helpful to think of a person's preference on a scale from one to ten.
In fact there are two scales from one to ten which intersect at five. The vertical scale measures a person's pace with one being "completely" slow paced (reserved, soft spoken, introverted) and ten being completely fast paced (outgoing, loud, "takes action"). The horizontal scale measures priority with one being completely task oriented and ten being completely people oriented. Regard the illustration.
In fact most people exhibit some behaviors from every archetype. Their first preference is usually the most obvious and is what you notice when you first meet them. As you get to know them, you'll observe their second and perhaps third preferences. It's most common to discuss the first two.
Now is a good time to note that preferences may change under stress or in certain circumstances. A normally laid-back, steady person may become loud and aggressive at the poker table. An interactive social butterfly may become shy and soft spoken when intimidated by someone he perceives as having authority over him.
The Direct wants to achieve, the Interactive to experience, the Steady to observe, and the Calculating to analyze. In upcoming articles we'll examine each archetype in depth so we can understand why people do the things they do. Then we'll discuss how to adjust our reactions so we can relate better to others, avoid getting irritated by their differences, make friends easily, and improve our relationships. People like people who are like themselves.
Names that authors give to the four personality archetypes vary and are often archaic. These articles will use plain language words: Direct, Interactive, Steady, and Calculating. Likewise, the phrase "personality types" suggests you are stuck with your preference. Here we'll discuss "behaviors," because these can be adjusted.
A right handed person has a perfectly good left hand, which is every bit as capable as the right. He simply prefers the right, and his natural tendency is to use the right. However, he can train his left. For instance, during summer vacations I used to like to play basketball. I am right handed. I was weak on the foul line. To improve, I practiced shooting foul shots with my left hand. Doing so also improved my performance with my right hand.
Similarly, the more you learn about personality types, the better you understand yourself. You learn how to play to your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses; becoming a well rounded person.
Also, the strength of the preference varies among individuals. Some people are mostly right handed, but will bat left handed. Some people are ambidextrous. It's helpful to think of a person's preference on a scale from one to ten.
In fact there are two scales from one to ten which intersect at five. The vertical scale measures a person's pace with one being "completely" slow paced (reserved, soft spoken, introverted) and ten being completely fast paced (outgoing, loud, "takes action"). The horizontal scale measures priority with one being completely task oriented and ten being completely people oriented. Regard the illustration.
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| DISC Model of Human Behavior |
Now is a good time to note that preferences may change under stress or in certain circumstances. A normally laid-back, steady person may become loud and aggressive at the poker table. An interactive social butterfly may become shy and soft spoken when intimidated by someone he perceives as having authority over him.
The Direct wants to achieve, the Interactive to experience, the Steady to observe, and the Calculating to analyze. In upcoming articles we'll examine each archetype in depth so we can understand why people do the things they do. Then we'll discuss how to adjust our reactions so we can relate better to others, avoid getting irritated by their differences, make friends easily, and improve our relationships. People like people who are like themselves.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Slow Talker: Stupid, Introverted, or Both?
Hey, quick one tonight. I was talking with my friend the other day about a friend of hers, whose behavior had confused her. I asked if he talked slow or fast. Her reply was, "He's not stupid."
Wow. That's an eye opener. I'm a slow talker. I wonder what she thinks of me?
People are either fast or slow paced. Fast paced people act, then think. Slow paced people think, then act. Fast paced people are sometimes referred to as extroverted, and slow ones introverted. Intellectuals tend to be slow paced⎯you know, because of the thinking⎯as opposed to fast paced men of action.
People are also either task or people oriented. Task oriented people are concerned with results. People oriented people are concerned with feelings.
So, people are either fast or slow paced and either task or people oriented. 2 x 2 = 4 different behavior models. Simple. What that means and what you do with it will take several articles to explain.
So my task oriented friend was confused by what sounded to me like a people oriented decision. Maybe I should have started with that question? But then, I wouldn't have written this blog, would I? Things happen for a reason.
Wow. That's an eye opener. I'm a slow talker. I wonder what she thinks of me?
People are either fast or slow paced. Fast paced people act, then think. Slow paced people think, then act. Fast paced people are sometimes referred to as extroverted, and slow ones introverted. Intellectuals tend to be slow paced⎯you know, because of the thinking⎯as opposed to fast paced men of action.
People are also either task or people oriented. Task oriented people are concerned with results. People oriented people are concerned with feelings.
So, people are either fast or slow paced and either task or people oriented. 2 x 2 = 4 different behavior models. Simple. What that means and what you do with it will take several articles to explain.
So my task oriented friend was confused by what sounded to me like a people oriented decision. Maybe I should have started with that question? But then, I wouldn't have written this blog, would I? Things happen for a reason.
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