I’ve been meditating more re: my most recent DISC profile analysis and some thoughts that popped out over the Where are the Women in Web design panel during SXSW.
Just some personal thoughts.
Being a professional navel gazer with regards to self actualization and personal development as a blogger, writer, shit talker, amateur sociologist, and pop culture synesthesziast do help with this:
I display the following characteristics in these appropriate environments:
D: Dominance:
Recognized by: High Self-Confidence
Pace: Faster
Gains Security: Being in Control
Measures Progress by: Results
Major Fear: Being taken advantage of, loss of control.
Irritated by: Inefficiency, indecision, slowness
Major Limitations: Selective Listening and Impatience
When planning trips or events, I can be particularly aggressive.
I am more likely to display an aggressive/efficiency focused behavior when I’m under pressure to create a good time/good experience for my friends. My value system directs me to ensure optimal results in terms of mischief; personal documentation; and timeliness. I’m not a dragon lady, per se, but I’m really driven to get things done so that all can have a great time. It’s not that the environment is unfavorable so much as the parameters or constraints by which I work under these circumstances. Examples: Planning the Coachella Trip. Or my most recent planning forays and organization insanity for SXSW.
Rawk.
I: Influence
Recognized by: Talkativeness, enthusiasm, optimism, energy
Pace: Fast
Gains Security: Flexibility/Variety
Measures Progress by: Applause,praise
Major Fear: Social Rejection
Irritated by: Routine, formality
Major Limitations: Lack of follow through
This is an area where I definitely consider my environment to be “favorable.” It’s safe, comforting, and amenable to both my communication style and my penchant for whimsy. This is definitely a behavior pattern I exhibit on my blog or frequently in blogging circles. Any other reason why I have over a dozen different types of post categories out there? And confession: I check my referrer stats and technorati tracks far more than I really should. I’ve often referred to myself as being both lazy and vain. I think this blog probably exemplifies both characteristics to some degree. I’ve refrained more now than in the past from total “persona projection” cam girl-esque behaviors.
But then again, I also flaunt kissing bloggers. Go figure.
S: Steadiness
Recognized by: Friendliness, co-operation, persistence, patience
Pace: Slower
Gains Security: Close relationships
Measures Progress by: Appreciation
Major Fear: Personal rejection, loss of stability, sudden change.
Irritated by: Insensitivity, impatience
Major Limitations: Overly modest, resist change.
Uh. Favorable environment but frequently feeling less powerful than the environment.
That pretty much covers my lack of love life there, now wouldn’t it.
This is why I generally consider myself a safe distance crushaholic but have a general sense of terror when it comes to real commitments and potential changes in my life. Plus I’ve been burned badly in the past. But then again, haven’t we all? I feel most stable when I’m single and not as emotionally invested. Toeing the brink of something as huge as love with a capital L that could really change who I am, how I am, and how I live my life is a very scary situation. I say too often that I’m a fabulous flirt but lousy at dating. This pretty much punches the noggin on why.
C: Conscientiousness
Recognized by: Accuracy, may be cautious, concern for high standards.
Pace: Slower
Gains Security: Preparation
Measures Progress by: Getting it right
Major Fear: Criticism of what they do
Irritated by: Surprises, unpredictability
Major Limitations: Overly critical of self and others
This would definitely be how I approach my writing and art. With regards to my humor pieces, poetry, attempts and chap books, and photography projects. I get so overwhelmed in the minutia of things that I wind my procrastinating my way into failure. I get easily psyched out. I automatically fail by putting unreasonable standards on my ideal product vs my skill set and knowledge to get there. Same goes for anything technical having to do with the web. At this point, I’m terrified of the notion of learning HTML and CSS on my own because I’d want to get it absolutely right and I don’t have the confidence to do this myself. Complete fear of failure or substandard deployment.
Things to note for myself:
The environments are only favorable/unfavorable based on my perception of them.
So I can work on a) modifying or adjusting my perception of them and b) if they are in fact unfavorable; pull together the resources or cajones to make them less so.
Also: I have more control over my environment than I give myself credit for.
