My Experience: Navigating the Diversity of Human Complexity

We are intricate beings, our behaviours and interactions are influenced by a myriad of factors including genetics, environment, culture, and personal experiences. And I was oblivious to the depth of this complexity for the longest time. I couldn't fathom why connections with some individuals felt effortless, while interactions with others seemed fraught with friction and misunderstandings. It felt like sailing in smooth waters with some, yet with others, it was as if every step forward was a battle through a storm of frustration and miscommunication.

A striking example of this (one of many) was a collaboration a number of years ago with a then-colleague on a business-critical initiative. Despite our shared commitment, progress was painfully slow. This wasn't due to any deliberate obstruction on their part; our fundamental differences in approach were the real culprits. My preference for speed and addressing details later clashed with their meticulous, detail-oriented approach. Our project, centred on ideation and brainstorming for repackaging our services, only magnified these differences. I often perceived their contribution as negative, focused on highlighting potential pitfalls in every idea proposed, turning what should have been a creative, productive endeavour into a source of constant frustration and stress.

What I've Learned: The Path to Synergy

There was no single turning point for me on this one. Rather it was a series of epiphanies but two standouts moved me along in leaps and bounds.

The first was discovering the Basadur Problem Solving Framework, which categorises problem-solving preferences into four quadrants: Generator, Conceptualiser, Optimiser, and Implementer. Individuals typically gravitate towards a quadrant or side of the chart based on their natural strengths and preferences in the problem-solving process, with Generators preferring to identify new problems and opportunities, Conceptualisers enjoying the development of solutions to these problems, Optimisers refining and improving those solutions, and Implementers focusing on executing the solutions.

I’m a Conceptualiser. I thrive on taking inspiration from a range of ideas and then bringing these together to form a high-level solution. My colleague was an Implementer. Wonderful at developing detailed processes for execution. But putting us together without any consideration for what we each brought to the table was a disaster waiting to happen. Without an appreciation for our distinct strengths, we were set up for frustration rather than success.

The second standout was our leadership team's undertaking of the DISC assessment. DISC categorises personality based on behaviour in various contexts (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, Conscientiousness), making it practical for understanding workplace dynamics. The results were nothing short of fascinating. Learning that I leaned towards being risk-tolerant, pragmatic, and fast-paced, in contrast to my more risk-averse and deliberate colleague, helped enormously. It equipped me with an understanding of how different personalities engage with the world and suggested strategies for collaboration, which I found helped create a more harmonious and productive working environment remarkably quickly.

These two were absolute game-changers. If you take away nothing else from my learnings, I urge you to devote some time to better understand how people operate. It will unlock so much in uplifting team dynamics and the interplay of personality traits that you’ll wonder how you ever managed beforehand.

TL;DR:

• My working days were often filled with extreme frustration and stress generated by ignorance of the different tendencies people have for approaching their work.

• Embracing frameworks like Basadur and DISC assessments provided crucial insights into our diverse problem-solving preferences and personalities, transforming how I approached teamwork and collaboration.

• Leveraging frameworks like Basadur and DISC can significantly enhance collaboration and team dynamics and pay massive dividends