People are different. Some of us love noticing and attending to details, while others of us do better at seeing the big picture. And though we may love working or playing hard on a team, someone right next to us might prefer to work or play individually.
I can use my two girls, Abbie and Annie, as examples to try to explain the differences between detail people and team people. I started to notice these differences when they were young.
I am not a detail person, and neither was Abbie. Annie is a detail person. What I mean by detail people is they can look at something and see what is behind the curtain without opening it up. They can analyze a process while taking the problem apart piece by piece. They can move things around in their heads by moving them with their minds.
Here are what I consider to be the top 10 characteristics of a detail-oriented person.
• Loves puzzles of any size
• Will eat only certain portion of what is on the plate
• Is a neat freak (clothes, bedrooms, shoes, hair, etc.)
• Always has things written down on paper or a pad
• Is usually late, with a dissertation about why they’re late
• Reads, reads and reads anything
• Is very patient with people, situations and things they can control
• Will respond to other people’s decisions and not react
• Will be sitting to the side of the main decision maker in room
• Usually plays individual sports — or, if they play team sports, they’ll be involved with the process
And here are what I consider to be the top 10 characteristics of a team person (Abbie was a team person).
• Loves puzzles that have fewer than eight pieces
• Will eat anything, and mix it together to decrease the time to eat
• Wears anything, and fashion is just a word not a statement
• Is like an elephant (can remember facts, figures, dates and events)
• Is always early and will help with anything that is needed for an event
• Will look at the pictures for the instructions (especially on the outside box)
• Sees people, events and situations as a deterrent from the main goal
• Will react and push back or forward from the word “go”
• Will always meet the main decision maker in the room
• Plays team sports (sees individual sports as too slow)
If you’re wondering why I’m telling you about my kids, it’s because you cannot turn a pen into a pencil, or make a blue pen write in yellow ink. As soon as we learn this about our children and the people who work with us, and we begin to appreciate their strengths and perspectives, the less friction and misunderstandings we’ll have in our families and businesses.
Live inspired,
Jimmy
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