Working with your working style

Drivers are characteristic ways of behaving which are usually strengths but may become weaknesses under stress. As change is stressful, drivers tend to creep in to action plans:

  • Hurry up: rush and overlook significant areas (may delay until urgent)
  • Be perfect: first time but takes to long so never finish
  • Please people: without asking – worried to get it wrong/upset people
  • Try hard: something new – but not succeeding or finishing
  • Be strong: must cope – stiff upper lip, avoid own shortcomings, can’t admit weakness

If you are a Hurry Up

  • plan your work in stages, setting interim target dates
  • concentrate on listening carefully to others until they have finished speaking
  • learn relaxation techniques and use them regularly

If you are a Be Perfect

  • set realistic standards of performance and accuracy
  • practice asking yourself what the consequences really are – do this whenever you find a mistake
  • make a point of telling others that their mistakes are not serious

If you are a Please People

  • start asking people questions to check out what they want instead of guessing
  • please yourself more often and ask other people for what you want
  • practice telling other people firmly when they are wrong

If you are a Try Hard

  • stop volunteering
  • make a plan that includes finishing a task – and then stick to that plan through to a conclusion
  • check out the parameters of a task so that you only do what is expected

If you are a Be Strong

  • keep a task and time log so that you can monitor your workload
  • ask other people to help you
  • take up a spare time activity you can really enjoy
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