Comments on: My Boss Wants Me to “Act First,” But That’s Not My Personality

By: Nick

Nick — Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:59:25 +0000

I wasn’t expecting this….

The callout to “Your preference and tendency to “think first” before you act has become a personal value.” is a tough pill to swallow. I also am going to take this medicine (due to this article).

I’m sure this is more common than I’m aware of. Our company is moving to be more “agile” and with that move comes an increase in “Act first, adjust it later” thinking.

Yes, I question some choices, I like some, I don’t like others. In the end I’m part of a bigger machine and if it goes left, I’ll need to go left (I use Influencer and Crucial Conversation skills all the time to explain my position and try to influence behaviors).
In the end, I’m a small piece and sometimes I can alter a direction and many times I can’t.

Victor Frankl is often referenced, and to help me take this medicine I’ll reference him as well (more for my benefit to type it out and commit to the idea in my head).
We get to decide how we face the day. We can choose how we show up.

In the end, I have the final call. I get to choose to stay or leave. I get to choose what I can develop in myself to help my other choices be more successful.

Can I “act first”? Sure.
Can I try to find ways to get some thinking in first, to be able to act quickly enough to look like I’m acting first and still be comfortable with my actions? I’m gonna use the tips from Scott and give it a good try.

Thanks for letting me walk my path through this. Hopefully it may help someone reading it as it helped me by typing it.

By: sofie maervoet

sofie maervoet — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 10:01:54 +0000

very relevant post! I know from my own experience that a personality test only shows what your 1st natural reaction is but you can learn absolutely to act differently by learning skills, by experience. And the testscores change over time as you develop. I agree that the blocker often is “what I don’t like doing” but when you are driven by the result you want to achieve, it helps to overcome this.

By: JennyG

JennyG — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 09:30:22 +0000

I like Scott’s suggestion to have an ongoing conversation about this issue with your boss to define more specifically what they want with a learning attitude. Perhaps the boss senses that you are sometimes slow to act due to fear. Then it would be good to explore what fears are involved. Perhaps the boss doesn’t recognize the need to do more strategizing or thinking through decisions at times and the value that your approach may bring. In other words, looking at the causes, parameters and results that have been occurring to determine a new approach would be very useful on both sides. Be brave and be open, while also keeping your own strengths in mind as well. Best wishes on this journey!

By: Mark Foley

Mark Foley — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 05:22:40 +0000

Talk with the boss about how ‘doing’ and ‘thinking’ can complement each other. I was in a ‘action’, ‘doing’ culture, but they started to fail because they didn’t ‘think’. ie. no strategy, didn’t understand the markets/customers etc. But the ‘doing culture’ still promoted the ‘doers’.

By: tom benzoni

tom benzoni — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 17:26:27 +0000

Several:
1. I regard personality assessments as quasi-voodoo. Mine change with the mood I’m in and the environment within which I take them.
2.Re “action-first”: This can only occur in a safe environment as I can’t take back an action but I can un-think a thought. I believe I read it here: It’s hard to talk your way out a position you’ve acted your way into. (paraphrased, I’m sure.) Think first is a basic concept in EMS: scene safety.

By: Bernhard Böttinger

Bernhard Böttinger — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:06:51 +0000

how about asking the boss what he really means by action oriented? On basis of that answer it’s maybe easier to define the expected behaviour.

By: John Shoucair

John Shoucair — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:15:59 +0000

Your comments on the weaknesses of most personality tests hit the mark. Even the comprehensive and respected Myers-Briggs tends to pigeon hole people and explain why they do things. They titled one of their books “Please Understand Me”.
The 34 Clifton Strengths provide valid results to expalin both behaviors in your story. The Boss most likely has Activator in the top five personality strengths; the writer likely has Deliberator. Don Clifton’s research, backed by research from the Gallup organization, advises that you never give up on your strengths or try to change your personality. He would never suggest that [to shift to an “act first” approach, ask yourself, “What skills, training, or information do I need to be more action-oriented?”] You drive yourself crazy when you try to draw on strengths you don’t have, instead of leveraging the ones that have made you proficient and successful – which tend to be your five go-to strengths or “Talent.”. The boss needs to understand the team and reassign the work, AND keep in mind that the writer still needs to have input for the success of the project. I dicovered Clifton 20 years ago and recommend it to others – and most importantly, to use Crucial Learnings communication tools to bring it all home.