Today is Fred’s birthday. All together now, “Happy Birthday, Fred!”
Recently, he did a Predictive Index thing and WOW-OH!-WOW did they nail him. His “strongest behaviors” were spot on: proactive, openly challenges the world around him (YEP), resourcefully works through or around anything blocking him, impatient for results, decision-maker and action-taker with little need of proof to confirm decisions (DOUBLE YEP), more interested in his own ideas (TRIPLE YEP), willing to bend the rules and not easily discouraged by setbacks.
(I bet a-hunnerd-bucks that Judy and Cindy are nodding their heads.)
They also included a list of ideas on how to supervise someone like Fred Seckman. How to “maximize his effectiveness, productivity and … satisfaction.” Because it’s his birthday and I’m all about giving (shut up), I have decided to give examples of how I, his supervisor at home, am already doing these. KUDOS TO ME.
Provide as much independence and flexibility in his activities as possible. I’m very good at letting him clean the house by himself, cook dinner by himself and brew beer by himself. All of which I allow him to make independent decisions on except when he’s cooking hamburger and I feel the impulsive need to instruct him to use the meat chopper thing instead of mashing it up with his hands.
Provide opportunities to learn and advance. I regularly tell him what he’s doing wrong as I believe in learning from mistakes. This normally involves gems like “I don’t understand WHY you would get clean cotton scent deodorant when you KNOW I like fresh cotton scent?!” Then I stare at him to let it sink in. And then, I think, he learns and advances (and refuses to ever buy deodorant for me again).
Provide opportunities for expression of, and action on, his own ideas and initiatives. I will admit that I mostly only follow the first part of this because if I were to allow him to ACT ON his expressive ideas, we’d have a goat tied up in the backyard as a full-time grass-chewer.
Provide variety and challenge in his responsibilities. Oh believe me, this happens. Daily. Considering I am the biggest challenge of all, I provide constant variety in mood, demands and levels of tolerance for such things as buying the wrong deodorant smell. I also like to shirk duties at the last minute – an extra layer of challenge when it’s something that HAS to be done.
Provide opportunities to prove himself, and recognition and reward for doing so. I let him do this by becoming Captain Consumer Reports every time we need to purchase something. For example, we blew out our blender so I provided the opportunity for him to research a new one to buy and then, as a reward for buying it, let him make the family chocolate malts! They were delicious! And malty!
Provide freedom from routines and repetitive details, balanced by accountability for results. Ha, ha, ha, good one, Predictive Index. I don’t let him run free. EVER.
Good one Jess. Well played.
Husbands always need our help. Always.