Last month I told you I was going to Israel to celebrate my sister's 50th birthday with five of her friends. On our first day together, I did an informal temperament assessment (I couldn't help myself) while we swam and had a picnic lunch. The results -- three Guardians and three Rationals! Now...if you recall...Guardians and Rationals don't talk about the same things and they don't work the same way. Guardians talk about reality and do what's right; Rationals talk about ideas and do what works. AND this was their very first trip together!

You'd think with this temperament mix that travelling around in a hot van would be a recipe for disaster but added to their long-term friendship, they now had a language to explain and appreciate each other's differences and contributions to the trip. There were many shared moments of understanding and comments that once might have caused an argument became a topic of discussion about temperament, the language we use and our natural differences of opinion and perception.

The Guardians excelled at planning and organizing this excellent trip -- food, supplies, schedule, lodgings, transportation and activities. Over three days we swam, picnicked, had a bbq, hiked, went berry-picking, visited acheological ruins, watched a movie and had a boat-ride on the Kineret (Sea of Galilea).

The Rationals appreciated the Guardians'skills and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly within the plan. We contributed our share of supplies, took direction for loading and unloading, brought the digital and video cameras to record the trip, provided information about the areas we visited, and engaged the group in thought provoking discussions.

This trip was a wonderful example of what can happen when people recognize their own strengths and the strengths of those around them. All activies become less stressful and more fun.

Recognizing your strengths at work gives you opportunities to contribute to your team in ways that interest you...even when an assignment doesn't appear that interesting. Leo, a Senior Analyst, really helped his team by taking on what seemed like a dull assignment, well beneath his capabilities.

His company was growing quickly. New programs and departments were being created and staffed on the fly. Everyone was working on interesting projects but no one was focused on taking care of administrative details.

A new executive was hired to create an organizational structure and implement administrative standards, processes and procedures.

One new project was to create an inventory of every piece of computer equipment in the company. Each department had to designate someone to learn new software and enter all the equipment details for their offices.

There were no extra resources and no one in Leo's department wanted to add this task to their already full workload...but there was no option to refuse. The requirement had come from the top and the deadline was 30 days!

Aaargh!

Leo's team discussed ways of assigning this task. Before doing their temperament assessments with me, they used to draw straws for extra tasks, or assign them to the lowest paid member of the team. This time, they decided to review their temperament reports to see who was best suited to the task.

They discovered that the best temperament would be a Guardian because the task involved their natural talent -- logistics -- counting and cataloguing.

But there was no Guardian on the team.

Double Aaargh!!

The team temperament included only Idealists and Rationals. At first glance the idea of assigning this task by temperament looked like a dud, but Leo said, "I'll give it a try".

Leo's Corporate Temperament Report indicated he was a Rational Inventor. Rational Inventors love to learn new things, so for Leo, learning the new software was a bonus. Inventors instinctively focus on the big picture rather than the details and they have a tough time following procedures. Even though fulfilling all the detailed requirements would be a challenge for Leo, the team agreed that he looked like the best candidate for the job. They would support him using their own strengths to balance the workload until he was finished.

Luckily for the team, Rational Inventors find fun ways to do what they percieve as boring tasks. Leo made a game out of crawling under desks and finding the serial and model numbers of all the equipment. He followed wires to figure out which printers, scanners and other devices were attached to each computer and he entered the details into the new software program. He found himself humming as he worked and the team enjoyed his light-hearted energy and approach.

The result was that the project was completed ahead of schedule and Leo got back to his own responsibilities faster than expected. The group received recognition for a job well done.

Whether we work alone or on a team, learning about and using our strengths and the strengths of our coworkers can lead to more fun and less stress at work.

Disclaimer: Names have been changed to protect the innocent...but the situation is real.

Send me an email to tell me how your team has used temperament to accomplish it's goals. fiona@princeheron.com

It's too hot to cook so here's an easy nutritious drink for what is turning out to be a very hot summer.

Put a medley of melons in a blender with a bit of water and some ice. Turn the blender on high for about 30 seconds. Pour it into a glass with some more ice. Drink it and feel refreshed!

Optional: Add a bit of mint or ginger to enhance the melon flavours.

I know...what does this have to do with temperament? One melon does taste delicious, and two is good too, but a medley of melons, like a mix of temperaments, is the best kind of melon smoothie you can drink!