There is an old story where God decides that he or she wants to retire so they review resumes from the celestial internet. Lo and behold who should come up as the candidate with the best experience for the job? That guy they fired who went off and started his own operation, Satan. Now, they’re an equal opportunity employer and to forgive is divine so they give him the job. Now old Nick is thinking, ‘They’re letting the fox guard the hen house’, but when he puts his name plate on that desk he finds out that he has to start acting like God just to do the job at all.
The Correct Personality for the Job
Certain positions require certain personality types. We are not universal in our talents; each person has their own genius, or set of geniuses. Work places, like all man-made environments have a personality and project a message. Ideally the message of the workplace speaks honestly about the mission of the workers. The secret of success in environmental design is recognizing what work space arrangement best supports that personality type and then supplying it whole heartedly.
When you put your assistant at your desk and they do well there it’s a sign that their personality fits the task.
I (Ralph) grew up working in my family’s factory and I remember my Father telling me that he would never be able to sit at a production machine all day, year after year, although we had plenty of people who did that for a lifetime. He was an engineer and mechanic and an entrepreneurial personality who had the big view, but still got his hands dirty. He was teaching me that finding people who were truly suited to their positions was important for the stability of our large and tremendously complex company which he ran for more than sixty five years. Experience counts!
Look at your Team as a Leader
Step back and take a look at your team like a leader. How well do they work together? Are there disagreements and feuds or do they act like friends who work together? Do they help each other when time is of the essence? Do they talk with each other or hide behind closed doors and emails? Do they like coming to work? How are they positioned relative to each other and how does that affect their interaction?
Positioning matters for cooperation and emotional support. Japanese businesses often conduct meetings with everyone on the same side of the table, not looking at each other’s faces.
What does that body language say? It is hard to be confrontational sitting side by side. Facing the same direction you are all subject to the same light sources, you cast similar shadows and your nervous systems are pushed the same directions by natural and manufactured electromagnetic currents. You see the same images and scenes outside the windows. With so many impressions in common it is easier to reach an accord.
Not surprisingly Japanese businesses are famous for cooperating on successful long-term projects with a high degree of shared dedication. Facing the same gets everyone on the same page. It makes it easier to be more concerned about we than me.
When making a presentation the group often faces one direction. This formation is used by police and military for transmitting directions. Facing your audience you challenge them with your position. But when you use a video presentation and face the screen along with your audience it is easier to get them onto your side of the proposal. Your body language says ‘I’m on your side’, and you are aligned with the same direction, something that should not be underestimated.
For Meeting Planners: To contact us about a speaking date please use this form. We are based in the San Francisco Bay Area and do most of our speaking in those areas. Additional speeches as part of the same event, including those on different subjects or languages, are discounted 20%. Materials for one hundred participants are included, additional are provided on a pro-rated basis. Space and Time Designing Inc. accepts all major credit cards.
The San Francisco Bay area is exempted from travel expenses unless it involves multiple, consecutive days. Contact Lahni de Amicis for a precise quote at 707-235-2648.
For meeting planners coming to the San Francisco area, especially to the North Bay, Napa and Sonoma, our sites are a great resource for deciding where to bring your group. We like meeting planners to think of the team at Amicis Seminars and Amicis Tours as their friends in the Bay area.
Contact us at 707-235-2648 when you need guidance in planning your trip and finding speakers for your events. You can email us at lahni@spaceandtime.com
Amicis Seminars & Amicis Tours are members of the San Francisco Travel Association.
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