Wingspan, Ltd: "The Path to Clear Thinking"

Understanding

the people with whom one works is often the most mystifying of all assignments. If it is our task to orchestrate a group of people toward success, then our burden bears even more weight. Working toward a common goal when not fully understanding the team is a confusing and wearisome project. It doesn't have to be that way.

When are people at their best?

When are they the most helpful to each other as well as to customers? If you have asked yourself these questions you have probably already figured out that people are at their best and most helpful when they can think clearly. It is only with clear thought that any one of us can work successfully towards a long-term goal. It is only clear thinking that allows us to communicate properly.

If clear thinking is the goal, then working towards that goal can and should be broken down into understandable parts. While there are many variables to working with people, doing the following will dramatically increase the chances of people being able to think clearly and, with that, dramatically increase the chances of success overall.

First, the leader has to put "round pegs into round holes" and "square pegs into square holes." In other words, assign the person to a job that fits that person. Do not expect that thorough technical training will suffice. The Personal Survey©, when properly used, can almost eliminate over-assignment or under-assignment. When a person is assigned based on his/her character, then stress is automatically decreased and the ability to think clearly is increased.

Second, using Understanding Character© as well as the Personal Survey©, the leader must work towards understanding that every person is different from every other person. While this may seem simple, it is actually one of the harder lessons in life. Once accepted, this concept enables the leader to relate to others, help others, and hold others accountable in methods that are acceptable to them. Frustration and irritation are decreased which, in turn, increases the opportunity for clear thinking.

Third, the leader must understand self deeply and factor self into what is learned about others. On this path, there must come an acceptance of self and comfort with self. This will allow the leader to increase his/her ability to think clearly and create an opportunity to see a broader picture and more accurately guide the organization and its associates to a desired future.

While working on understanding self, the leader can simultaneously work towards understanding and accepting key persons in the organization. They, in turn, must work towards understanding themselves as well as their own key people. This will create an environment wherein the "top" key people relate to one another easily with less conflict and clearer communication. When this occurs, there is more productivity at the "top" and an overall organizational culture can be created with clear thinking, comfort, and effective communication. Such an environment will be one where associates are much more likely to be able to think clearly which will allow them to make a more significant contribution to the whole. Doing this will make them feel good about themselves and their jobs and the positive effects are unending.

The key to all of this is leadership.

Clear thinking, better communication, and an overall positive feeling in an organization cannot be accomplished without good leadership. Leadership is much more than dividing responsibilities and holding people accountable. It is creating an environment wherein people feel like contributing simply because they feel good about being there. Using Understanding Character© and the Personal Survey© will dramatically help a leader help the people within the organization and put it on the path to greater and greater success.