Maximizing Your Adaptability

by Tony Alessandra

The truth is, most of us don’t try very hard to understand others. We scratch our heads in puzzlement at those who are unlike us, and then we bumble along, pretty much resigned to the fact that a lot of people out there are just, well, different, odd—or even weird. So we ignore them, or deal with them as little as possible, often to our detriment. But when we fail to understand others, when we just assume they ought to be more like us, we create tension and discomfort—otherwise known as “personality conflicts.” You can reduce or eliminate those conflicts by learning to understand behavioral styles, including your own. Daniel Goleman, in his best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence, said that “much evidence exists that people who are emotionally adept—who know and manage their own feelings well, and who read and deal effectively with other people’s feelings” have an advantage in all of life’s arenas. Further, they’re “more likely to be content and effective in their lives, mastering the habits of mind that foster their own productivity.” Thus, you’ll lessen tension—and likely help your career, improve productivity, increase sales, foster better customer relations, maximize your strengths, and, in general, enjoy a fuller, more successful life—if you learn to identify those styles and adapt to them. And you’ll go a long way toward becoming more charismatic.

29 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2010