This is #16 in a series about the 24 Lumina Sales Qualities and how you can leverage those qualities to improve your ability to attract more clients, build deeper long-lasting relationships, and achieve personal and professional success.

If you’ve been following this series you know that our sales team – Phil, Rob, and John (sales manager) have just completed the third step of Stage 4 in the sales cycle, Detailed Proposal; and are now moving into Co-creating. John has been coaching Phil and Rob through the various stages of the sales cycle with their client and they are now actively Recommending Solutions to eventually Get Commitment, the fifth stage of the sales cycle.

We already know that when you arrive at Recommending Solutions, your proposals will play a vital role in gaining the client’s commitment to your proposed recommendation. In our last blog, we learned that the importance of putting forth a Detailed Proposal that reflects the quality of what we are offering the client. One of the ways we do so is by Co-creating with the client to show a willingness to compromise on our offering.

John: We work really hard on our detailed proposals. Often, because we work so hard, it can be easy to lose sight of why we are doing them in the first place … for the client. When we co-create with them, we display a desire for shared success and demonstrated willingness to work together in an effective way to win their trust. By working to their needs and making compromises when necessary, we can ensure maximum satisfaction.

John is highlighting the sales quality of Co-creating. Negotiation and willingness to compromise can be valuable when shaping your sales offering. And while accommodating your client’s needs is central to the business pursuit, it is important not to over-commit when you customize solutions to address the needs of your client as this can lead to future difficulties when actually delivering. When building proposals always take into full account any critical factors, based on current realities and be ready to share these with your client if they ask for something which may not be in your (or your clients) best interest.

Tune in next time when we’ll move into the fifth stage of the Sales Cycle – Get Commitment.

“Half of the troubles of this life can be traced to saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough.” – Josh Billings, American Humorist

Marcel

Lumina helps sales professionals see how their behavior traits and personality show up in a selling situation.  Is your sales team effective in understanding client needs?  We can now scientifically measure sales professionals’ strengths and development areas in the sales process.  If you’re interested in learning more, contact me at 972.841.5890 or marcel.brunel@luminalearning.com and let’s set up a time to talk.

Missed earlier articles? Catch up with John and his sales team and previous sales qualities here.

This is #15 in a series about the 24 Lumina Sales Qualities and how you can leverage those qualities to improve your ability to attract more clients, build deeper long-lasting relationships, and achieve personal and professional success.

If you’ve been following this series you know that our sales team – Phil, Rob, and John (sales manager) have just completed the second step of Stage 4 in the sales cycle, Convincing; and are now moving into Detailed Proposal. John has been coaching Phil and Rob through the various stages of the sales cycle with their client and they are now actively Recommending Solutions to eventually Get Commitment, the fifth stage of the sales cycle.

We already know that when you arrive at Recommending Solutions, your proposals will play a vital role in gaining the client’s commitment to your proposed recommendation. In our last blog, we learned that you must Convince the client that you are able to serve them and their needs with confidence. One of the ways we do so is by putting forth a Detailed Proposal that reflects the quality of what we are offering the client.

Rob: John, we’ve talked a lot about how important it is for us to be both enthusiastic and convincing in recommending solutions to our client. At some point, I suspect a great attitude won’t be enough. What else do we need to consider?

John: You are spot on Rob. The passion we have for our solution is critical but we also have to back up our passion with real substance. In our proposal, we have to provide enough information to the client so they can make an informed decision. It may mean including facts and figures for our more detailed-oriented clients or a clear plan of action based on some of our past experiences and results. Whatever the case, we need to take each client into account and present the proposal in a way that is relevant to them and answers the critical questions they need answered to move forward.

Rob and John are discussing the sales quality of Detailed Proposal. Aside what they must do to be successful, they also need to avoid getting lost in the detail during this stage. The desire to make the perfect proposal can lead to hesitation and a lack of action. It would be easy for John and his team to be stuck in indecision trying to find the best way to win the client over. So, it’s best that they focus on the first steps and demonstrate the feasibility to the client first before trying to hone the sale completely.

Tune in next time when we’ll continue with our Recommended Solutions and learn more about how to negotiate and compromise with our client to deliver the best solution to their business need.

“After all, winning business is what writing proposals is all about.” – Tom Sant, Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients, and Contracts

Marcel

Lumina helps sales professionals see how their behavior traits and personality show up in a selling situation.  Is your sales team effective in understanding client needs?  We can now scientifically measure sales professionals’ strengths and development areas in the sales process.  If you’re interested in learning more, contact me at 972.841.5890 or marcel.brunel@luminalearning.com and let’s set up a time to talk.

Missed earlier articles? Catch up with John and his sales team and previous sales qualities here.

This is #14 in a series about the 24 Lumina Sales Qualities and how you can leverage those qualities to improve your ability to attract more clients, build deeper long-lasting relationships, and achieve personal and professional success.

If you’ve been following this series you know that our sales team – Phil, Rob, and John (sales manager) have just completed the first step of Stage 4 in the sales cycle, Enthusing; and are now moving into Convincing. John has been coaching Phil and Rob through the various stages of the sales cycle with their client and they are now actively Recommending Solutions to eventually Get Commitment, the fifth stage of the sales cycle.

We already know that when you arrive at Recommending Solutions, your proposals will play a vital role in gaining the client’s commitment to your proposed recommendation. In our last blog, we learned that you must Enthuse the client to enroll them into working with you in the long term. Now, we look to understand the value of Convincing clients that you have the ability to serve them and their needs with confidence.

John: By now, you know how important it is that we have a strong recommendation for our client and that we can communicate our recommendation to them with enthusiasm. Unfortunately, enthusiasm alone won’t be enough to convince our clients to go with us.  We must be able to convince them that what we are recommending is robust and that we can guarantee them the services we are promising. At the same time, we can’t come across as too forceful when trying to convince them that we have is what they are looking for. If we do, our clients might feel put off by our directness and feel rushed into making a decision. We must continue to always understand their needs and be prepared to back off and listen to their feedback, adjusting our recommendation if necessary.

John is talking about the sales quality of Convincing. Being convincing enables you to paint a clear picture of your recommendation while being highly engaging and creative in how you present the ideas to reassure your client that they are in safe hands.  You reinforce your proposals with facts and figures to appease the data‐orientated and when building proposals always take into full account any critical factors, based on current realities for the client. The risk is all of this is that at times you may come across as too forceful and may intimidate a client away from your proposal. Balance and truly understanding your clients is key.

Tune in next time when we’ll continue with our Recommended Solutions and learn more about how to present a detailed proposal that we can continue to co-create with our client to deliver the best solution to their business need.

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Albert Einstein

Marcel

Lumina helps sales professionals see how their behavior traits and personality show up in a selling situation.  Is your sales team effective in understanding client needs?  We can now scientifically measure sales professionals’ strengths and development areas in the sales process.  If you’re interested in learning more, contact me at 972.841.5890 or marcel.brunel@luminalearning.com and let’s set up a time to talk.

Missed earlier articles? Catch up with John and his sales team and previous sales qualities here.

This is #13 in a series about the 24 Lumina Sales Qualities and how you can leverage those qualities to improve your ability to attract more clients, build deeper long-lasting relationships, and achieve personal and professional success.

If you’ve been following this series you know that our sales team – Phil, Rob, and John (sales manager) have completed Stage 3 the sales cycle, Understand Needs; and are now moving into Stage 4, Recommend Solutions. John has been coaching Phil and Rob through the first three stages of the sales cycle and they are now ready to begin Recommending Solutions to their client where they will need to leverage the qualities of Enthusing, Convincing, Detailed Proposal and Co-Creating to eventually Get Commitment, the fifth stage of the sales cycle.

When you arrive at Recommending Solutions, your proposals will play a vital role in gaining the client’s commitment to your proposed recommendation. A proposal must be thorough so that the client is clear on what you are offering. You must also enthuse the client to enroll them into working with you in the long term. A strong relationship based on trust, respect, rapport, and value is just as effective as an enticing proposal.

John knows that to do this well, he needs to need to work through the following four‐step process with his team:

1. Co‐create a client‐centered solution ‐ define deal structure
2. “Know thy self, know thy enemy” ‐ dispatching competitors
3. First presentation of proposal to client
4. Internally ‐ secure funding to make a bid

He also knows process alone won’t be enough.

John: We’ve done a lot of great work so far to understand the business goals, challenges, and needs of our client and now we really feel like we have a great solution to share with them. That’s important! When we get in front of the client, we have to enthusiastically communicate our ideas to them. If we don’t feel convinced, then it would be really hard to convince them. The passion we have for the solution will transfer to how we communicate about it, so we need to be responsible for the energy we bring. At the same time, we have to meet the client where they are. We don’t want to overwhelm them with our enthusiasm by overloading them with options. It is just as important to give them time to digest and reflect on our solutions.

John is talking about the sales quality of Enthusing. Enthusing enables you to engage your clients through energizing and simulating conversations to quickly build a dynamic rapport. Doing so enables you to draw answers from them to evolve your offering and address their precise needs. Maintaining a dynamic approach will also boost client interest when you make your recommendations. The clarity of your vision and ideas is important so plan to flex and adapt as needed to meet the client where they might be as well.

Tune in next time when we’ll continue with our Recommended Solutions and learn more about how to deliver with confidence so that we create a Convincing argument for selection of our product or service.

“Enthusiasm moves the world.” Arthur James Balfou

Tone is the dipstick to your heart. Your passion helps transfer knowledge. Lack of passion is lack of tone. Be responsible for your energy.

Marcel

Lumina helps sales professionals see how their behavior traits and personality show up in a selling situation.  Is your sales team effective in understanding client needs?  We can now scientifically measure sales professionals’ strengths and development areas in the sales process.  If you’re interested in learning more, contact me at 972.841.5890 or marcel.brunel@luminalearning.com and let’s set up a time to talk.

Missed earlier articles? Catch up with John and his sales team and previous sales qualities here.

In the Lumina work I do with teams, leaders and individuals, we look at 24 personality qualities. These are qualities that are a part of everyone’s personality. Qualities like “logical,” “cautious,” “spontaneous,” “sociable,” and others.  We each have all of these qualities, they are all in our capacity with different preferences, which makes us the complex, unique individuals we are.

This is number 21 in a series of articles about those 24 qualities – what they mean, what they look like, how to tune them up or tune them down, and how to recognize and adapt to them in others.

This time let’s talk about “Evidence-based.”

Definition of Evidence-based

Lumina defines the quality Evidence-based as “focused on observable facts and attention to detail.” People with this quality are “down to earth” and value hard evidence over intuition or gut feelings.

How you display Evidence-based (in 3 personas)  

If you are high in the quality Evidence-based in your underlying, or most natural persona, it’s important to you to be seen as a trustworthy person who can be relied upon.  You probably live by the four principles I’ve taught my three kids: 1. Complete what you start. 2. Show up on time. 3. Do what you say you’re going to do. 4. Say please and thank you. You look for these observable behaviors in others, whether hiring a service provider or inviting someone to join your team. You make your decisions based on facts, not feelings. You use the many tools available today to thoroughly research expert reports and consumer reviews before making a purchasing decision.  Life is better when you are able to make your decisions on observable behaviors.

In your everyday persona, or how you show up at work, you prefer to deal with concrete and tangible things and tend to be less keen on abstract and conceptual ways of thinking. You take time management very seriously and appreciate those who show respect by turning up at meetings on time. In discussions, you prefer to concentrate on the facts and details of an issue rather than the emotions involved. You may take notes so that you have something to refer back to as you assess the situation. You prefer not to be pressured into making a decision before you’ve had the opportunity to analyze the data.

Under stress, the quality Evidence-based turns into “lost in the details.” In this overextended persona, you may become so focused on getting all the facts and details that you become stuck in a quicksand of data and unable to move forward. You are so worried about being current, complete and correct that the deadline – or opportunity – passes you by. This can be extremely frustrating to those around you, especially when it has a business impact. Learning to identify and manage your stress triggers will help you avoid becoming overextended.

Techniques to tune up or tune down Evidence-based  

In the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report, critical thinking is listed as one of the top 10 skills for the 21^st century (it’s #2 actually). Being Evidenced-based is a part of that. To tune up Evidence-based, resist the temptation to make impulsive decisions. Allow yourself time to consider facts and data from several sources before moving forward. And keep in mind those four key principles: 1. Complete what you start. 2. Show up on time. 3. Do what you say you’re going to do. 4. Say please and thank you.

If, on the other hand, you suffer the occasional analysis paralysis, do some work to identify your stress triggers. Learn to accept that sometimes the only way to get the evidence is to try things out. There are some additional tips in this Forbes article.

Understanding and connecting with others who are Evidence-based

To quickly build rapport and connect with someone who is Evidence-based, make a point of being objective, precise and detailed. Focus on what is evident and observable.

“A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.” – David Hume

Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose,
Marcel

Basado en Evidencia – Solo los Hechos, por favor, Solo los Hechos

En el trabajo de Lumina que llevo a cabo con equipos, líderes e individuos, estudiamos 24 diferentes cualidades. Estas forman parte de la personalidad de cualquiera. Cualidades como “lógico,” “precavido,” “espontáneo,” “sociable,” y otras. Todos contamos con estos rasgos, pero en diferentes grados, lo que nos convierte en los individuos únicos y complejos que somos.

Este es el vigésimo primero de una serie de artículos sobre esas 24 cualidades – lo que significan, cómo se ven, la forma de ajustarlas hacia arriba o abajo y cómo reconocerlas y adaptarlas en otros.

Esta vez vamos a conversar acerca de “Basado en Evidencia.”

Definición

Lumina define la cualidad Basado en Evidencia como “enfocado en hechos observables y atención a los detalles.” Las personas con esta cualidad tienen “los pies en la tierra” y valoran la evidencia sólida por encima de la intuición o los presentimientos.

Como demostrar Basado en Evidencia (en las 3 personas)

Si tienes un alto nivel de la cualidad Basado en Evidencia en tu persona subyacente, o la más natural, es importante para ti ser visto como una persona fiable en la que se puede confiar. Probablemente vives siguiendo los cuatro principios que les he enseñado a mis hijos: 1. Concluye lo que inicias. 2. Llega a tiempo. 3. Lleva a cabo lo que dijiste que vas a hacer. 4. Di por favor y gracias. Buscas estas conductas observables en otros, ya sea que estés contratando un proveedor de servicios o invitando a alguien a unirse a tu equipo. Tomas tus decisiones basadas en hechos y no en sentimientos. Utilizas todas las herramientas disponibles hoy en día para revisar minuciosamente reportes de expertos y opiniones de clientes antes de tomar una decisión de compra. La vida es mejor cuando eres capaz de tomar decisiones basadas en conductas observables.

En tu persona cotidiana, o a forma en que te nuestras en el trabajo, prefieres tratar con cosas concretas y tangibles y tiendes a ser menos aficionado de formas de pensar abstractas y conceptuales. Tomas la administración del tiempo muy seriamente y aprecias a aquellos que muestran respeto llegando a tiempo a las reuniones. Durante las discusiones, prefieres concentrarte en los hechos y detalles de un asunto en lugar de las emociones involucradas. Puedes tomar notas para referirte a ellas posteriormente a medida que evalúas una situación. Prefieres no ser presionado para tomar una decisión hasta que hayas tenido la oportunidad de analizar los datos.

Bajo estrés, la cualidad Basado en Evidencia se convierte en “perdido en los detalles.” En la persona sobre-extendida, puedes enfocarte tanto en reunir todos los hechos y detalles que quedas atascado en un pantano de datos e incapaz de seguir adelante. Te preocupa tanto permanecer actualizado, completo y correcto que la fecha límite – u oportunidad – pasa de largo. Esto puede resultar extremadamente frustrante para aquellos que te rodean, especialmente cuando tiene un impacto sobre el negocio. Aprender a identificar y manejar tus detonadores de estrés te ayudará a evitar convertirte en sobre-extendido.

Técnicas para ajustar Basado en Evidencia hacia arriba o hacia abajo

En el reporte “Futuro de los Trabajos” del Foro Económico Mundial, el pensamiento crítico está listado como una de las 10 habilidades para el siglo XXI (en realidad es la #2) y Basarse en Evidencia forma parte de ella. Para ajustar esta cualidad hacia arriba, resiste la tentación de tomar decisiones impulsivas. Date el tiempo para considerar hechos y datos de varias fuentes antes de seguir adelante. Y mantén en mente estos cuatro principios clave: 1. Concluye lo que inicies. 2. Llega a tiempo. 3. Lleva a cabo lo que dices que vas a hacer. 4. Di por favor y gracias.

Si, por otra parte, sufres de la ocasional parálisis por análisis, trabaja para identificar tus detonadores de estrés. Aprende a aceptar que en ocasiones la única forma de reunir la evidencia es intentar las cosas. Hay algunas recomendaciones adicionales en este artículo de Forbes.

Comprendiendo y Relacionándote con otros que también se Basan en Evidencia

Para construir compenetración rápidamente y relacionarte con alguien Basado en Evidencia, insiste en ser objetivo, preciso y detallado. Enfócate en aquello que sea evidente y observable.

“Un hombre sabio dimensiona su creencia a la evidencia.” – David Hume

Sometimes out in the field I hear sales leaders say, “My sales people need advanced listening skills” or, “advanced probing skills” or “advanced qualifying skills.”  In my opinion it’s not about “advanced” skills. Listening is listening. Probing is probing. It’s the way you do it that determines how advanced you become. It’s about being brilliant at the basics.

Think about the teams that made it to the Final Four in college basketball this year. They didn’t get there because of “advanced” skills.  There was an entire team of freshman who beat teams who were more senior over and over again.  They got ahead because the other teams made more mistakes at the basics. They got there because they were brilliant at the basics and they stayed in the game.  Another example is the way the basketball teams warmed up.  New players and experienced players all warmed up together doing the exact same basic layup and jump shot exercises.

And that’s what you have to do in sales. Hone your basics: preparing for a call, starting the call, qualifying the opportunity, closing the call. Know and practice the basics of recommending, presenting, managing resistance, closing the sale and following through. These are all basics.  Once you have made a decision to get better at the basics you must jump in and stay in the process.   Sometimes people want to dabble in and out of getting better because the fear of risk and failure is pulling them back like one crab does to another trying to crawl out of the bucket.

There is a science and art to sales. The basics are the science.  The art is how you apply the basics. Some people probe and make it sound and feel like an interrogation. Others turn probing into a wonderful, productive conversation. Artfully applying the basics is what makes those basic skills “advanced.”  Science and art equal your craft and your craft is sales.

Remember this, you lose a deal for two reasons:

• You were outsold (lost on skill or strategy)
• You should have never been there (opportunity was not fully qualified)

Both reasons point back to the basics. Why would you want to lose on basics when that is something you can control?

So leaders, when you think about developing your team in terms of giving the new hires “basic” skills and more experienced sales professionals “advanced” skills, stop right there.  Structure your development, coaching, and feedback to help everyone on your team become brilliant at the basics.  It’s the simple formula for a winning team.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Ser Brillante en lo Básico

En ocasiones escucho en el campo a líderes comerciales decir, “Mi gente de ventas necesita habilidades avanzadas de escucha” o “habilidades avanzadas de investigación” o “habilidades avanzadas de calificación.” En mi opinión no se trata de habilidades “avanzadas”. Escuchar es escuchar. Investigar es investigar. Es la forma en que lo llevas a cabo lo que determina qué tan avanzado eres. Se trata de ser brillante en lo básico.

Piensa en los equipos de baloncesto que jugaron las semifinales este año. No llegaron ahí debido a habilidades “avanzadas”. Había uno plagado de novatos que venció una y otra vez a equipos más experimentados.  Y lo lograron ya que el resto de ellos cometieron más errores en lo básico. Lograron el triunfo siendo brillantes en lo básico y manteniéndose dentro del juego. Otro ejemplo es la forma en que los equipos de baloncesto realizan su calentamiento . Todos los jugadores nuevos y experimentados lo llevan a cabo haciendo exactamente los mismos ejercicios de tiros bajo el aro y saltando.

Y eso es lo que debes hacer en ventas. Perfecciona lo básico: prepárate para la entrevista, inicia la entrevista, califica la oportunidad, cierra la entrevista. Conoce y practica los fundamentos de recomendar, presentar, manejar la resistencia, cerrar la venta y dar seguimiento continuo. Todo esto es básico.  Una vez que hayas tomado la decisión de mejorar tus fundamentos debes iniciar y mantenerte dentro del proceso. En ocasiones la gente incursiona y desiste en mejorar debido al miedo al riesgo y el fracaso jala de ellos como lo hace un cangrejo a otro al tratar de escapar de un balde.

Existe una ciencia y un arte en las ventas. Lo básico es la ciencia. El arte es la forma de aplicar lo básico. Algunas personas investigan y lo hacen sonar y sentir como un interrogatorio. Otras convierten la investigación en una maravillosa y productiva conversación. Aplicar ingeniosamente los fundamentos es lo que permite hacer las habilidades básicas “avanzadas”. La ciencia y arte equivalen a tu trabajo y tu trabajo son las ventas.

Recuerda que puedes perder un negocio por dos motivos:

• Por carecer de habilidad o estrategia
• Porque nunca debiste de haber estado ahí (la oportunidad no fue calificada completamente)

Los dos motivos apuntan de vuelta a lo básico. ¿Por qué podrías querer perder por lo básico cuando esto es algo que puedes controlar?

Así que líderes, cuando piensen en desarrollar a su equipo en términos de proporcionar habilidades “básicas” al personal de nuevo ingreso y “avanzadas” a los vendedores más profesionales y experimentados, deténganse ahí mismo. Estructuren su desarrollo, coaching y retroalimentación para ayudar a todos en su equipo a ser más brillantes en lo básico. Es la formula más sencilla para un equipo ganador.

“La simplicidad es la máxima sofisticación.” – Leonardo da Vinci

In the Lumina work I do with teams, leaders and individuals, we look at 24 personality qualities. These are qualities that are a part of everyone’s personality. Qualities like “logical,” “cautious,” “spontaneous,” “sociable,” and others.  We each have all of these qualities, they are all in our capacity with different preferences, which makes us the complex, unique individuals we are.

This is the 12th in a series of articles about those 24 qualities – what they mean, what they look like, how to tune them up or tune them down, and how to recognize and adapt to them in others.

This time, let’s talk about “Conceptual.”

Definition

As a Lumina quality, we define Conceptual as an “abstract thinker comfortable with complexity and ambiguity.”

People who are conceptual favor abstract ideas, theoretical notions, and considering a variety of possibilities for the future. Their opposites are those people who prefer concrete ideas, tactical activities and a focus on short-term, tangible outcomes.

How you display (in 3 personas)

As I’ve mentioned before in this series, each of us is a unique combination of the 24 qualities that display slightly differently in our 3 personas – underlying, everyday, and overextended.

If you are high in the quality Conceptual in your underlying persona (how you are most naturally) you are adept at dealing with ambiguity. You do not require your life or work to be planned in detail. Uncertainty is OK. In fact, rather exhilarating as it gives you the opportunity to consider multiple possibilities. You have the ability to quickly assess, adjust, and adapt with what’s going on. Your natural preference is to look to the future and come up with new and creative ways of moving toward your goals. You enjoy being given free rein to generate ideas and indulge your imagination.

In your everyday persona, which is how you show up at work, you prefer to focus on the big picture, and leave the details to others. You see yourself as a visionary with a strong imagination. Colleagues may view you as an “ideas machine” and come to you when they need a fresh perspective. You enjoy thinking outside the box, and are very comfortable with change and the opportunities it brings. You tend to find ambiguous situations interesting. When there are problems, you are able to see possibilities and ways forward. This makes you valuable as a source of good ideas within a team.

You recognize that time is your friend and that thinking long term is just as important as hitting your quarterly numbers. You evaluate opportunities and challenges today with how they align or impact the mission and vision.

One of the benefits of understanding the 24 qualities, and recognizing them in ourselves and in others is that we learn how to “flex” in order to strengthen our relationships with our colleagues, our clients, our families and our community. It enables us to meet others where they need to be met to improve communication, enhance collaboration, and create more productive work environments.  It helps us slow down and flex correctly.

When you are stressed, or under pressure, which we call your overextended persona, your Conceptual quality turns into “unfeasible.” Think creativity gone awry – way, way out of the box. You think you are merely describing the big picture, yet everyone else in the room is thinking “no way,” it’s just not feasible. Remember, the way things are perceived is the way they are received. If the rest of the team perceives your ideas as impractical, then they are impractical. Learn what triggers your stress to avoid becoming overextended.

Techniques to tune up or tune down Conceptual

Remember, each of us has all 24 qualities, to varying degrees. If you need to tune up your Conceptual quality to, for example, be better at managing change and dealing with ambiguity, here are some things you can do.

• Accept that you cannot always be in control
• Be willing to make mistakes, and learn from them
• Practice working without a plan
• Find the positive in change

If you need to tone down Conceptual, practice including more details when you present long-term goals and ideas, and be open to feedback from others who may not understand or share your vision. 

Understanding and connecting with others who are Conceptual

To build rapport with someone who is high in the quality Conceptual, give them the opportunity to share ideas and stories.  Be positive, and demonstrate an interest in talking about the future and its possibilities.

“A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is visible labor and there is invisible labor.” ‐ Victor Hugo

 Lidiando con la Ambigüedad: La Ventaja Conceptual 

En el trabajo de Lumina que llevo a cabo con equipos, líderes e individuos, estudiamos 24 diferentes cualidades. Estas forman parte de la personalidad de cualquiera. Cualidades como “lógico,” “precavido,” “espontáneo,” “sociable,” y otras. Todos contamos con estos rasgos, pero en diferentes grados, lo que nos convierte en los individuos únicos y complejos que somos.

Este es el duodécimo de una serie de artículos sobre esas 24 cualidades – lo que significan, cómo se ven, la forma de ajustarlas hacia arriba o abajo y cómo reconocerlas y adaptarlas en otros.

Esta vez, vamos a conversar sobre “Conceptual.” 

Definición

Como cualidad de Lumina, definimos Conceptual como un “pensador abstracto que se siente a gusto con la complejidad y la ambigüedad.”

Las personas que son conceptuales favorecen ideas abstractas, nociones teóricas, y consideran una variedad de posibilidades para el futuro. Sus opuestos son aquellas personas que prefieren ideas concretas, actividades tácticas y un enfoque en resultados tangibles a corto plazo.

Como demostrar Conceptual (en las 3 personas)

Como he mencionado en estas series, cada uno de nosotros es una combinación única de las 24 cualidades que se muestran ligeramente diferentes en nuestras tres personas – subyacente, cotidiana y sobre-extendida.

Si tienes un alto nivel de la cualidad Conceptual en tu persona subyacente (tu forma de ser más natural) eres un adepto de lidiar con la ambigüedad. No requieres que tu vida o trabajo se planeen en detalle. Estás bien con la incertidumbre. De hecho, la encuentras gratificante ya que te brinda la oportunidad de considerar múltiples posibilidades. Posees la capacidad para evaluar rápidamente, ajustar, y adaptarte a lo que está sucediendo. Tu preferencia natural es ver hacia el futuro y generar nuevas y creativas formas para avanzar hacia tus metas. Disfrutas que te den rienda suelta para generar ideas y satisfacer tu imaginación.

En tu persona cotidiana, la forma en que te muestras en el trabajo, prefieres enfocarte en la visión global y dejar los detalles a otros. Te ves a ti mismo como un visionario con una fuerte imaginación. Tus colegas te pueden percibir como una “máquina de ideas” y acuden a ti cuando necesitan una nueva perspectiva. Disfrutas pensando fuera de la caja y te sientes a gusto con el cambio y las oportunidades que brinda. Tiendes a encontrar interesantes las situaciones ambiguas. Cuando se presentan problemas, eres capaz de anticipar posibilidades y formas. Esto te hace valioso como una fuente de buenas ideas dentro de un equipo.

Reconoces que el tiempo es tu amigo y que pensar a largo plazo es igual de importante que alcanzar tu cuota trimestral. Evalúas las oportunidades y los desafíos hoy por la forma en que se alinean o impactan con la misión y visión.

Uno de los beneficios de comprender las 24 cualidades, y reconocerlas en nosotros mismos y en otros, es aprender a “flexionarlas” con objeto de fortalecer nuestras relaciones con colegas, clientes, familias y comunidad.  Nos permite encontrarnos con otros en el punto exacto donde ellos necesitan ser encontrados para mejorar la comunicación, reforzar la colaboración y crear entornos de trabajo más productivos.

Cuando te encuentras estresado o bajo presión, lo que llamamos tu persona sobre-extendida, tu cualidad Conceptual se convierte en “inviable.” El pensamiento creativo se sale de control – muy, muy fuera de la caja. Piensas que simplemente te encuentras describiendo la visión global, aunque todos los demás están pensando “de ninguna manera,” simplemente no es viable. Recuerda, la forma en que las cosas son percibidas es la forma en que son recibidas. Si el resto del equipo percibe tus ideas como irrealizables, entonces lo son. Aprende a identificar tus detonantes de estrés para evitar convertirte en sobre-extendido.

Técnicas para ajustar Conceptual hacia arriba o hacia abajo

Recuerda, cada uno de nosotros posee las 24 cualidades aunque en diferentes grados. Si necesitas ajustar tu cualidad Conceptual hacia arriba para, por ejemplo, mejorar al manejar el cambio y lidiar con la ambigüedad, aquí hay algunas cosas que puedes hacer.

• Aceptar que no siempre puedes estar en control
• Estar dispuesto a cometer errores, y aprender de ellos
• Practicar trabajar sin un plan
• Encontrar lo positivo en el cambio

Si requieres ajustar Conceptual hacia abajo, practica incluir más detalles cuando presentes metas e ideas a corto plazo, y mantente abierto a la retroalimentación de otros que quizás no comprendan o compartan tu visión.

Comprendiendo y Relacionándote con otros Conceptuales

Para construir compenetración con alguien con un alto nivel en la cualidad de Conceptual, dales la oportunidad de compartir sus ideas e historias. Sé positivo, y demuestra un interés por conversar acerca del futuro y sus posibilidades.

“Un hombre no es ocioso por estar absorto en sus pensamientos. Existe un trabajo visible y existe un trabajo invisible.” ‐ Víctor Hugo

In the Lumina work I do with teams, leaders and individuals, we look at 24 personality qualities. These are qualities that are a part of everyone’s personality. Qualities like “logical,” “cautious,” “spontaneous,” “sociable,” and others.  We each have all of these qualities, they are all in our capacity with different preferences, which makes us the complex, unique individuals we are.

This is the 10th in a series of articles about those 24 qualities – what they mean, what they look like, how to tune them up or tune them down, and how to recognize and adapt to them in others.

This time, let’s talk about “Flexible.” 

Definition of Flexible

Merriam-Webster describes a person who is flexible as someone who is ready and able to change so as to adapt to different circumstances.  As a Lumina trait, this translates to “easy-going and informal.” Someone who is flexible tends not to get ruffled when a meeting time or location is changed, or when priorities shift. They are able to ‘go with the flow.’ The opposite of flexible is structured. Remember, however, that these qualities are on a continuum, and we may move between flexible and structured based on a particular situation. 

How you display Flexible (in 3 personas)

When someone is highly flexible in their underlying or most natural persona, they tend not to keep score, or to fuss about who gets credit. They know more can get accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit. This is the person who, when you ask where they want to go to dinner, says, “Anyplace is fine with me.” They’re low key and low maintenance.

Someone who is flexible in their everyday persona (how they show up at work) understands that in order to get things done in today’s fast-paced, dynamic work environment they need to be able to quickly adjust their approach as things change. They consider other people’s views and integrate them with their own ideas to co-create solutions. They prefer an informal style of working as it allows them more flexibility when meeting a difficult deadline or one with changing priorities. People who are flexible tend to get along well with others. They recognize that just as we have evolved over time in the foods we eat, the clothes we wear, and the tools we use, we need to evolve in our ability to be flexible. An unbending approach doesn’t work in our world today. It’s important to note that being flexible doesn’t mean being spineless. It means having situational awareness and the ability to flex to what the situation says is smart, right, healthy and successful.

As with all the qualities I’ve been talking about in this series, under stress flexible can become something quite different. In the overextended persona, flexible becomes chaotic. Suddenly the person who was flexing through the lens of smart, right, healthy and successful, is saying yes to everything. Go this direction? Yes. Go that direction? Yes. Stay in place? Yes. Extreme flexibility causes chaos and confusion. This often results in us focusing on the trivial many instead of the vital few. It’s 80/20 thinking. In sales, for example, 20% of your behaviors (the vital few) give you 80% of your results. Yet how many of us spend 80% of our time on the behaviors and activities (the trivial many) that waste time and don’t contribute to our goals? Under stress – end of month, end of quarter, end of year – we may over-flex on the trivial many at the expense of the vital few. Chaos.

Techniques to tune up or tune down

The first step in tuning up or tuning down the quality flexible – as with any behavioral quality – is becoming self-aware. If you find you need to tune up flexible, here are some tips:

• Learn to embrace change – know that it’s inevitable
• Be willing to explore different approaches to a solution, different options in a decision
• Set aside your emotions
• Listen to others’ ideas
• Look for the positive in a changing situation
• Accept when something is out of your control

If you need to tune down flexible, be aware of your stress triggers to avoid becoming overextended. Understand that not stating a preference for a restaurant, or taking a more structured approach to a project, may be annoying to some people. Set some boundaries.

Understanding and connecting with others who are flexible

To build rapport and connect with someone who is flexible, ask for their ideas and include them often. Do not tell them there is only one option. They prefer to have several options with the flexibility to adapt along the way.

“Change brings opportunity.” – Nido Qubein

Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose,
Marcel

Aquellos que sean Flexibles Dirigirán al Resto

En el trabajo de Lumina que llevo a cabo con equipos, líderes e individuos, estudiamos 24 diferentes cualidades. Estas forman parte de la personalidad de cualquiera. Cualidades como “lógico,” “precavido,” “espontáneo,” “sociable,” y otras. Todos contamos con estos rasgos, pero en diferentes grados, lo que nos convierte en los individuos únicos y complejos que somos.

Este es el décimo de una serie de artículos sobre esas 24 cualidades – lo que significan, cómo se ven, la forma de ajustarlas hacia arriba o abajo y cómo reconocerlas y adaptarlas en otros.

Esta vez, vamos a conversar sobre “Flexible.”

Definición

El diccionario Merriam-Webster describe a una persona flexible como alguien que está listo y es capaz de adaptarse a diferentes circunstancias. Como rasgo de Lumina, ello se traduce como “fácil de tratar e informal.” Alguien flexible tiende a evitar alterarse cuando una reunión modifica su horario o ubicación o las prioridades cambian. Son capaces de “ir con el flujo.” El opuesto a ser flexible es ser estructurado. Recuerda, sin embargo, que estas cualidades son un continuo, y podemos movernos entre flexible y estructurado basados en una situación en particular.

Como demostrar flexible (en las 3 personas)

Cuando alguien es altamente flexible es su persona subyacente o más natural, tienden a evitar llevar la cuenta o protestar sobre quién se lleva el crédito. Saben que se puede lograr más cuando nadie se preocupa por quién obtiene las medallas. Esta es la persona que, cuando se le pregunta a dónde quiere ir a cenar, responde, “cualquier lugar está bien conmigo.” Son personas ligeras y poco demandantes.

Alguien que es flexible en su persona cotidiana (la forma de mostrarse en su trabajo) comprende que para llevar a cabo las cosas en el actual entorno laboral vertiginoso y dinámico necesita ser capaz de ajustar su enfoque rápidamente a medida que las cosas cambien. Consideran la perspectiva de otras personas y la complementan con sus propias ideas para crear soluciones conjuntas. Prefieren un estilo informal de trabajo ya que les permite mayor flexibilidad al enfrentar una fecha límite complicada o con prioridades cambiantes. Las personas flexibles tienden a llevarse bien con otras. Reconocen que así como hemos evolucionado en los alimentos que consumimos, la ropa que vestimos y las herramientas que utilizamos, necesitamos evolucionar en nuestra capacidad para ser flexibles. Un enfoque rígido no funciona en nuestro mundo de hoy. Es importante señalar que ser flexible no significa carecer de carácter. Significa tener conciencia situacional y la capacidad de adaptarse a lo que la situación dice que es inteligente, correcto sano y exitoso.

Como con todas las otras cualidades sobre las que hemos venido conversando, ser flexible bajo estrés puede convertirse en algo bastante diferente. En la persona sobre-extendida, la flexibilidad se convierte en algo caótico. Repentinamente la persona adaptada a situaciones inteligentes, correctas, sanas y exitosas se encuentra diciendo sí a todo. ¿Movernos en esta dirección? Sí. ¿Movernos en esta otra? Sí. ¿Quedarnos quietos? Sí. La flexibilidad extrema causa caos y confusión. A menudo esto trae como consecuencia enfocarnos en muchas cosas triviales en lugar de en pocas cosas vitales. El pensamiento 80/20. Por ejemplo, en ventas, el 20% de nuestras conductas (lo poco vital) generan el 80% de los resultados. Sin embargo, ¿cuántos de nosotros gastamos 80% de nuestro tiempo en las conductas y actividades (muy triviales) que desperdician tiempo y no contribuyen a nuestras metas? Bajo estrés – a fin de mes, trimestre, año – podemos ser flexibles en exceso en muchas cosas triviales a costa de pocas vitales. Caos.

Técnicas para ajustar Flexible hacia arriba o hacia abajo

El primer paso para ajustar flexible hacia arriba o hacia abajo – como sucede con cualquier otra cualidad conductual – es estar consciente de ello. Si necesitas ajustar flexible hacia arriba, aquí hay algunos consejos:

• Aprende a aceptar el cambio – debes saber que es inevitable
• Permanece dispuesto a explorar diferentes enfoques para una solución, diferentes opciones en una decisión
• Deja de lado tus emociones
• Escucha las ideas de otros
• Busca el lado positivo en una situación cambiante
• Acepta cuando algo está fuera de control

Si necesitas ajustar flexible hacia abajo, date cuenta de tus detonantes de estrés para evitar sobre-extenderte. Comprende que no manifestar una preferencia por un restaurante, o tomar un enfoque más estructurado para un proyecto puede resultar molesto para algunas personas. Establece algunas fronteras.

Comprendiendo y Relacionándote con otros Flexibles

Para construir compenetración y relacionarte con alguien que es flexible, solicita sus ideas e inclúyelas a menudo. No les digas que solo hay una opción. Ellos prefieren contar con varias alternativas con la flexibilidad de poder adaptarse a lo largo del camino.

“El cambio trae consigo oportunidad.” – Nido Qubein

We’ve all been to those movies that had a great opening (you’re excited, you’re anticipating good things to come…) a great middle (you’re focused, you’re engaged…) and then…a bad ending. And what do you remember? The bad ending.

The same can be said for client meetings. You can capture their attention with your opening, engage them during the middle, but if you don’t keep the momentum going with a solid close, your entire meeting will fall flat. People will remember what they hear last. That’s why attorneys usually want to be the last one in front of the jury.

So you’ve made the call. The close is when you move the ball. Here are the 4 keys steps to a good close.

1. Summarize the meeting. This is what the great sales professionals do. Review the agenda that you used to open the meeting. Confirm that you actually did what you said you were going to say, share and show.
2. Probe for agreement/clarification. Ask, did I miss anything? Did I understand your goals correctly?
3. Propose action/make a recommendation. You might say, “Based on what we’ve discussed and where we are, here are our next steps…”, or, “Based on what we’ve accomplished today, here’s what I see being the logical order of our next actions…”, or, “How do you think we need to move forward? I have some ideas, but first I’d like to hear from you.” This gives you and the client the opportunity to co-create next steps.
4. Probe for commitment. “Does that sound like a good way to move forward?” “Is that approach in alignment with what you are thinking?”

If you are able to go through these 4 steps at the end of every meeting it will help you move the ball by defining specific and mutual next steps.  Most of the time, sales professionals end up with all the action items. When this happens, the client doesn’t have any actions so their investment and commitment in the relationship is not that high. Your goal is to do things with the client rather than for the client. Action steps must be specific and mutual to ensure investment and commitment on both sides. When you have all the actions, you are more invested and committed. This may put you in a position to start giving things away because you don’t want to waste your efforts. It puts you at a negotiating disadvantage. Remember, you cannot acquiesce your way into a collaborative relationship.

If you don’t close the meeting with mutual and specific steps, closing the sale will be harder. It won’t be about the solution, it will be about the price. And that’s not a good place to be.

Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose,
Marcel

Sostén la Entrevista, Mueve la Pelota – Sugerencias para un Gran Cierre

Todos nosotros hemos visto esas películas con un gran inicio (estás emocionado y esperando que sucedan buenas cosas…) una gran parte media (estás enfocado e involucrado…) y luego…un mal desenlace. ¿Y qué recuerdas? El mal desenlace.

Lo mismo puede decirse de las reuniones con clientes. Puedes capturar su interés con tu apertura, involucrarlos a la mitad, pero si no mantienes dicho impulso con un cierre sólido, toda tu entrevista caerá de bruces. Las personas recordarán lo último que escucharon. Es por ello que los abogados generalmente son los últimos en aparecer frente al jurado.

Así que sostuviste la entrevista. El cierre es cuando mueves la pelota. Estos son los cuatro pasos clave para un buen cierre.

1. Resumir la entrevista. Esto es lo que hacen los grandes profesionales de ventas. Revisa la agenda que utilizaste para abrir la entrevista. Confirma que en realidad hayas hecho lo que dijiste que ibas a hacer, compartir y mostrar.
2. Pedir acuerdo/clarificación. Pregunta, ¿olvidé algo? ¿Comprendí sus metas de forma correcta?
3. Proponer acción/realizar una recomendación. Podrías comentar, “Basado en lo que hemos discutido y dónde nos encontramos, estos son nuestros siguientes pasos…”, o, “basado en lo que hemos logrado el día de hoy, esto es lo que veo como el orden lógico para nuestras siguientes acciones…”, o, “¿cómo piensa que debemos avanzar? Yo tengo algunas ideas, pero antes me gustaría escuchar las suyas.” Esto te proporciona a ti y al cliente la oportunidad de crear conjuntamente los siguientes pasos.
4. Pedir compromiso. “¿Esta suena como una buena forma para seguir adelante?” “¿El enfoque está alineado con lo que está pensando?”

Si eres capaz de seguir estos 4 pasos a la finalización de cada entrevista ello te ayudará a mover la pelota al definir siguientes pasos específicos y mutuos. La mayoría del tiempo, los profesionales de ventas terminan con todos los asuntos pendientes. Cuando esto sucede, el cliente no tiene ninguna acción por lo que su inversión y compromiso en la relación no es muy alta. Tu meta es hacer las cosas con el cliente en lugar de para él. Las acciones propuestas deben ser específicas y mutuas para garantizar inversión y compromiso en ambas partes. Cuando tú tienes que hacer todo, tu inversión y compromiso será mayor. Esto podría ponerte en una posición en la que tengas que comenzar a regalar cosas debido a que no quieres desperdiciar tus esfuerzos. Te coloca en una desventaja de negociación. Recuerda, no puedes someterte en una relación basada en colaboración.

Si no concluyes la entrevista con acciones mutuas y específicas, cerrar la venta será más complicado. No estarás hablando acerca de la solución sino de su precio. Y ese no es el mejor lugar en el que podrías estar.

In the Lumina work I do with teams, leaders and individuals, we look at 24 personality qualities. These are qualities that are a part of everyone’s personality. Qualities like “logical,” “cautious,” “spontaneous,” “sociable,” and others.  We each have all of these traits, but to different degrees, which makes us the complex, unique individuals we are.

This is the seventh in a series of articles about those 24 qualities – what they mean, what they look like, how to tune them up or tune them down, and how to recognize and adapt to them in others.

This time, let’s talk about “Adaptable.”

Definition of Adaptable

The dictionary defines adaptable as “able to adjust to a new condition.” Lumina builds on this definition in its set of 24 qualities to describe someone who is adaptable as “works in passionate bursts toward emerging goals.” To be adaptable is to embrace change, to not resist or halt effort as new goals emerge. Someone who is adaptable has the ability to think in terms of open-ended targets, allowing them to change plans to suit unexpected circumstances.

How you display Adaptable

If you are high in the quality adaptable in your underlying (or more natural) persona, you tend to take “dealing with ambiguity” in stride. Plans change. You may be disappointed, but you adjust. Your vacations don’t need to be planned hour-by-hour. You allow time for spontaneity and emerging opportunities that could not have been planned in advance. You tend not to be afraid of the unexpected.

In your everyday persona (how you show up at work) you are comfortable wearing multiple hats. When priorities change, as they so often do in today’s fast-paced environment, you are able to switch gears.  Even when it feels like you’re flying the plane while it’s still being built, you manage to assess, identify and gather the resources needed to stay aloft. You are collaborative. You know that it’s not about working harder or working smarter, it’s about working differently and working together. That’s the new frontier. Those lacking in the quality adaptable will have more difficulty in the new way of working.

As with all our qualities, under stress they can become “too much of a good thing.” This is the overextended persona. Adaptable in this persona becomes “unfocused.” Under stress you lose the ability to distinguish between what is important and what is urgent. Everything becomes a priority. You may think you’re being adaptable, but others see it as unfocused. There’s a cost to that. In people, in time, in money.

The challenge today is how we stay relevant when most of the things we’re running toward are ambiguous or emerging. That’s why adaptable is such a great quality.

Techniques to tune up or tune down Adaptable

To become more adaptable, allow yourself to listen to new and different approaches. Do so from the mindset that you reserve the right to be smarter tomorrow.  Worry less about being the best in the world, and more about what’s best for the world. Breathe in energy and breathe out stress.  Master your “discretionary effort.”  In other words, ask yourself “what am I willing to do extra to be more adaptable in this situation?”  Your being perceived as a hero or a headache is based on how adaptable you are willing to be when there’s a change in the situation.   To tune adaptable down, recognize your stress triggers to avoid becoming unfocused, and develop a process for determining what’s important, what’s urgent and what’s neither.  Remember circumstances do not make people they reveal people.  If you get squeezed with stress what is inside will come out regardless of who does the squeezing.

Understanding and connecting with others

To connect with someone who is adaptable, convey that you are open to their new ideas. Listen. Keep the purpose in front of the process. Why are we doing this? Too often we get carried away with the process (the how) and forget about the purpose (the why).  If you focus on and agree about the why, it’s easier to be adaptable on the how.

“A wise man adapts himself to circumstances, as water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it.” – Chinese proverb

Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose,

Marcel

Aprendiendo a Ir con la Corriente – Adaptable

En el trabajo de Lumina que llevo a cabo con equipos, líderes e individuos, estudiamos 24 diferentes cualidades. Estas forman parte de la personalidad de cualquiera. Cualidades como “lógico,” “precavido,” “espontáneo,” “sociable,” y otras. Todos contamos con estos rasgos, pero en diferentes grados, lo que nos convierte en los individuos únicos y complejos que somos.

Este es el séptimo de una serie de artículos sobre esas 24 cualidades – lo que significan, cómo se ven, la forma de ajustarlas hacia arriba o abajo y cómo reconocerlas y adaptarlas en otros.

Esta vez, vamos a conversar sobre “Adaptable.”

Definición

El diccionario define adaptable como “capaz de ajustarse a una nueva condición.” Lumina agrega a esta definición en su conjunto de 24 cualidades para describir a alguien que “trabaja en apasionadas ráfagas hacia metas emergentes.” Ser adaptable consiste en aceptar el cambio, no resistirse u obstaculizar esfuerzos a medida que surgen nuevas metas. Alguien que es adaptable posee la capacidad para pensar en términos de objetivos abiertos, permitiéndoles cambiar planes para adaptarlos a circunstancias inesperadas.

Cómo demostrar adaptable (en las 3 personas)

Si tienes una alta adaptabilidad en tu persona subyacente (la más natural), tiendes a avanzar a grandes zancadas al “enfrentar la ambigüedad.” Los planes cambian. Puedes estar decepcionado, pero te vas a adaptar. Tus vacaciones no necesitan planearse hora-por-hora. Permites tiempo para la espontaneidad y las oportunidades emergentes que no pudieron ser planeadas por anticipado. Tiendes a no tener miedo ante lo inesperado.

En tu persona cotidiana (la forma en que te presentas al trabajo) te sientes a gusto utilizando múltiples sombreros. Cuando las prioridades cambian, tal y como sucede en el actual entorno vertiginoso, eres capaz de cambiar velocidades. Incluso cuando sientes como si estuvieras volando un avión que aún está en construcción, logras evaluar, identificar y obtener los recursos necesarios para mantenerte en vuelo. Colaboras con otros. Sabes que no se trata de trabajar más duro o más inteligentemente, sino de trabajar de forma diferente y en equipo. Esa es la nueva frontera. Aquellos que carezcan de la cualidad de la adaptabilidad enfrentarán más dificultades en la nueva forma de trabajar.

Como sucede con todas nuestras cualidades, bajo estrés este tipo de personas se convierten en “demasiado de una cosa buena.” Esta es la persona sobre-extendida. Adaptable en esta persona se convierte en “desenfocado.” Bajo estrés pierdes la capacidad para distinguir entre lo importante y lo urgente. Todo se convierte en una prioridad. Puedes pensar que eres adaptable, pero otras personas lo ven como fuera de foco. Existe un costo implícito en ello tanto en personas, tiempo y dinero.

El reto hoy en día consiste en mantenernos relevantes cuando la mayoría de las cosas que estamos persiguiendo son ambiguas o emergentes. Es por ello que adaptable es una gran cualidad.

Técnicas para ajustar Adaptable hacia arriba o hacia abajo

Para ser más adaptable, date la oportunidad de escuchar enfoques nuevos y diferentes. Hazlo con la mentalidad de que tienes el derecho de ser más inteligente mañana. Preocúpate menos por ser el mejor del mundo, y más por ser lo mejor para el mundo. Inhala energía y exhala estrés.  Domina tu “esfuerzo discrecional.” En otras palabras, pregúntate “¿qué extra estás dispuesto a dar para ser más adaptable en la situación?” El que tú seas percibido como un héroe o un dolor de cabeza depende de qué tanto estás dispuesto a adaptarte cuando haya un cambio en la situación. Para ajustarte hacia abajo, reconoce los detonantes de estrés para evitar quedar fuera de foco y desarrolla un proceso para determinar qué es importante, qué es urgente, y qué no es ninguna de las dos. Recuerda que las circunstancias no hacen a las personas sino que las revelan. Si eres oprimido por el estrés aquello que está dentro de ti saldrá sin importar quién sea el opresor.

Comprendiendo y Relacionándote con otros Adaptables

Para relacionarte con alguien que sea adaptable, comunica que estás abierto a sus nuevas ideas. Escucha. Mantén el propósito al frente del proceso. ¿Por qué estamos haciendo esto? A menudo nos dejamos llevar por el proceso (el cómo) y nos olvidamos del propósito (el qué). Si te enfocas y estás de acuerdo sobre el qué, será más sencillo poder adaptarte al cómo.

 “Un hombre sabio se adapta a sí mismo a las circunstancias, tal y como el agua se adapta al recipiente que la contiene.” – Proverbio chino