Personal
Balance Sheet
My personal balance sheet:
My distinctive strengths:
I am a person who is not afraid to get my hands dirty. It is not my saying and I do not know who to cite,
I would not ask my people to do anything I would not do. If I have a team that is unsure of what to
do, that does not know how to do, or does not have enough hands to do a task I will
be the first to assist. I will illustrate what to do, discuss the best way to
do, or roll up my sleeves and help you.
We are a team. My people appreciate
that level of involvement. My peers
respect me for it. My boss likes that I
have that kind of rapport with my people.
If I have to get my hands dirty a second time on the same task with the
same crew, it is not nearly as fun having me show or tell.
I am a person who remains calm and able to think in pressure
situations. Any situation really. I do not allow to fall into drama or gossip
situations. I never really saw this as a
strength until I saw what happens when people do not remain calm. My superiors recognized this in me. It generally made me available for critical special
certifications like downgrade authority.
Changing someone else’s grounding or safety of flight discrepancy
normally at the disapproval of the person who wrote the job up. I did this once my whole career. I also had authority to approve/authorize a
one -time flight to home station or depot repair facility I did this more than
I liked.
I am a person who communicates well with his people. I had to learn this. Listening attentively is important. Sometimes hearing what is not said is more
important than what is said.
My potential strengths:
Coaching is a thing of beauty when you observe a skilled coach at
work. Sounds so natural, it flows so
smoothly, and it concludes gracefully.
Then it is my turn. Sometimes, I
cannot complete a sentence much less transition from topic to topic.I have had
really good sessions on a couple of occasions./a few bad sessions like I described
. But, most sessions are just okay. They
have their moments but are mostly uninspiring.
I could not determine anything significantly different between any of
the sessions. I think this is a crucial
skill for leaders now and in the future.
The focus on development will soon make it the tool of choice. I believe If I went through a couple of
sessions with a skilled coach, I would be able to put it all together. My peers tell me I am too hard on myself. I
did not hear them say you’re good give yourself break. So, the truth I would interpret
is I am not very good and I am hard on myself.
My enduring dispositions:
Near the end of the shift or on slow days (when people are hoping to
go home) I would engage my team in a game of armchair troubleshooting. I always got the same reaction. My game was not popular at first. The guys pick a system normally from incomplete
training requirements. I would describe a
set of symptoms and they would go into the books and locate the theory, wiring
diagrams, and procedures they would perform.
If they were on the right track, they would tell me what they would do. I would tell them which procedures passed and
which ones failed until they could tell me which part they thought was
bad.
I started this because the guys had been sent home early so much
that they would be mad if there was work to do.
They got used to it and expected to go home the moment there was a lull
in the action. Then we would go to the
plane to work and they could not follow the books to isolate problems. My game kept them in the books and at work. Within two weeks morale and spirits were
higher and the guys were getting pretty good using the books, which accounted
for half of their troubleshooting problems.
In the end, my team could fix airplanes and not complain about having to
do so.
My weaknesses:
Conflict. I am not good at
conflict whether I am in the middle of it or mediating it, conflict creates anxiety
for me. If I am breaking it up I will tell
them to stop behaving like children and give them a solution. Conflict resolved. Some conflict is healthy and
can resolve problems, generate new ideas, or result in compromise. I do not know why it affects me this way, it
could be the face to face intensity or the anticipation that something bad is
about to happen. I would rather break up
an all-out fistfight. I want to improve on this weakness to manage healthy
conflict and I should not have that kind of reaction anyway.
My weakness I want to change:
I have a difficult time developing new relationships because I get
nervous or shy or both. When I do I seize
up, avoid eye contact, and stay quiet. I
have always been this way. To me it
feels like I am retreating into a nonexistent shell. To them it looks like I am put out by having
to meet them or I am better than them. I
want to change this. Conscious breathing
has helped a little. Forcing myself to
stay in the moment has helped too but it is uncomfortable. I am hoping that eases over time.
Enduring dispositions that reduce my effectiveness:
Attention to detail is an issue that interferes with my
leadership. It is interpreted as being
picky or distrust. I see it as wanting
to make things perfect. This thinking is
flawed because I cannot achieve the standard I am holding them to. I have almost broken away from this habit but
my brain keeps telling me I need to. When
it stops, I will be able to claim victory.
Like most people my balance sheet usually needs attention. I move one item and there is always something
to take its place
.
~Pete
Reference:
McKee, A., Boyatzis, R., & Johnston, F. (2008). Becoming a resonant leader: Develop your
emotional intelligence, renew your relationships, sustain your effectiveness.
Boston, Massachusetts. Harvard Business School Publishing,
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