My “I” style

As I sit waiting for a meeting with one of my new clients I have a quiet moment to reflect the first month of #projectFOW, the journey that the team from wattsnext are embarking on over the next 12 months to see if the Future of Work is indeed what we think it is going to be – ‘third space’ workplaces, working within your energy zones and the needs of our clients.

Last month I spoke of the challenges that I had already faced a couple of weeks in; planning my days, my parking and my Wi-Fi needs and the psychological changes that had come with working in remote work spaces.

These adjustments have come fairly naturally as I chameleon into this space but what I am finding is the social adjustment is somewhat of a challenge for me.

At wattsnext we undertake Extended DISC assessments for our clients.  DISC is a behavioural assessment tool that we use to maximise the communication and performance of teams within business.

The DISC model identifies four behavioural styles an individual can identify with:

• D-Style (Dominance);
• I-Style (Influence);
• S-Style (Steadiness); and
• C-Style (Compliance).

As a team, wattsnext has also undertaken Extended DISC so we understand our communication styles, our motivators, de-motivators and stressors.  I am predominately an ‘I’ style; a people person, social barometer, networker and people pleaser.  What can stress me is social isolation which can be a BIG issue when it comes to working remotely.

Recently this has become another part of my adjustment to #projectFOW as I seek my social needs within my work space.  When you are not working closely in a traditional ‘office’ environment your social interactions can diminish and for an ‘I’ style this could be problematic so I need to adjust to ensure that I am getting what I need personally out of my role, not just from a professional development point of view.

To support this, wattsnexters currently use the ‘JobVibe’ app which is OK to keep us connected but a little limiting.  Shortly, we will be transitioning over to ‘Slack’ to help us stay more united, and have started to use ‘Zoom’ to call in for regular meetings so, whilst we are not necessarily sitting next to each other, we can see everyone and there is a social connection.   I am also consciously making time to meet with my colleagues through regular phone calls, coffee catch ups and kitchen meetings to keep my ‘I’ style satisfied which is a must if I am going to remain energised and motivated during the next 12 months.

Having an understanding of myself, my motivators and stressors is instrumental to support me personally, as well as my career, role and my adjustment to #projectFOW.

I continue to look forward to the next stage of the journey.