This month we are featuring a post from guest blogger, Daniela Hodges. If you are interested in writing for The Fit Blog, contact info@thematchfit.com.
In this time of quarantine, many people have taken to social media to share their quarantine dreams and lament over their ever changing sleep schedules. I am one of those people, and I am sure that, for me, anxiety is the culprit. It is not uncommon to find it difficult to silence your mind before bed. For some it may mean wondering about a plot hole in a book or planning your next trip to the grocery store, but for me, it is usually a montage of my greatest failures (or what I perceive to be failures). As the scenes were acted out, I wondered why I was stuck thinking about the same situations over and over again. After 41 sleepless quarantine nights, I have connected the dots thanks to my MatchFIT assessment results!
Experimenting with new and efficient methods can take some trust and patience. There is a certain amount of risk in trying something new, and it may not always work out. Without proper feedback, the opportunity may take longer to grow into a strength.
My Workplace Cultural Preferences indicate that I value innovative and creative workplaces with fellow exacting and procedural colleagues in a tolerant and receptive environment. This not only speaks to my preferred workplace, but also reflects my strengths in a group setting. At my core, I love fixing things and creating or streamlining processes. Experimenting with new and efficient methods can take some trust and patience. There is a certain amount of risk in trying something new, and it may not always work out. Without proper feedback, the opportunity may take longer to grow into a strength. I take the same approach to personal and professional growth. Lining up with my Enneagram Type 1 personality, I feel most fulfilled when I am bettering myself. You may be wondering why performance is not in my top three WCPs. The description of the values themselves answers this question.
I would rather have an open discussion analyzing my mistakes to help eliminate errors than rewards and recognition. Don’t get me wrong, I think everyone needs at least a nice sprinkle of personalized attention for a job well done. I cannot speak for everyone with similar values but lasting, successful results are reward enough for me. As they say, the proof is in the pudding.
Not only is feedback essential, but when done correctly, it will certainly provide positive results. Knowing when and how your employees like to receive it is vital. I always jump at the chance to ask for feedback. It allows me to understand my leaders or colleagues better and opens a door to a new perspective, which leads to improved performance. In the past, I have seen many superiors nervous to give feedback when the opportunity arises. In order to bridge this gap, I think supervisors can observe how employees receive communications. When do they respond best to you? What are their motivators? How do you demonstrate your objectivity and fairness? How do you show not only your tolerance, but your receptiveness? Feedback systems can be just as complex as reward systems.
Turning failures into opportunities has always been a healthy coping mechanism, so why is this anxiety catching me before bed? During my furlough and job instability, my career in tourism has been weighing heavy on my mind. I have recognized that worrying about my career path is not constructive, so instead I have been subconsciously reevaluating past situations to prepare myself for change. While considering my WCPs, I realized that they were situations that I never got to improve because of limited time or being unaware of the opportunity – hence the anxiety. In this time of uncertainty, be supportive of those who are looking to better themselves. Maybe your employee or colleague is continuing their education, or perhaps will need to reenter the job market. Providing honest and constructive feedback to those who value similar WCPs might help them sleep at night. And if you have none, a glowing recommendation would come in handy!
About the Author
Daniela lives in the Orlando area and has worked in the entertainment and tourism industry for almost ten years. If she is not busy being a tourist herself, you can find her at home with her husband and dogs with her nose in a book.