It's a jungle out there

The other day, a good friend of mine called me a classic lion. Luckily, I knew what he was talking about. Later, I was curious about other people’s perceptions about my personality, so I asked staff writer Kelli about the name calling. She took one look at the list, shook her head and said that I was more beaverlike.

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Before you think I’ve eaten one too many animal crackers, the beasts in these references represent two of the characters in the children’s book “The Treasure Tree.”

In the book, four animals (a lion, a golden retriever, an otter and a beaver) work together and learn about one another while solving a riddle. The animals realize that each of them needs the other to accomplish a task. Aww. Now before you dismiss it all as New Age hooey meant for 5-year-olds, dig a little deeper.

There’s a little otter in all of us

Each animal on the journey has a tagline based on personality traits. The lion likes to lead, is good at making decisions and is very goal-oriented. The otter is a very social creature who loves people and influencing others. The golden retriever is very loyal and is good at making and keeping friends. The beaver is organized and exacting.

It would be incomplete to use this cookie-cutter method as a total personality analysis. But it’s easy to see where your basic traits fall so that you can compare them to other people’s to help to understand them better.

For example, my beaver-ness cannot fathom why my otter-ly writer doesn’t remember the difference between effect and affect. My otter-ly writer could care less as long as the story captivates and moves the reader.

I’m sure you run into these creatures and situations all of the time in your workplace. You have the fun-loving otters who make your products shine in front of customers. The authoritative lions who take charge of any challenges that confront them. The reliable golden retrievers who perfectly graft tree after tree. The orderly beavers who make sure you have enough inventory to meet customers’ demands.

But, are the personality types aware of one another and do they appreciate the other’s strong points? If your golden retrievers think the pushy lions are too bossy, work may come to a standstill. If the otters perceive that the perfectionist beavers are taking too long to supply them with goods, nothing will be accomplished.

If each beast understands the other’s perspective, you’re on your way to running one happy zoo.

Make it easy

Chances are, telling an employee that he’s as reliable as a golden retriever is going to go over better than calling him an ESTJ (from the Myers & Briggs rating system). Use the animal tool as a way to bridge gaps in the menagerie, not to put people in cages and isolate certain types from one another.

Maybe it’s time to sit down and have story time with your employees.

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- Jyme Mariani

April 2008