Gary Smalley created a personality test that uses the analogy of 4 animals and their traits. By seeing each other in this light you can better understand where a person is coming from. By knowing how they think and act according to Smalley’s use of animal traits, you can actually reduce conflict and turmoil in the office. Here are my quick references to these 4 animals and one central trait that will help you even more in identifying them.
Otter – does not care at all for detail unless someone else is doing it. My first pastor was an otter through and through. I stopped by his house one time to pick him up to carpool to an event and noticed his yard work. The yard was mowed and looked nice and green except when you looked down the driveway and sidewalk the edging job was chopped up and looked crooked as a snake! Otters just want the job done no matter how it looks!
Beaver – lives for detail and order! When I was younger and raising three kids, we took many long trips on vacations. I would make a copy of a map showing the route, cut it out, and glue it to a piece of small cardboard. Then I would highlight the route in yellow so when the kids asked over and over “are we there yet?” I just handed them the map. Come on, you never did that? Beavers straighten things on a person’s desk while talking to them and will not realize it.
Lion – runs over people and never even realized what they did. The food service lady at one of the churches I served at was a Lion alright. During a Christmas event the members were standing in the cold outside the Fellowship Hall waiting to get in for our Christmas Eve Service. The staff were in another building directing people to start out the evening in FSH not knowing the Food Service lady was roaring to the people they WERE NOT coming in until she was ready for them come in. Lions roar at the wrong time and the wrong place, but have a reason! What was she thinking?
Golden Retriever – takes abuse from the other animals and does not mind it. The Golden Retriever just loves to serve and help people and overlooks their inadequacies and is always smiling. I had a Recreation Associate that I nicknamed “Sunshine” because no matter what, she smiled and loved everyone. You could be teasing them and ask them to run around the block and make sure your car is ok in the parking lot and they would say, OK. Gotta love em!
If you have never given your office this test by all means do it and have fun with it. Not only is it fun but it really helps in team work.
Comments? Discussion?
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