• Wasted Effort
• Major Mistakes
• Lost Opportunities
• Unresolved Differences
• Excessive Stress
"My way or your way?
Be reasonable-do it my way!"
Sound familiar? The my-way-or-your-way
conflict is the most tension-producing, dissatisfying,
time-wasting, energy-draining, relationship-breaking
activity known to man, woman or child. The loss of productivity
that goes with it sometimes slips by unnoticed. We seldom
record, or even become aware of, the time and energy
drain from the organizational perspective, although
we may be acutely aware of our own individual stress
in a given situation.
This loss of productivity due to unresolved
differences is just one example of the five enemies
of human productivity. Put all five together, view them
from the organizational perspective, and the unnoticed
individual trickles of lost productivity can become
a raging river swiftly eroding that most important bottom
line - profits.
Productivity, in LIFO® terms, is defined
as the full use of one's own strengths and uniqueness
in relation to the full use of the strengths and uniqueness
of others. When the strength and uniqueness of all are
being acknowledged, when people's differences and similarities
are being managed to reach a common goal, it can be
said that an individual, pair, or group is productive.
If people are to have the energy to build a "productive
orientation" in Fromm's terms, or to "self-actualize"
themselves, in Maslow's terms, then they must learn
to cope with the problems described as the five enemies
of productivity.
This is the mission of LIFO® Training,
to encourage progressive mastery over these five blocks
to human productivity and self-actualization. LIFO®
Training tells us about our own preferred styles, our
strengths, and how to maximize them. But it also teaches
us that all four styles can be used unproductively as
well as productively. And that this can happen under
favorable conditions as well as in conflict or under
stress.
Let's consider the five enemies for a
moment.
Enemy #1: Wasted effort from overdoing
tasks and assignments, and doing what is not necessary.
How easy it is, even when things are going along fine,
for the Supporting/ Giving concern for excellence to
slip into seeking perfection that is not really required
in the situation. Or for the Controlling/Taking person
to initiate tasks that aren't really necessary but demonstrate
his strengths, thus reassuring himself and reminding
others of what he brings to the party! Each style has
its own ways of wasting effort.
Enemy #2: Major mistakes caused
by missing information and limited perspective on plans
and decisions.
It's so easy for the Adaptive/Dealing person to want
to smooth conflict over so quickly that some critical
facts never get brought to attention. And the Conserving/Holding
person, with his usual valid concern for the facts,
may overlook the basic fact that sometimes action has
to be taken immediately or there may be no point in
taking action at all! The very strengths of our preferred
styles, in combination with blind spots from our least
preferred style, can cause us all to make mistakes.
Enemy #3: Lost opportunity when
available options are screened out by blind spots.
Speaking of blind spots, each style has them. A least-preferred
style of Conserving/Holding may cause us to overlook
the potential value of an old product or procedure;
or a person with Controlling/Taking as the least-preferred
style may overlook opportunities to advance his position,
suddenly finding that others are in charge of the situation,
dominating it.
Enemy #4: Unresolved differences
in key relationships, creating continuous competition
over whose way is the better way.
Each style has its own view of what is the best way
to do things. Because our views are based on our life
perspective, we can become very tenacious about them.
Unless we feel the other person is considering our point
of view, we can waste time and energy arguing, with
neither person really listening to what the other is
saying. Or, perhaps worse yet, we don't argue, but just
don't wholeheartedly support or activate another persons
plans or ideas!
Enemy #5: Excessive stress which
wears down vitality and alienates people from their
own power and each other.
Fortunately, our excesses are an early warning signal
of trouble. Our excesses÷those exaggerated uses
of our strengths and styles÷are there to warn
us of pending trouble! LIFO® Training can teach
us to recognize them before any personal alienations
or physical by-products of stress are produced.
LIFO® Training is designed to help us live and work
better with our differences. It helps us make more sense
to ourselves and each other and in so doing it reduces
misunderstandings and conflict and helps us combat the
five enemies of productivity. It can replace frustration
and excess with productivity and satisfaction. It accomplishes
this by helping people identify, understand, appreciate,
and fully utilize their strengths.
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