Managing Our Strengths

I learned several years ago from Dr. Allan Kathcher, a well known psychologist and co-author of the LIFO Orientation process, that overdoing our personal strengths results in most of our weaknesses. His counsel was to stay on the productive side of our behaviors and avoid going to the deep end of excess. Example: being supportive is a strength; being too-giving is a weakness. As a student of his process, I came to appreciate his insights and used them as guides for my own development.

While attending the UCLA Executive Program in Management, years later, I had the opportunity to learn from another well known psychologist and author -- Dr. Ichak Adizes. His message was similar. He had identified 4 critical roles that management performs in an organization. These four roles, when done in excess or overdone, become arch-types (weaknesses). He called them mismanagement styles. Here are the four roles described by Adizes:

The producer role is key to the organization's success. Done to an excess though the producer can become a lone ranger pursuing his/her own agenda with disregard of the collective goal.

As an administrator, the role is concerned for details and organization -- essentials to productivity. Done in excess people become bureaucrats and defeat the very purpose they are trying to achieve -- efficiency and streamlining -- by creating obstacles and hurdles that do not advance the need for speed and agility.

Every organization needs an appropriate dose of entrepreneurial behavior. Entrepreneurs can create challenging environments, facilitate innovative thinking, and nurture risk taking. Done to an excess, entrepreneurs can become arsonists. They do not know when to stop. They also often surround themeselves with claques or sycophants.

The integrator role is essential to organizational growth. The bigger the organization gets, the more complex it becomes. To an excess, integrators become superfollowers and can be perceived as spies for senior management. Over time OD professionals whose primary responsibility is to faciliate integration and alignment can fall into this trap and become distrusted.

I have been told and I have come to accept the notion that we are defined by our strengths, not by our weaknesses. Knowing what they are helps us do more of what works for us and less of what does not. Overdoing what works for us is triggered by the stress that comes from opposition or perceived indifference by others. Extending our strengths and blending them are worthwhile developmental strategies.

Think about ways to stay effective and minimize ways that stray into undesirable territory. Remember that excess is often triggered by stress. Learn how to manage fear and perceived threats.

Enjoy the ride along the learning curve. It is a lot of fun and it keeps you young.