So I'm a Dog

Our association held a workshop for senior pastors and staff led by Trish Cloud of Pastors Coaching Network. Before the workshop, we took an online personality style evaluation (with which some readers may be familiar) based on the DiSC analysis. The premise is that by understanding my personality makeup and that of those around me, we will be able to maximize each other's strengths and cover for each other's weaknesses. What it does is to help describe personality tendencies and how those play out in interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships.

The way it boils down is this:

• D = Dominant = Lion = "Power" - How you accept problems and challenges
• i = Influencer = Otter = "Popular" - How you will accept new people and information
• S = Steady = Golden Retriever = "Peaceful" - How you accept change and pace
• C = Cautious = Beaver = "Perfect" - How you will accept established procedures and rules

Here's how I scored:

• Lion - 5%
• Otter - 73%
• Golden Retriever - 100%
• Beaver - 82%

I find it interesting that our other full-time pastoral staff member is 100% on the Golden Retriever scale as well. Our senior pastor is 100% on both the Lion and Otter scales. What an interesting mix we have. We are planning on having our other two staff ministers to take the analysis as well, then have a lively discussion on how this impacts our working relationships. (Incidentally, I think the lovely wife is a Lion/Beaver.)

According to the analysis, the talents and strengths I bring to the team are:

• Adaptable
• Patient and Empathetic
• Flexible
• Good at reconciling factions -- calming and add stability
• Turns confrontation into positives
• Dependable team player
• Will gather data for decision-making
• Builds good relationships

The analysis generates a 26-page report with all kinds of useful information. Why am I blogging about this? Well, according to the StrengthsFinder (another instrument we took but did very little with in the workshop), writing is a useful tool in at least one of my top 5 strength areas:

1. Intellection
2. Input
3. Learner
4. Ideation
5. Connectedness

I'm not giving you the whole 26 pages, but I will bore you with one final insight ... and perhaps the most useful one of the workshop. According to the report (which is fairly accurate):

• I usually see myself as being considerate, good natured, team player, thoughtful, dependable, good listener.
• Under moderate pressure, tension, stress or fatigue, others may see me as being nondemonstrative, unconcerned, hesitant, inflexible.
• And, under extreme pressure, stress or fatigue, others may see me as being possessive, detached, stubborn, insensitive.

I had some other thoughts on the leadership front concerning this analysis that I will reserve for another time.

That's enough to think about for now.