Become a Mean, Lean, De-Cluttering Machine!

It’s the silent killer. It sneaks casually into your house or office, creeps in and over all your loved possessions, suffocates them, and converts your space into a storage unit. What is it?

It’s clutter. When the current state of your home or office is dangling on your last nerve, it’s tempting to launch an all-out attack in the war against clutter.

Upon reaching the conclusion that is time to implement some Lean Concepts in your own home or office starting with Sorting and Sifting, you might want to consider your MBTI and your natural preferences for gathering data and making decisions. To effectively de-clutter, you must be able to 1) observe the details of the present and the reality of the clutter, (Extroverted Sensing), and 2) logically determine what to do with the clutter (Extroverted Thinking.)

For example, you begin the de-cluttering process with Sorting. The idea is that you sort items into different piles with labels such as “Keep”, “Donate” or “Sell”. This process requires mental functions of being “in the moment”, observing the item, perhaps noticing that you have more than one of the same item, for example, six backgammon sets in the closet. You must briefly examine the shirt, pair of shoes, statue, candle or piece of jewelry.

The next step in the process is using your Extroverted Thinking (logical analysis) to determine if you keep, donate or sell. Asking the right logical questions keeps the process moving forward.

· Do you have more than one of the item?
· Is there one in better condition?
· When is the last time you used/or wore it?
· Is it valuable?
· Does it have an expiration date?
· Is there a significant possibility you would use it the next year?
Key word is “significant” meaning “highly probable” using actual data. And so on.

Where we get into trouble is when our Intuiting functions start creeping into the activity. Our Intuiting functions help us brainstorm and see possibilities. Examples of this creep might be “We have eight checkerboards! I can see us having a Checkers party! Gosh wouldn’t that be great fun!”, “That 6 inch piece of curtain trim has a use. I can see it on a pillow or a Christmas stocking!” or even “I’m saving that five year old cork wreath for something. I just don’t know what yet but ideas come to me all the time!”
Other potential enemies of de-cluttering can be Introverted Sensing and Introverted Feeling. Introverted Sensing or “recalling the past” initiates the sentiment surrounding an object. Introverted Feeling is a person’s strong internal value system such as belief in efficiency, managing resources and money that may prevent someone from making a logical decision in the de-clutter process.

De-cluttering can not only be a productive exercise to create a more pleasing and efficient home or work environment but also a wonderful exercise to develop your mental functions. If either Extroverted Sensing or Extroverted Thinking is not one of your four most natural preferences in your MBTI toolbox, then try grief de-cluttering exercises to develop these functions.

To test yourself, go into a room. Get into the “moment”. Think about how easy or difficult it is to be “in the present”, manage details, examine, count. Does the very thought of schlogging through the clutter zap your energy or give you energy? Does answering the tough, logical questions tire you or empower you? Can you “shake off” the urge to brainstorm or relive the past so you can move forward with the de-cluttering process?

If your “mess” goes beyond clutter, perhaps to hoarding or over-buying, you might want to consider a professional organizer. But consider reframing de-cluttering as a personal development opportunity instead of a chore. A personal opportunity to discover, develop and achieve a personal environment that promotes relaxation as well as give you energy to meet your daily challenges and beyond.

Good luck!

What's in YOUR Toolkit - Bringing Type Into the 21st Century

ISTJ. ENTP. ENFJ. ISTP. Sound familiar?

Perhaps you completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) assessment in years past – answered all the paired statements and came up with a type code that stated you were an ESTJ and perfectly armed for the director role you were assuming. Or perhaps it gave you one more “label” to arm yourself with to better understand your personality –and defend it.

But what exactly do all those letters mean and how do they apply to the 21^st century? Specifically, how does the MBTI ® apply to workforce dynamics, managing change, teamwork and delivering great customer service?

The MBTI ® is the foundation of your personality – your code that shares your natural preferences and your areas for development. Think of your code as exactly that – a series of eight functions and energies that define how you prefer to gather information, how you prefer to make decisions and respond, how you prefer to gain energy and how you prefer to work in the world around you.

But, just because you have a natural preference or strength for one function, such as Brainstorming (Extroverted Intuition), does not prevent you from developing one of your least natural preferences to enhance your competencies, and your success at work. Sometimes there may be a clash between natural preferences and what is required of the person in the job.

For example, the job may require a person to engage the customer in a “loyalty” experience – creating a “memorable moment” that is cemented by a variety of factors hinged on approachability, warmth, empathy, connecting, and expressing understanding and compassion. Creating this type of experience calls on one of the eight mental functions, Extroverted Feeling, to make this happen. We all have a Type “Toolkit” with eight boxes of tools. Extroverted Feeling is all about harmony, creating relationships and being aware of others’ needs. We all have Extroverted Feeling in our Type toolkit. Only some people may have it in the #1 box in the tool kit, and it is easy to access at a moment’s notice. Others may have it in the #5, or lower box, and it may not be as easy to reach and call on when the situation arises. Because it is in the lower, least used box, it may be uncomfortable to use and may need developing through thoughtful exercises, demonstrations and activities.

Let’s go to the team.

Ever wonder why a team is just not “getting it?”

Example: A team of healthcare members is required to change to a new quality improvement approach. The new approach includes adjusting to change, leaving the “old, tried and true” way of doing business, and embracing a new, rapid cycle process for brainstorming ideas, implementing and testing results. All the cheerleading, motivation and threats in the world may not increase participation in the change if the majority of team members’ natural preferences for idea generation and brainstorming are in the least used, lower boxes of the Type “toolkit”. Structured training, development, coaching, mentoring, recognizing and rewarding idea generation and brainstorming must be included in the initiative to hardwire the use of these least used “tools” for the initiative to be successful.

Discovering and developing type functions is an opportunity for individuals, teams and leaders to enhance personal and work effectiveness, achieve business objectives and career success. Organizations such as Southwest Airlines have implemented the MBTI across and down the organizational strata to strengthen teams, improve communications and provide their leaders a better method of developing their people.

Ongoing Type development and application to decision making, managing conflict, and interpersonal communication, among other applications, can not only jumpstart individuals, teams and leaders through self-awareness, but also provide a foundation for self-management in an ever-changing world. How might your team be empowered and transformed with better understanding of themselves as individuals, and as integral team contributors?

Mindful Development - Experiencing the "Now"

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of “mindfulness” - calm awareness of one's body functions, feelings, content of consciousness, or consciousness itself. Buddhists hold that over 2500 years ago, Buddha provided guidance on establishing Mindfulness, or the action of bringing one's awareness to focus on experience within the mind at the present moment.

I became involved with Mindfulness in the early 90s when managing rehabilitation programs. At the time, cardiac and pulmonary rehab programs were researching and testing Mindfulness for managing stress and relaxation. Two decades ago it was a bit “new age” but the concept has definitely come into its own in the 21st century.

It’s been difficult to master – in fact, I wouldn’t say I have mastered it all yet. But I try several times a week to practice it, especially while training for the Livestrong Bike Challenge - observing the changes in my cadence, what happens to my leg fatigue when I change gears, what parts of my legs fatigue, or improvements in pace in different positions.

Why might Mindfulness be particularly challenging for an ENFJ like me?

“Mindfulness” is about being in the moment. It’s letting go in the mind our “internal chatter” or thoughts and paying close attention to the present experience. It’s being in the “now.” From a Type perspective it’s using Extroverted Sensing – experiencing the world using the five senses. Extroverted Sensing is the third most natural function for the ENFJ type code. Sometimes I think I am pretty good at it, but as my husband says, I’m not always paying attention! My mind is buzzing forward, connecting concepts and ideas using my Introverted Intuition.

Mindfulness does not have to be constrained to a formal meditation session. It’s an activity that can be done at any time, does not require sitting or focusing on the breath. Rather, it’s simply realizing what is happening in the present moment, just “noticing” the mind’s usual “commentary” but not reacting and being mindful of the sensations of the moment. For example, enjoying the hummingbird feasting on your flowery shrub, the sensation of your feet while walking on grass or if you exercise in the early morning, intently listening for the first bird to chirp good morning.

One of the most frequently cited Mindfulness activities is the Listening activity. Partner with another person and sit facing one another. One person talks for a few minutes while the other person listens while looking into the eyes of the speaker. The person speaking can speak of matters profound or mundane, it isn’t important. What is important is that the person listening fully listens and doesn’t interrupt the speaker.

After a few minutes, roles are switched and the person who listened is now the speaker, and the person who was the speaker is now the listener. Again, as the speaker talks, the other person listens with all their attention. Once you are done with the exercise, take turns discussing how it felt to be listened to, and to have listened. Usually when people have a conversation, listening is done on a half-hearted basis. The person listening often is drifting off and thinking of other things, or is gearing up to interrupt the speaker by saying something, whether related to the conversation or not.

Our lives are on speed-dial and we do so much without thinking. Our actions our on auto-pilot, at work, at home and at play. Many jobs also require the ability to gather information accurately using the five senses, observe and record. If you need to develop your Extroverted Sensing function to improve personal or work effectiveness, consider practicing Mindfulness as one of many activities to develop this function.