Forums

I just posted in another discussion, so I suppose I ought to post something here as well.

  • Career/professional

    I work as a one-man web team for a family-owned company that operates a chain of about 100 stores spread across six states. I have over 15 years of IT-type experience, including programming and database work as well as web development.

    While working here, I have completed a long-delayed bachelor's degree and an MBA in preparation for moving into a less hands-on role. I'd rather be thinking about what to do and why to do it than worrying over all the coding specifics of how it gets done.

    So far, the biggest hurdle in my finding that new role is my lack of previous experience managing direct reports. I do plenty of cross-functional stuff, but I'm a "director" with no directs.

  • Experience with Manager Tools

    I had seen recommendations about Manager Tools in other places online, but I only started listening to the podcasts a couple of weeks ago. I subscribed to both Manager Tools and Career Tools through iTunes, and I've been listening to Career Tools ever since. I've listened to about 70 of the podcasts, and I'm impressed with the clear usefulness of the recommendations. I'm re-examining my resume prep now based on some of what I've heard so far, and I know there's so much more to hear.

    I completed the DISC assessment yesterday, and I've seen that some people list their profile in their signature and some don't. Is there a preference, or is that just a question of how self-disclosing people are? My profile seems accurate, but I'm not exactly proud of it. :)

  • Personal

    I share the rest of my life with my wife, two kids, and four cats. I enjoy reading history (often military history) and collecting fountain pens. Yes, I work on a computer all day and fill my fountain pens from a bottle.

I look forward to learning even more from Mark and Mike in the podcasts and from all of you here in the forums. As you see here, I can be wordy.

(The username is a fountain pen reference. I prefer flexible fine nibs.)

stevesim's picture

The only place I list my DiSC profile in my signature is on this site where I have an expectation that most will understand it's significance and it can be used to provide perspective on my question, comments, and answers.  I've never considered my profiles as something to be proud (or not) of, my high D side simply sees it as a statement of fact.

Steve Simmons
CGEIT, CISA, CISM, CISSP
DiSC=7115

flexiblefine's picture

I wouldn't list my DISC profile numbers elsewhere unless they were material to some sort of discussion. Here, I see that it's a tool that comes up often -- I've heard plenty of references in the podcasts to how people with one high value or another might act or interpret things. Listing the profile here might help someone frame their responses based on my tendencies.

It's probably my low D that had me wondering whether I should include the information. :)

flexiblefine
Houston, Texas, USA
DISC: 1476

Singers's picture

Welcome to the forum and MT, it an amazing place to pick up knowledge  ;)

On your DISC, noting not to be proud of, what ever profile you had, you have strengths and weaknesses, as Steve said, the DISC profile is more Fact. In this forum though I find it extremely useful as you can see when people ask questions as from which perspective they look at things and likewise when people comment, you can understand some of the view points from their DISC. 

However the tool in general, besides getting to know you weaknesses which is useful is at least from my point of view your ability to start understanding HOW others communicates and more importantly WHY they communicate the way they do. For me this have been a absolute key in getting a team of very different DISC's working extremely well together. 

Kind Regards
Mads Sorensen
Disc 4536

Mark's picture
Admin Role Badge

We're nice people (except for me) and we'll do our best to help you be more successful.

We're doing this for you, and it's a privilege.

Mark

jhack's picture

The forums are a great place to hone ideas with other professionals from all walks.  

One interesting aspect of the MT and CT podcasts:  you can learn even if you're not in the situation.  For example, the casts on being effective with your admin probably doesn't apply to most listeners.  But everyone listening has administrative requirements, and almost everyone interacts with admins that work elsewhere.  Reviewing your calendar every morning is a good discipline whether you do it alone or with someone else, for example. 

Glad you're here.  Join the conversations...

John Hack

flexiblefine's picture

I've listened to a bunch of the podcasts -- the 2x speed option on my iPhone helps a lot -- but I have a long way to go yet. The sustained focus on effective behaviors rather than theory or efficiency has given me new angles of thinking on my own situation. When I do move into a "manager" position with directs, I will be so much better prepared thanks to MT than I would have been if I "only" had my MBA.

Mark, I've already received a short email from you about a podcast idea, and it didn't feel like "Dark Mark" at all. :) I'm looking forward to listening to the podcasts about high S and high C types, which will apply to me, and I'm also getting value from podcasts that don't apply to me so directly. Thank you, and thank Mike too, for all the work you have done (and do still) to make all this information available to us.

John, you're right -- plenty of podcasts cover things that apply to other people more than myself, and they help me be more effective with them. I had an occasion like that with my boss this week, which went very well.

flexiblefine
Houston, Texas, USA
DiSC: 1476

flexiblefine's picture

I posted that in 2011, and now it's five years later.

I did eventually move on from that job, and now I'm at my next position. Again, a one-man team sort of thing, not managing anyone. But I'm still listening to the podcasts and now reading Mark's long-awaited book.

At that last job, my boss and I originally had a vision of eventually building a team beneath me, but it never happened. I waited too long for something that never came, and my actual web development skills became obsolete as my role changed to much more database work and much less web development.

What finally drove this high S to do something was a change in leadership at that company. The new "turnaround president" was a fine example of sacrificing relationships and retention at the altar of results, and I finally worked up the nerve to do a real job search. My database skills and development background got me a new position with a company that treats its people like people, and I'm much happier.

So I'm still listening to the podcasts, still an individual contributor (but reporting to a VP, like I did at the last place), and I'm finally coming back to the site and forums I drifted away from.

I used to feel like I was being held back by the individual contributor bit, but it was that job that was holding me back. As long as I'm effective and satisfied, whether or not I have the role power to fire people is immaterial.