Several years ago, Mark Riddle shared a simple framework with me that’s helped me assess my strengths and weaknesses. I’ve also used it to to help others assess theirs. What follows is my interpretation of what Mark shared with me. If this doesn’t make sense, don’t blame him. I may have turned his explanation into something unrecognizable and incomprehensible. Anyway, here’s how my version of it goes.
We can work with people, ideas, or things.
Most of us are good at working with one and decent at working with a second. It’s rare to find someone who excels in all three.
A counselor may love working with people, but she also works with ideas in order to be helpful.
A cable guy works with things, but also has to be able to interact with people if he wants to be a offered a glass of cold water on a hot day.
An professor works with ideas, but also has to interact with others if he wants to have a forum in which to share them.
What do you think? Does this make sense?
In which one do you excel? What is your second?
Know anyone who is great in all three areas?
I’m more of an ideas and things kind of guy. I still haven’t figured people out.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons
Yeah, the fact that you used “others” instead of “people” for professors definitely signaled your priorities. 🙂
Interesting…I’ve never thought about it this way. I love working with people and am constantly having new ideas(not usually enough time in the day to carry them out because I’d rather be caring for people and loving on them)…and the house is a mess! I only use things to help the people God brings into our path. So the two out of three stands true for me.
I love this stuff. It might be helpful to add that one of these things generally gives us life and we can’t get enough of it.
For instance, not all extraverts would put people as there sweet spot. They like people. They enjoy being with people. But mostly they like sharing ideas with people.
Mark! Thanks for jumping in.
This blog post has really got me thinking (ideas). I thought I had myself figured out with a first priority and a then a second but, after reading Mark’s comments I might have to switch the two.
Wade, like you, I find people to be the lowest on my list. It makes me wonder how my priorities/strengths mesh with full-time, “professional” ministry. Am I currently serving in my sweet spot if I find myself in a job that demands so much people work when in actuality it is the least of my priorities? Speaking only for myself, I wonder if I can fully love God if I don’t always love people? And by love I don’t mean the touchy-feely love of the movies but the real sacrificial love of Jesus.
I could go on but I don’t think anyone wants this to turn into a personal therapy session. Good post…way to ruin my night! 🙂
Kalum–great thoughts. I couldn’t identify with your struggle more.
I’m an ideas guy. My experience is most Christian folks feel that people are more important than ideas and things at least they have that idea. I think they are right, but that isn’t good reason for guilt. There is no need to apologize or feel badly for being someone who best lives within the world of ideas. Unless, of course it keeps us from being present with the person in front of us. When I driving, while talking to my wife, she’ll say something that spurs an idea and I’ll vacate the vehicle for a few minutes while she continues to talk. She’s picked up on this and will say, “where did you go?” Bringing me crashing back into reality. On some ocassions I’ll tell her where I went.
“You said, “I wonder if this intersection will ever get a turn signal. Then I wondered about who is responsible for doing such things. The county? The city? Which city are we in? What the procedure is for getting a turn signal? Is there a guy who drives around and notices such things? Is this what those cables across the road measure? I wonder what kind of red tape it takes to get a turn signal in place? Car accident rates with high mortality? It makes me think about how grateful I am for all the other turn lanes I’ve encountered in the rest of the city. I wonder if they’ve systemitzed the criteria for new turn signals and if they will be LED or old school lights.”
This is about the point in which she tells me that I’m crazy.
Because to here I am. She loves people and never things such things. She’s wired for connection, relationship and presence.
But this is the gift isn’t it. To wonder and wrestle with ideas. But to also know that people are more important for our presence. To be content with reality.
Being at home in ideas isn’t bad. It’s not second class to people most at home with people.
It’s just what it is.
I really resonate with this. Never been a things person – growing up and in college I was a people person – grad school and ministry shaped me into an introvert and turned me into an ideas person. That is definitely my sweet spot but I struggle deeply with truly loving those around me – echoing Kalum.
My prayer is that my ideas (and draw towards reading, research, etc…) will lead me further into Kingdom living and loving.
Casey–I’m curious about what you said about grad school and ministry shaping you into an introvert and ideas person. I’d like to hear more about how that happened. I think grad school moved me from being a pragmatic learner to more of a theoretical learner. I’ve wondered how much higher education shapes learning and relational styles.