Читать книгу Comfortable Chaos - Carolyn Harvey & Beth Herrild - Страница 10

Lindsey and Nicole work in the same office as recruiters for a software company. Both enjoy their jobs but they often wonder if they are from the same planet! Lindsey’s desk is covered with copies of the positions she is trying to fill, along with résumés and sticky notes covering the various piles. She jumps on the telephone and goes back and forth between the openings she is working on — happily intermixing calls to candidates with e-mails to the hiring managers. She runs her personal life in much the same way. Her three kids are enrolled in numerous activities and she is constantly coordinating the family’s complex social calendar and is quick to add anything that sounds interesting. At the end of the workday it is not uncommon for her to be dashing out, always slightly late, to three or more evening commitments.

Nicole works in the cubicle next to Lindsey and her space has a much different appearance. She keeps all the material for each job opening in neat folders and although she may have several on her desk at the same time, they are all in three-step pending files so she can clearly see where each opening is at in the process. She likes to make all her candidate calls in the morning when she feels most energetic and she groups her data entry tasks to do in the afternoon. At home she has two children but she is very selective about any evening activities and prefers to have the kids take turns participating in a sport. She recognizes that she needs a certain amount of downtime so she and her husband religiously have dinner completed by 6:30 p.m. and get their kids to bed by 8:30 p.m.

Lindsey and Nicole are both top recruiters in their office and even tied last month for the elite performance award. As friends they have lots to talk about, but each secretly wonders, with a tiny bit of judgment, how the other can work like that. The reason they have such dissimilar work styles is because they each have very different “coefficients for chaos.” What is comfortable and enjoyable for Lindsey may be a nightmare for Nicole, and vice versa.

As you remember, the first I of Comfortable Chaos is individual. By individual, we mean “know thyself,” and the first step in shifting toward Comfortable Chaos is to get a clear picture of your uniqueness. Only you will know what is right for you. In this chapter you will discover your personal coefficient for chaos, which will provide a glimpse into your authentic preferences.