Okay, this is crazy but over the weekend, I came up with five more ‘ers to add to the series. I mean, I didn’t invent them, but based on some of the life experience I gathered in just a few short days, I realized that there are five areas/personality types/descriptors that I want to address. They are as follows: individualizer, faker, surrender, disenchanter, and non-performer.
I imagine if you are a lot like me, you feel a bit put off reading that list. Maybe you picked-up on the somewhat negative connotation of those words and wonder why on earth I would focus on anything undesirable given all the other things we have to worry about right now. I’ll tell you why. I’ve personally experienced, witnessed, or been subject to each of these personality types or experiences in the last few days, weeks, and months and it’s been unpleasant. They (the collective they, describing the new five ‘ers) are actually firmly embedded in ALL the other shit I’m/we’re experiencing right now. They are a living, breathing entity that exists WITHIN the somewhat disappointing world we are living in RIGHT NOW. With that understood, I’ve always found it easier to explore a thing, to know it, in order to survive it, thrive in spite of it, and/or overcome it. To get over it, we have to walk through it.
Ignoring it is fruitless. I know a lot of ignorers (maybe another ‘er?) and they aren’t doing so hot. You know why? Shit catches up. It does. Ignorers are similar to deniers but instead of denying a reality, they outright block it from view. It doesn’t stay sidelined forever, as you might imagine, and given our general inability to control when it hits, the results are typically disastrous. So yeah, I’m pro-examination. I’m pro, proactive.
Okay, let’s start at the beginning. Individualizers. Man I am struggling with this personality right now. I am struggling with it amongst my friends, family members, co-workers, and well, total strangers. What is an individualizer? Well, at the risk of sounding silly, it is someone who individualizes. Someone who makes individual in character (I’d like to add relentlessly and selfishly, given the state of things, but let’s hold off).
Are there “good” individualizers or individualizers who don’t deserve a bad rap? Sure are. Individualizers often have a knack for noticing what is distinct or special about someone. Rather than making generalizations or throwing people into type categories, they celebrate their unique qualities or differences. This talent or personality, however it might manifest, comes in handy when buying a birthday present or assigning project responsibilities.
Where does it go off the rails? Well, I’d like to point to two specific areas where I think things go horribly wrong. These are not the only downfall points of individualizers, but they are two that I see most prevalently. One- an individualizer can fail to recognize or encourage the benefits of teamwork or togetherness, being uber focused on what individuals bring to the table from a talent or contribution standpoint. Before you think it, or as you are, I will come back to that to explain it a little more expansively. Two- the individualizer who fails to see decisions that need to be made for the overall greater good because they are wholly focused on the benefits for a small subset of individuals (aka their inner circle).
Yeah, to say I’m struggling with this concept a little is a generous statement.
I’m guessing you can already see where the two major points that I’ve made overlap or intersect, but let’s break it down for shits and giggles.
The individualizer either has the ability for identifying an individual’s strengths and weaknesses or they have the strong desire to, or both. Sometimes an individual would like to have such a gift but they don’t have the appropriate intuitive nature to really nail it. Others are just born with this ability. Those folks are often the best executives, managers, leaders, etc. You’ve encountered these people, haven’t you? They bring out the best in you. They just know where you should be allocated, placed…where you shine. Maybe you are one of these people. Good stuff. Well, mostly. What if an individualizer is so focused on where or how certain individuals are best served that they lose the forest through the trees? Do you know what I mean by that?
I had an experience at work a few years ago that is a shining example of where individualizers failed. Abysmally. There was a project that my firm recognized as essential to its commitment to technology. To accomplish the goals related to said project, they pulled together “experts” in each of the three pivotal areas impacted by the project. They allowed each person to do what they did best. You know what they didn’t do? Encourage alignment. Foster communication and collaboration. Examine a threshold consideration for the goals that incorporated the individual wants of each department. Not anything of these things. Nope. You know what happened? The project imploded. When each department couldn’t get what it wanted, the representative just bailed. Walked away. Threw up her hands and walked away. The person in charge of the project didn’t force a second look or a reset because she was too focused on her own goals and needs. You see what I’m talking about here? You feel me?
This point naturally bleeds into the next and I think I’ll use the same example so we can truly understand that unfortunate consequence. The team lead was so focused on the individuals needs and wants identified by the team leads she wrangled that she failed to see that a failure of the project was a disservice to the whole firm. Instead, she rationalized that since the three individuals were unable to come together, the project naturally had to be sidelined. Cast-aside. Ugh, right?
To be clear, this concept I’m floating in front of you is not rugged individualism. You’ll often see those concepts fitting together like puzzle pieces but they are distinctly different. Rugged individualism, as I’ve explained, is a sense of independence and self-reliance in a rather extreme fashion. Individualizers might foster rugged individualism, but they are often not exhibiting such.
Have I lost you? Well, let’s take this conversation and apply it to some very real situations. That seems like a decent idea, no?
Rugged individualism can be witnessed in the person who refuses to wear a mask. They are so focused on the preservation of their so-called liberties (challenge) that they forgo this simple task that helps to contain COVID-19, thereby helping the general public. An individualizer, like some of our politicians, might sense a strong desire to protect masculinity or plain ol’ fear. They might capitalize on such desires or fears, fueling the fire, and ultimately, cheering an expression such as an abject refusal to wear a mask where it’s been deemed appropriate. The individualizers (our politicians in this example) don’t acknowledge this action as detrimental to the safety of the country generally because they are too focused on the “smaller” goal of garnering favor.
This concept is nuanced but it’s important. Like almost everything important in our universe, the skills of individualizers can be put to good use or used for harm. The only way to ensure the former is to pay attention. Oh, and please, wear a fucking mask.
Talk to you tomorrow.
L.
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