A look at Gregorc Thinking Styles

Prior to starting phase 0 we were asked to take a personal thinking style quiz, based on Gregorc's 4 Thinking Styles. I thought it was a great idea, I always welcome any opportunity to take a step back and know myself better. Throughout my short career my manager always encouraged me to be mindful about the way I work, think and interact with others, so as to make the most out of it. The test's result wasn't such a surprise, except perhaps in how strong the traits were.

Gregorc's model is based on 4 thinking styles structured around 2 axes: Abtract vs. Concrete & Sequential vs. Random. And the verdict was clear: I'm a strong Abstract-Random thinker. To me this means that I like to "listen to others, bringing harmony to group situations, establishing healthy relationships with others & focusing on the issues at hand". I also work better when I'm learning with a group within which I'm able to maintain friendly relationships. I'm also comfortable evolving with broad guidelines.
Well, that's great! Dev Bootcamp is all about the community, helping us build strong ties with our peers from day 1 (day 0 actually). Team projects, pairing sessions, things I'm sure to enjoy! Coding also involves a great deal of research and figuring out problems on our own, working with broad guidelines should thus be more a strength than a weakenss for me in the program.

But such a profile comes with big drawbacks. Something I've been aware of for a while is that I have a hard time working with authoritarian personalities and people who don't seem friendly. Cherry on the cake is if you put a bit of competitiveness in the air. This 'Care Bears' aspect of my personnality needs to toughen up, something I'm working on and that will be especially key if I want to survive in a highly competitive tech industry. Another side of negatives for me is the diffculty concentrating on one thing at a time and giving exact details. While writing this blog post I went to grab a latte, checked Twitter twice, Facebook once, changed playlist and texted a friend (damn it). Again, being a developer constantly hooked to the Internet is not helping for a start. Time management techniques is somehing that has helped a lot, and simply being mindful of these weaknesses is also a start.

Fixed vs. Growth mindset

A second concept we were asked to study is the Fixed vs. Growth mindset. The fixed mindset is, in other words, static intelligence. One wants to look smart and therefore avoids challenges, gives up easily, rejects feedback and sees the success of others as threatening. The growth mindset is the whole opposite: a desire to learn and therefore embracing challenges, not fearing failures and making the most out of feedback. Let's not kid ourselves, we all want to be on this side of the mountain, I don't think there are any magic tricks to achieving this, but being mindful of what it takes, and remember it when the going gets touch.

Bottom line for myself: when things get tough, don't let go and make sure to know which side of the mountain I'm on. And you? What do you do to make sure you know your weaknesses?
If you haven't done so already, go ahead and take that test!

Cheers!