Rationals – Dealing with Stress from Work
By CareerCoach on 03-16-2008
The Fieldmarshal is driven to lead. They want things to be logical, to be recognized for their accomplishments and to be respected for their visionary ideas. Sometimes they are forced to be harsh with others to accomplish their goals. If their harshness triggers high emotionalism from workers and rumblings of disrespect, they can become hypersensitive to their own feelings and have outbursts of emotion. When high stress is triggered, they can become ritualistic in their behavior in an effort to control both the outside world and their inner emotions. It can help to talk to a trusted person whose counsel can help bring back balance. Also silent support from others along with the resolution of the crisis will restore equilibrium. Says Joan, "I have the entire responsibility for my area's non-profit organization. When contributions shrunk, I had to cut back on some programs. Some people hated me for my decisions. My second-in-command quietly backed me up and asked me why I was brushing my teeth so often. I hadn't realized it. It was as if I wanted to brush my bad words and their bad words away. Now people are used to the cut-backs and the grumbling has mostly stopped – so has the excessive teeth brushing."
The Mastermind sees situations from their own unique perspective and they enjoy finding new solutions to complex problems. They are driven to implement their ideas whether or not others can see their vision for improvement. If they are given no support, they dig in their heels and work all the harder to achieve their vision. Stress comes when they are forced to deal with too many unexpected events or if they are forced to be too extraverted for too long. The stress manifests itself by obsessive thoughts on external data and feelings of the world being against them. They can recover if they are given time to be alone, get their tasks rebalanced and have time to pursue their visionary solutions. It's best if others do not try to give them advice or suggestions. Says Vince, "I can see ways to make information more accurate with less effort which will greatly benefit the organization. Unfortunately, most people can't see what I see until I actually can give them a working model. Luckily my current boss has faith in my visions and gives me some free reign. He doesn't ask me to account for all of my time and gives me a heads-up when a specific deadline is coming up. This is so much better than my last boss who pressured me all of the time that I became less effective and wanted to withdraw from everyone."
The Inventor is always imagining something new and bounces their ideas off willing listeners. They are usually very positive and often laugh off anything negative. But if excessive negativity comes their way and/or they become physically exhausted, their fluid imagination works overtime and obsesses about problems. They can withdraw and sleep a lot while their mind deals with the issues. In the worst case they can become phobic and lose their friendly social abilities. It's best if they can walk away from their problems for awhile and let their brain rest. Meditation often helps. Quiet support from others for their physical needs can help. Says Nathan, "I'm basically a positive person, but every so often I just crash. I feel exhausted and sleep a lot. I usually come out of it in 2-3 days. When long weekends occur, I don't want a list of chores to do. I need real recovery time. Getting extra rest and doing something playful helps me get back to my normal self."
The Architect prides themselves on their objectivity and ability to impartially analyze and organize thoughts. They enjoy tough critiques that help them to hone the exactitude of their thoughts. What they don't like is strong emotional expression directed at them and being denied the alone time that they need. If this goes on too long, they become highly stressed and may emphasize their logical thinking to the extreme. They become overly sensitive to relationships with others and can lash out emotionally. To achieve their normal state again, they need to be left alone and not asked about their feelings. They also need reduced responsibilities until they recover. Says Tina, “I’m the one they go to when they have a really complex problem that needs solving. Last year I was pressured by my new boss to do too many things and solve too many problems. He even swore at me when I couldn’t get results back to him quickly enough. I learned long ago that I can’t function under that kind of behavior. So I took two days off and then went to see my old boss who had been promoted. I now report directly to him and have more independence and more peace.”
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Posted by KipParent on Mar 17, 2008
Good insights into us Rationals. I think we internalize our stress much to our own detriment. We tend to believe we should be able to think our way out of any situation, and bring control or order based on logic. Sometimes, being able to talk things through with a trusted family member or friend can help a lot - internalizing everything just increases the stress. |
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Posted by andert on Mar 18, 2008
As an Architect, I have practiced remaining calm when people are angry with me. It's difficult for somebody to be angry when you are not. I can be passive aggressive though and find subtle ways to make people who have hurt my feelings feel guilty for getting angry. That's a bad habit I'm working on. |
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Posted by Chisos on Mar 24, 2008
As a late 40's Mastermind business attorney (practicing law for over 24 years--almost 13 on my own), I find the following statements spot on for me: "If they are given no support, they dig in their heels and work all the harder to achieve their vision. Stress comes when they are forced to deal with too many unexpected events or if they are forced to be too extraverted for too long. The stress manifests itself by obsessive thoughts on external data and feelings of the world being against them. They can recover if they are given time to be alone, get their tasks rebalanced and have time to pursue their visionary solutions." I have major stress, related in large part to me not managing my practice or those who work for me optimally (unexpected events of clients not paying, or business not being "there;" or employees not following office policy and needing to be "over supervised," combined with me not being as good as I wish I had been at reading people), and from over 4 years of "digging in my heels" and in the process having worn myself out/burned myself out. Other issues include having an ENFP spouse who has difficulty comprehending how tough it is for me to be extroverted and develop new clients, and whose strong points do not include living within a budget, or sensitive to the consequences of an NSF at the bank. I do not beleive that I feel the world is against me, but I do feel quite frustrated by how my people and business management skills have not been what they should have been, and alienated by such inconsistency in how an ENFP deals with childrearding, financial security, and personal problems--versus my rational approach. I do find myself analyzing the "heck" out of data, trying to find a solution to the bumps in the road I'm encountering. Having time alone is certainly how I recharge--but in the past couple of years the amount of time alone that I need to recharge has become quite a large amount of time. This all has me questioning whether being an "owner" of a law firm is the right fit for an INTJ, and whether and ENFP spouse is actually the "fit" with an INTJ that the general rules suggest (realizing, of course, that each of us have our own unique quirks that have arisen from all of our past external experiences, and from us being togehter for about as long as I've been practicing law--perhaps we are just the exceptions as opposed to that general rule). With me having become a "student" of Personality Types for only the past year, my discovery of the two of us being the "ideal match" was a comforting discovery. Perhaps the career choice is the prime issue? Anyone else's thoughts on this situation? Thanks. |
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Posted by jake9176 on Mar 28, 2008
Chisos, law is sometimes just a tough area to make a living. You are always dealing with and trying to fix someone else's problems. Seeing the mistakes people make in running their business and then dealing with a spouse who has poor financial stress -- how can you not be stressed. ENFP needs to be on a budget. I too would rather fix the problem than spend time schmoozing, trying to build a client base, so I understand where you are coming from. |
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Posted by KellyeSheehan on Mar 31, 2008
Chisos, make a list of what are the positives this business earns you (+) and what are the negatives (-). I'm figuring you enjoy the autonomy to have your own practice and pick and choose your cases; and having only a small staff to interact with if you're an Introvert. If your +'s are many, then I wouldn't walk away. Sounds like you're both practicing law and effectively starting or growing a business. Both of these are pretty challenging endeavors, so give yourself some credit. If the -'s are getting you down, then think of a way to off-load some of the -'s. This is your prerogative as the boss. Such as, can you leverage another law firm for referrals or hire a part-time marketing analyst. Or bring in an employee or partner who has that strength, split the caseload, and compensate them according to the new business they generate. If it doesn't work out after a year, then you dissolve the arrangement or find someone else. I'm an ENTJ so I don't have the introversion issues. I'm also late 40's, I'm an executive with an engineering firm, 29 years experience. Yes it's reasonable to ask your ENFP partner to operate on (or close to) a constrained budget. It's hard to get NF's to listen. But agree on some boundaries even if they can't observe it 100% of the time. |
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Posted by Perseus on Jul 26, 2008
The Eagle (Architect) get too much of the Bear (Artisan). Much too much. Overbearing. Straining up under the Bear. This is of different genders. The eagle will get lost in the woods. |
I echo the sentiments expressed in the Inventor section. For the most part, I am positive. But there are sporadic periods of time where I crash and don't want to be around anybody. It is during those times I question my "extraversion." I do sleep a lot during those periods. People around me begin to wonder if I'm depressed. I don't really feel depressed, just overwhelmed and in need of solitude. Thanks for the insights!!