Reducing factors that limit personal performance

For over twenty years, we have used the Kolbe System™ to optimize team performance. We have been able to double team efficiency and productivity by demonstrating how conative stress can be minimized.

Too many times, we see team members mistaken real conative stress for personality conflict. When in fact, understanding how a team member naturally problem solves differently than you can reduce stress and actually maximize synergy and division of labor among teammates.

Here are some pointers that Kolbe has provided for identifying and reducing conative stress.

Conative Stress occurs when there is a difference in any Action Mode between two Indexes. Unlike emotional stress, conative stress arises from trying to take action outside one's natural strengths. While it can lead to negative feelings the actual cause is not a person's attitude, but the inability to be who they naturally are.

• Kolbe A™ (1) and A™ (2) => Conflict

• Kolbe A™ and B™ => Strain (self-induced)

• Kolbe A™ and C™ => Tension (between you and the person(s) who define(s) requirements)

Strain: Condition where a person’s sense of how a task needs to be performed is substantially difference from his/her natural methods of problem solving.

Ways to Reduce Strain

• Redirect talent: Use your Initiating mode to reshape how you do the job. Initiating Fact Finder can redefine the role. Initiating Follow Thru can plan more structure. Initiating Quick Start can add alternatives or deadlines. Initiating Implementor can include more tangible methods.

• Use underutilized talents: Volunteer for special projects that fit your MO. They will be energizing for you, and will highlight your strengths for others.

• ReAct rather than Initiate or CounterAct: A valuable response is also an important contribution to an endeavor. If you ReAct in a mode where you feel you should Initiate or CounterAct in your job, work to draw on the energies of others, responding to support them.

• Don’t create false expectations: Don’t promise to function through a natural mode of resistance (CounterAct). If you create a situation where others rely on you to perform contrary to your instincts, not meeting their expectations will multiply the negative effect.

• Barter: Trade your strengths for input from others in your stressed-out mode. By exchanging your talents with others, everyone benefits.

• Choose the right competitions: Choose the competitions that use your natural advantage. This improves your odds for standing out from the crowd.

• Find other creative outlets: Find ways to use your conative talents not directly related to your job, such as in the arts or sports activities.

Tension: Condition where an external evaluator’s sense how a task needs to be performed is substantially different from the job holder’s methods of problem solving.

Ways to Reduce Tension

• Negotiate a redefinition of requirements: Negotiating the how of the old job, without significantly affecting the desired result.

• Remove the need to satisfy incompatible standards: Negotiate to eliminate requirements that are not germane to the job.

• Seek a substitute: Find someone who is better equipped conatively for the role.

• Declare a truce: Agree to complete a task if you can stop being responsible for this type of task in the future.

• Put the end in sight: By paying attention to the light at the end of the tunnel, stress becomes more manageable. Anything is survivable in the short run.

• Change the requirement: Changing the format to suit your MO (e.g., provide a written report instead of a speech).

© 2008-2015 Kathy Kolbe and Kolbe Corp. All rights reserved.