I am a possibilities and alternatives thinker, so when an idea is presented to me, even a great idea, my first instinct is to think, how else could this be done? My thinking also drifts to: what could go wrong with this, is this the best way to do it, etc. Funny thing is, I perceive myself as a conceptual idea person who hates details, is low-data, makes decisions easily, and wants to be strategic. However, when I ask my "what-if" and why questions, others easily can get the opposite impression, that I am too into the details, too analytical, and even micromanaging. The person who generated the great idea can get frustrated and feel judged and underappreciated.
Until I had a trusted employee point this out to me, I had no idea that what I thought was collaborative what-iffing could sometimes be perceived as frustrating nit-picking.
I'm a strong believer that with human behavior, there is no reality, only perceptions. It isn't always important whether I'm "right" or "wrong" about what I'm doing. However it is really important how my actions affect others – their work output, their job satisfaction, etc. If my behavior and my style of communication isn't productive, and it obstructs progress by producing frustration, then it is important to look at it and change it. For me this week – lesson learned!
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