PeopleSmart in Business eBook - The Platinum Rule

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Five: On the Job
may make it a point to fi nd out who they think exhibits the same
thoroughness and precision they themselves have: “What’s the name
of the artist who drew up the graphics for the Robinson account?”
When the going gets loud
Cautious Th inkers (prefer to) get going. When discussions and tempers
become hot and heavy, “I want to get out of this place” may represent
the Cautious Th inker viewpoint. Because they want peace and
tranquillity, they avoid and reject hostility and outward expressions of
aggression. At the extreme, they can numb themselves to confl ict to
such an extent that they may have diffi culty tapping into their feelings
. . . not only anger and hatred, but caring and love.
By learning to accept others’ expressions of emotions, Cautious
Th inkers can also learn to accept their own feelings. Ideally, if the
Cautious Th inker can consciously raise his tolerance for aggression,
he can then begin to increase his ability to successfully deal with it in
a more open manner through mutual exchanges.
Cautious Thinkers take themselves seriously
Since Cautious Th inkers oft en detect many of life’s complexities that
escape the other types, they can become perfectionistic and worrisome,
with both themselves and others. While this quality control aspect
can be very positive, when taken to an extreme, associates may
dismiss the Cautious Th inker’s caution as crying wolf. When Cautious
Th inkers are willing to bend their standards on small matters, coworkers
are more likely to listen to them for the bigger issues.
In the NASA space shuttle disaster, for instance, engineers repeatedly
emphasized the need for more research. But aft er a few delays,
the public pressure became so great that the Challenger was launched
prematurely. Th at time, pushing the researchers harder and faster resulted
in tragedy. Th e message: Listen to Cautious Th inkers about the