Domino

7How to Be a Stalker

How do the people on your team view most situations? What do they focus on when they make decisions? For that matter, which variables of the situation do you focus on when you make a decision? How long is the time horizon you typically consider when making decisions? When you make a decision, do you value speed more than thoroughness and prudence? Or is it the other way around for you?

Thanks to my extensive experience with stalking, you can learn the answers to these questions. And with a little luck and a lot of hard work, maybe someday you too can be a stalker.

To begin, we find it most helpful to understand people's decision tendencies along three dimensions.

1. Operational versus Conceptual: Do you tend to approach strategic decisions more operationally or conceptually?
2. Risky versus Cautious: Are you drawn more to high-risk/high-reward options, or do you view your options from a more cautious perspective?
3. Deliberative versus Impulsive: Do you like to make sure you have all the facts before deciding, or do you just get on with it?

Understanding where you land on each of these three continuums can tell you a lot about the way you like to approach changes and how you like to go about executing plans. Are you constantly looking at the big picture, or do you get charged up by digging into the details and really getting your hands dirty? Just as importantly, you can also learn a lot about the way the people on your team approach change and execution. In which ...