10 curses of the analytical thinker
Takeaway: Being a left-brain thinker can be an asset in the IT
field. But as Alan Norton observes, it’s not without its shortcomings.
The average person may envision IT as the home of the geek. I
prefer to think of IT as the kingdom of the analytical thinker. Analytical
thinkers, or left-brain thinkers, are straight-line thinkers. Logic, not
emotion, rules in the land of the analytical. The very traits that make an
analytical person poor with people make them good with computers. And that is
perhaps why IT is loaded with socially inept information junkies who would
prefer to hang out by themselves instead of attending a party.
I am a highly analytical person myself. This has served me well
in my analyst/programmer jobs over the years. But I have also experienced the
many downsides of being analytical. Perhaps you have experienced one or more of
these curses of the analytical thinker yourself.
1: Information addict
Analytical thinkers just can’t get enough information. They
devour Web pages about everything from the weather to the latest high tech
gadget. They are gluttons for online discussions, but they’re more often
lurkers than participants. They have voracious appetites for facts and figures
of any kind. They head straight for the specs page when shopping for anything
more technologically sophisticated than an alarm clock. The siren call of the
Internet cries out, “Step right up to the buffet — all the information you can
eat for one low price”.
I can understand how this
behavior might be really annoying to a family member. Please understand it is natural
for humans to seek after information — just not as compulsively as the analytical thinker
seeks it. Come to think of it, this propensity for information binging might
explain the swelled heads of a few IT personnel I have encountered over the
years.
2: Vacillator
Most people see only one side of
a controversial issue. Not the analytical thinker. To him, every issue has pros
and cons. To him, the glass can be both half full and half empty at the same time. The analytical
will inevitably be known as Dr. Doom to some and the eternal optimist to
others. Being both a pessimist and an optimist gives the impression to friends
that the analytical is wishy-washy, assuming he has any friends.
3: Indecisive
Because the analytical likes to gather as many facts as possible
before making an informed decision, he may be perceived by others as being
indecisive. The phrase “lead or get off the pot” could apply to the analytical
manager who is so busy gathering information that he often overlooks the value
of a quick, definitive decision.
4: Insensitive
I was once explaining parts of a client/server system to Mark,
one of our mainframe guys. I pointed to the screen and said something like, “As
you can see right here…” There was only one problem with that gesture and
statement: Mark was totally blind. I was so embarrassed that I froze and said
nothing. Had Mark been able to see he would have seen a flushed face with
perspiration beginning to form at the hairline. This kind of “foot in mouth”
behavior isn’t that unusual for an analytical. I now realize that I should have
had the courtesy to acknowledge my gaffe and apologize, but words failed me at
the time. It may be more than 15 years late, but Mark please accept this
apology for my insensitivity.
5: Habitual
“You want me to do what– skip lunch? Are you
kidding?” Missing lunch to complete some inane pet project for my manager was
physically upsetting. My blood pressure rose. My stress hormones rose. Yes, I
was angry. Stand well clear of a hypoglycemic logician when sustenance has been
withheld!
It can be hard to for analytical to break their habits. They
prefer the predictable, daily routine and are resistant to change. A left-brain
thinker may lack motivation when starting a new project, but once started, they
are like a persistent bulldog working to complete the project. It’s not that
they can’t accept change; analytical would just prefer it not intrude upon
their comfort zone
6: Socially inept
I once told a young lady who I
was friends with that she was overweight. Well, she did ask. I never got a chance to tell her
that it, the weight, was in all the right places. Analytical take matters
literally — too literally. It is not the intention of
the analytical to be critical but rather to provide an honest assessment,
although it is almost always perceived as criticism. Unfortunately for the
well-intentioned analytical, people don’t like an “honest assessment” of their
looks, behavior, general hygiene, or body fat index. The irony is that these
socially oblivious, albeit honest assessors usually don’t take criticism well
themselves.
7: Skeptical
“You can fool some of the people
all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool
all of the people all of the time.” Abraham Lincoln is supposed to have said this. Politicians, of all people, know that it’s hard to
fool a logical thinker. If you want to sell anything to left-brain thinkers, you’d better
explain why they need it. An analytical needs
facts, not feelings or persuasive platitudes.
If you are a manager trying to convince a team of programmers
that a project can be completed two months ahead of schedule, you’d better come
armed with facts to support how such a miracle can be achieved. The pushback
you are almost certain to receive is a predictable response from the cynical
analytical.
8: Poor marketers
The very thing that makes analyticals good product reviewers is
what makes them poor at the sales pitch. They thoroughly and accurately note
both the positive and negative attributes of the product they are reviewing.
One of the important skills needed to land a job is self promotion. While
others may exaggerate their positive traits, the analytical person does not.
Stating that you prefer working with computers rather than people may be an
honest and unbiased analysis but is perceived as a black mark by the
interviewer. I know I am weak at promoting myself. I have worked at improving
my marketing skills. But if I could get away with it, I would hire a marketing
specialist for my next job interview!
9: Politically incorrect
When I write I try to address the very real possibility that
there might actually be personages of the female persuasion reading my musings.
I try to throw in at least one” he or she” in recognition of this. The truth is
that I put readability ahead of political correctness. Right or wrong, I
believe that including references to both genders is tedious for the patient
reader. So ladies, please forgive my political incorrectness. I am indeed
honored to have you as a guest.
10: Loners
We analyticals would rather spend
time alone with a good book or movie than with people. It’s not that we dislike
people, per
se. We just find them boring, uninspiring, and mundane. To the all
seeing and all knowing analytical, the average person is like the emperor in
the story “The Emperor’s New Clothes“– there’s nothing there. I mean, really, when was the
last time you found someone who wanted to discuss the theory of relativity or the law of diminishing marginal
returns?
The bottom line
Sure, the analytical thinker can
appear to be cold, insensitive, and logical, somewhat akin to the personality
of Mr. Spock, but the world needs these attributes. After all, it would take
only oneanalytical
lemming to save the others from mythological disaster by telling his friends, “Hey guys, I don’t
think this cliff diving idea is so good after all.”
Every curse is a blessing in disguise. Because analytical
thinkers like information in tabular format, I give you the 10 blessings for
the aforementioned curses:
Each curse can be viewed as a blessing.
Give your favorite analytical
person a break the next time you want to scream at him. The characteristics you
find so annoying do have positive benefits to society.
Author’s Note: While these traits may apply in part or in
whole to me and other analytical people, we are all complex creatures. It is
not my intention to imply that such a simplistic view applies to all analytical
thinkers.
Your iPersonic Type: The Analytical Thinker
Analytical Thinkers like you are reserved, quiet persons. You like to get to the bottom of
things - curiosity is one of your strongest motives. You want to know what
holds the world together deep down inside. You do not really need much
more to be happy because you are a modest person. Many mathematicians,
philosophers and scientists belong to your type. Analytical Thinkers loathe
contradictions and illogicalness; with your sharp intellect, you quickly and
comprehensively grasp patterns, principles and structures. You are
particularly interested in the fundamental nature of things and theoretical
findings; for you, it is not necessarily a question of translating
these into practical acts or in sharing your considerations with others.
Analytical Thinkers like to work alone; your ability to concentrate is more
marked than that of all other personality types. You are open for and
interested in new information.
Analytical Thinkers have little interest in everyday concerns - you are always a little like an “absent-minded professor” whose home and workplace are chaotic and who only concerns himself with banalities such as bodily needs when it becomes absolutely unavoidable. The acknowledgement of your work by others does not play a great role for you; in general, you are quite independent of social relationships and very self-reliant. You therefore often give others the impression that you are arrogant or snobby - especially because you do not hesitate to speak your mind with your often harsh (even if justified) criticism and your imperturbable self-confidence. Incompetent contemporaries do not have it easy with you. But whoever succeeds in winning your respect and interest has a witty and very intelligent person to talk to. A partner who amazes one with his excellent powers of observation and his very dry humour.
As an Analytical Thinker you are one of the introverted personality types. You are not particularly suited for dealing with others, working as a part of a team and be in the position of “continuous exchange“, you would much rather work alone, and dwell on your thoughts undisturbed. You usually put a critical distance between yourself and others that enables you to be the keen and incorrupt observer of life. This distance can be truly bridged by only very few other people. That is probably caused by the fact that you are not all that interested to share your thoughts with others. Generally it is sufficient for you to have clarified a matter for yourself or that you have understood something; the continuous in your eyes mostly superficial chatter of the people around you becomes rather annoying.
You prefer to work independently and appreciate having a lot of time and quiet in order to concentrate on the really important things: Structuring ideas, comprehending complex causalities, understanding of the universe, its rules and the logical analysis of systems. You absorb new information like a sponge and your memory is legendary. Once you have learned something, you’ll never forget it - unless you consider it to be irrelevant for some reason and decide that it seems to be better purging it from your data storage.
Creative problem solving and jumping out of your paradigm to development daring future visions are a part of your greatest strength. At the same time you are the most acute and rational critic of your own ideas, each one of them will be rigorously examined and discarded at the smallest indication of contradictions or lack of logic. You usually leave the implementation to others and prefer to turn to new theoretical reflections. Especially in case of self employment (in your case a real possibility) it is important to surround yourself with hands-on oriented and dependable employees who make sure that your incredible suggestions for solutions become reality while you return to immersing yourself in your intellectual world.
Analytical Thinkers have little interest in everyday concerns - you are always a little like an “absent-minded professor” whose home and workplace are chaotic and who only concerns himself with banalities such as bodily needs when it becomes absolutely unavoidable. The acknowledgement of your work by others does not play a great role for you; in general, you are quite independent of social relationships and very self-reliant. You therefore often give others the impression that you are arrogant or snobby - especially because you do not hesitate to speak your mind with your often harsh (even if justified) criticism and your imperturbable self-confidence. Incompetent contemporaries do not have it easy with you. But whoever succeeds in winning your respect and interest has a witty and very intelligent person to talk to. A partner who amazes one with his excellent powers of observation and his very dry humour.
As an Analytical Thinker you are one of the introverted personality types. You are not particularly suited for dealing with others, working as a part of a team and be in the position of “continuous exchange“, you would much rather work alone, and dwell on your thoughts undisturbed. You usually put a critical distance between yourself and others that enables you to be the keen and incorrupt observer of life. This distance can be truly bridged by only very few other people. That is probably caused by the fact that you are not all that interested to share your thoughts with others. Generally it is sufficient for you to have clarified a matter for yourself or that you have understood something; the continuous in your eyes mostly superficial chatter of the people around you becomes rather annoying.
You prefer to work independently and appreciate having a lot of time and quiet in order to concentrate on the really important things: Structuring ideas, comprehending complex causalities, understanding of the universe, its rules and the logical analysis of systems. You absorb new information like a sponge and your memory is legendary. Once you have learned something, you’ll never forget it - unless you consider it to be irrelevant for some reason and decide that it seems to be better purging it from your data storage.
Creative problem solving and jumping out of your paradigm to development daring future visions are a part of your greatest strength. At the same time you are the most acute and rational critic of your own ideas, each one of them will be rigorously examined and discarded at the smallest indication of contradictions or lack of logic. You usually leave the implementation to others and prefer to turn to new theoretical reflections. Especially in case of self employment (in your case a real possibility) it is important to surround yourself with hands-on oriented and dependable employees who make sure that your incredible suggestions for solutions become reality while you return to immersing yourself in your intellectual world.
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