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Focus and Energy

29 January 2009 13 Comments
FocusAndEnergy
Photo by planetlight

I don’t remember who drew this on my whiteboard, but I liked it.   It’s basically personas for focus and energy.  I’ll summarize it like this:

  • Procrastinators – Low energy and low focus
  • Disengaged – Low energy  and high focus
  • Distracters – High energy and low focus.
  • Purposeful – High energy and high focus

I like new lenses.  They make an old song new.  In this case, it’s a reminder of the power of focus. 

I think Beware the Busy Manager (Harvard Business Review) is an interesting article on how this shows up at work.

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13 Comments »

  • Alik Levin | PracticeThis.com said:

    Ha, good stuff!
    I think I used to fall in trap with Distracters….
    I like highly energetic people, but sometimes i was confused why they many times so unproductive….
    Now i know – lack of focus!
    Very good and practical stuff – loved it

    # 29 January 2009 at 11:32 pm
  • Karl Staib - Work Happy Now said:

    I have fallen into all these categories. It just depends on the kind of work and people I’m working with that dictate which lens.

    I’m working on harnessing my purposeful lens as often as I can. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort, but that’s how it goes.

    # 30 January 2009 at 5:44 am
  • Patricia said:

    This was a very good post, I liked it’s short, sweet, pithiness and then the link to the big guns.

    I am working at writing like this for my partner’s blog to encourage conversation and discussion. I am not there yet!

    I am a Intensely purposeful person/manager….writer…and parent. I just draw the distracters like flies to honey. I like writing the blog because I can get my purpose down in words and they enjoy the distracters as they help me move along to the next idea.

    Thank you

    # 30 January 2009 at 3:11 pm
  • tom said:

    Great way of showing the distinction between different kinds of people.
    No wonder the 90/10 rule is so true.

    # 30 January 2009 at 8:41 pm
  • J.D. Meier (author) said:

    @ Alik

    Thank you.

    Lack of focus is a funny thing. It can start off fun, but then at some point, people end up frustrated when they aren’t getting anywhere. I think it’s a similar relationship, like motivation and self-discipline. Motivation might get you going, but self-discipline sees you through.

    @ Karl

    It’s good to go with the flow.

    It’s also good to know your preference. Today, I had another reminder that as much as I like to dabble in things, I also need to be focused on some significant outcome.

    @ Patricia

    Thank you. Pithiness is a great word!

    It sounds like you found the perfect way to leverage distracters.

    @ Tom

    It’s funny how a little lens sheds so much light. The 90/10 rule is a good way to punctuate the point. All those choices and decisions each day really add up.

    # 30 January 2009 at 9:13 pm
  • Giovanna Garcia said:

    Hi J.D.

    This is very insightful. I understand it, I just never heard it put this way. I enjoyed reading it. :-)
    Thanks,
    Giovanna Garcia
    Imperfect Action is better than No Action

    # 30 January 2009 at 11:55 pm
  • Jannie Funster said:

    Okay, thanks. I’m going to go be purposeful wtih my guitar now!

    :)

    # 31 January 2009 at 3:28 pm
  • Christine | Communicate Value said:

    I really like these descriptions. As I was reading them I was imagining people who fit those labels in my life–as well as times when I fit all of them. :)

    # 31 January 2009 at 9:28 pm
  • JD (author) said:

    @ Giovanna

    I think I found the source of the model my colleague showed me. It looks like it’s the model from the boo, “A Bias for Action,” By Heike Bruch, Sumantra Ghoshal. I haven’t read it yet, but I like the idea.

    @ Jannie

    Your focus and energy serve you well!

    @ Christine

    That’s what I like about the model. It gives me a lens for others and myself.

    # 1 February 2009 at 12:33 pm
  • Maya said:

    Love this JD.
    So true about new lenses making an old song new!!

    # 2 February 2009 at 12:20 am
  • Barbara Swafford said:

    Hi J.D. – I know I’ve fallen into all of these categories over the years, but I strive to be purposeful. Staying focused is key.

    # 2 February 2009 at 1:14 am
  • JD (author) said:

    @ Maya

    Thank you. I’m such a fan of lenses and new ways of looking at things.

    @ Barbara

    You’re right, focus is key. It seems like if you get the right focus that inspires you, energy takes care of itself. They feed each other.

    # 2 February 2009 at 9:13 am
  • Consultants, Beware Of Procrastinators, Disengaged, And Distracters! — Practice This said:

    [...] his post Focus and Energy  J.D. Meier at http://www.sourcesofinsight.com describes 4 types of personas: Procrastinators, [...]

    # 5 February 2009 at 1:23 am

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