The Cactus and Snowflake at Work

How the Logical and Sensitive Can Thrive Side by Side

Devora Zack

• Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781523093380
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Business Communication
• Index: Business

Feelers (those who lead with their hearts) and Thinkers (those who lead with their heads) can combine their strengths and work together if they follow the sage advice in this playful but practical guide. This book shows how people who "melt" (snowflakes) and people who retain their heat (cacti) when the temperatures rise at work can meet in the middle and combine their strengths in the workplace. We're all familiar with the introvert/extrovert divide, but there is another dichotomy that is just as significant. From the famed Myers-Briggs personality scale, Feelers put more weight on personal concerns and the people involved, and Thinkers are guided by objective principles and impersonal facts. This simple distinction lays the groundwork for the profoundly different ways that individuals make sense of and engage in both the workplace and the world. Devora Zack, herself a proud snowflake, says we can directly control only three things: what we say, what we think, and what we do. Zack makes a strong case that the best use of our energy is to focus on our own reactions and perceptions rather than trying to fix or change others. The book includes an assessment that readers can take to learn their placement on the Thinker/Feeler spectrum before exploring different modes of communication and motivation based on personality type. Zack guides her readers to channel their emotions and successfully connect with those on the other side, both inside and outside of the workplace.

CHAPTER ONE

Traversing the Great Divide

TAKE A SELF-ASSESSMENT & EXPLORE THE RESULTS

Dream in a pragmatic way.

—ALDOUS HUXLEY

The ubiquitous snowflake

. An astounding meteorological phenomenon that floats, rather than plummets, toward earth. Featuring spectacularly nuanced patterns, snowflakes are luminous, delicate, and ethereal. Or that’s how some would describe them. Others assess the very same mode of precipitation as fleeting, fragile, and frail.

Enter the cactus

. Representative of an entirely divergent climate, cacti are sturdy, hardy, and resilient. Indisputably prickly, cacti epitomize a tough exterior. Uninterested in kumbaya, they prefer we keep our distance. To some this toughness is admirable. Others find it hurtful.

Human Snowflakes are wont to wonder Why?? Why am I a Snowflake? Such pondering does not plague Cacti. They merely go about their business.

There are challenges to surviving both the wintry tundra and the blazing desert. Ahead, we’ll take tours of each, including what happens when the two cross paths. For we are surrounded by a random assortment of each style, resulting in a Cauldron of Confusion. And very few of us wear signage designating the nature of our preferences.

As we proceed, I’ll share my dual intentions. Snowflakes, no feelings will be bruised. And Cacti, no time will be wasted.

A MATTER OF DEGREE

If we were all either pure Snowflake or pure Cactus, life would be a lot simpler. Not to mention, this book would be a lot shorter. You could start ripping out entire chapters! Slow down, speedster. As hinted at previously, there are not two cut-and-dried versions of disposition. Most people identify with Snowflake over Cactus, or vice versa, sometimes quite strongly. Everyone has at least smidgens of both primary styles. Plus, we stir into the mix all kinds of additional temperament components. It’s a veritable potpourri of personalities!

There are degrees. Our natural nuances exist along a continuum. Envision an invisible silky thread traversing the terrain between desert and ice caps. It doesn’t have to be silky, simply makes it more pleasant to wind around your wrist.

At one end stand a group of Cacti, tapping their feet, waiting for you to get on with it.

The other end is populated by a cluster of Snowflakes, politely introducing themselves to each other. These two groups represent those with strong preferences for one side or the other. There are also individuals a bit removed from these far ends, others edging towar...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Contents
• Prelude. My Book Is Your Book
• Introduction. Laying the Groundwork
• Chapter One. Traversing the Great Divide - Take a Self-Assessment & Explore the Results
• Chapter Two. Getting Acquainted - Roots of Stereotypes & Reasons Behind Behaviors
• Chapter Three. Respect - Platinum Rule, Flex Your Style & Mind Your Own Business
• Chapter Four. The Nonevent - Alternative Realities & Beans up the Nose
• Chapter Five. Thoughts, Words, Actions - The Three Areas You Control
• Chapter Six. Stress and Shadows - Personality in Times of Angst
• Chapter Seven. Leaders in the Tundra and Sahara - Methods to Maximize Leadership Effectiveness
• Chapter Eight. Introverts and Extroverts in the Mix - The Interplay of Introversion, Extroversion, Snowflakes & Cacti
• Chapter Nine. Beyond Business - Snowflakes & Cacti in Your Personal Life
• Conclusion
• Discussion Guide
• Appendices
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgments
• Index
• About Devora
• Only Connect Consulting