Denise Stoppleworth
You know, all you really need to know about people, you can learn from a Winnie the Pooh book. I admit, I read them often. What do you expect with three children? But at our house, we’ve begun to classify people and moods by the characters in Winnie the Pooh. In our family, the comparison boils down to two main personalities: Tigger and Eyeore.
I tend to think of myself as the consummate Tigger. Happy. Excited. Spontaneous. A really glass-¾-full kind of person. With that comes the rose-colored glasses effect at times. I can be a bit too quick to respond and respond with a bit too much enthusiasm or emotion. I look for the same enthusiasm and emotion from those I deal with, so when a client says a project looks good, I’m disappointed because I’m always looking for the GREATTTTT! A Tigger’s enthusiasm can often be incredibly annoying to those around him/her – especially the Eyeores and the rabbits! Conversely, my husband is the ultimate Eyeore. I tease him all the time and now he does a great Eyeore voice to play the role. He recognizes his negativity just as I recognize my overzealousness. The Eyeore personality is always cautious, always a bit negative and over analytical to the point of being infuriating. They tend to point out the difficulties in every plan and often feel like they’re raining on a Tigger’s parade. Truth be known though, you need a healthy balance of both in any organization or partnership. Don’t fill your company with people that think and respond like you or you won’t be pushed to grow. Rather, fill your organization with a variety of different personalities and perspectives. Let the Eyeores challenge the Tiggers to see the obstacles in their plans and then work together to find ways to overcome them. What character from Winnie the Pooh are you? Why do you identify with that character? How does your skill set complement another personality type in your organization to help the organization develop?
