We can‘t become someone else
The past 3 weeks I spent my nights having 1on1 deep talks with each of founding member of my Studio, we talked about performance reviews, aspirations, conflicts, and the potential of each individual.
Yep, one of my tasks at the Studio is how to create a good culture, the main key to creating a good culture is how each individual can reach their maximum potential and contribute most valuable things they can give.
We have been building this studio for more than 2 years, we have gone through a thousand conflicts as partners. Before doing 1on1 I asked each member to do an MBTI test, then I studied it. During the 1on1 session I tried to validate the points from the MBTI test results to members, then I got insight on how that individual can work optimally and minimally, what things can cause him to have conflict and what is the right way to resolve it, and so on.
These things made me realize that each of them has the different role, not everyone is comfortable working on projects, not everyone is comfortable making exploratory designs, not everyone is comfortable making documentation and thinking about strategies. Yes, each individual is like the roles in One Piece or Marvell, they have their own functions and desires.
We can’t force ourselves to become someone else, and vice versa, we can’t force others to become us. Here are the factors that I conclude, why can’t we become someone else?
Different characters
As humans we have different characters from birth, the older we grow, our character can change differently, it can also still the same but get stronger. However, there are always some characters that can’t be lost in us, characters that make us feel good, that make us who we are.
There are people whose characters like freedom, there are also people who like order. Some like to take risks, some like to be careful. Some are very ambitious, some are happy with an ordinary life. Some are stubborn, some like to give in. The thing that makes you is you, the character.
Different strength and weakness
Despite the interpersonal character, there are also things related to talents or skills, what we usually call strength and weakness. Strength is when we can do an activity with the most optimal process and results that we can, while weakness is the opposite.
There are people who are good at management, there are also people who are good at executing things perfectly. Some are good at negotiating, some are good at administration. Some are good at design, some are good at coding. We will naturally be happy when doing something according to the strength we have, being optimal in doing something is happiness.
Different mindset
Mindset is something that grows based on the background of our previous lives, our daily activities, and with whom we interact most often. The most practical thing from the mindset is about how someone views and faces a problem, how we interpret a problem will also affect how we find a way out, This also affects how small or big a dream a person can think of.
As fellow Designers, there are Designers who think that the efficiency of project work is the most important, there are also those who feel that quality is everything, even though it will take more time. Both are not wrong, the goals are both good, just different ways of thinking.
What about a will or dream?
I think a will or a dream is one of the final products of the combination of three factors above, it will drive our gut feelings to determine who we will become in the future.
The three factors above will shape us into who we are. The longer we grow, we will have a kind of instinct to become something that makes us feel comfortable, something that does not conflict with our values and identity.
People’s orientation and values are different, and it’s totally okay. Do things that make us feel excited and happy, the world will guide us and shape us to the most optimal version of us.
