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Letting your Animal Self Loose

A person cannot spend any time in the workforce field without being an endless observer of people. Good or bad, people are what make the larger economic development machine work. Watching people, you come to learn we are part of the animal kingdom with some behaviors unique to our species and others similar to the other creatures that breathe on this planet.
 
This is why one of those more non-traditional interview questions, “What animal best describes you and why,” is used by employers to get insight into potential employees and see how self-aware the applicants are. Before self-declaration as a hippopotamus or a gold fish, a little reflective thought is the best preparation to understand what animal you are and what animal you really want to be like.
 
To really understand animals and how you are part of the animal kingdom, take a moment to watch some videos. Does an animal live alone or in groups? How does an animal seek its food? Does it set a trap and wait or hunt? What behaviors does an animal exhibit under stress and pressure? Is an animal a fight or flight or retreat and hide? There is a big difference between a spider and a lion.
 
What does it mean for you when you thought you had the eyes of a tiger, but exhibit the behavior of a flamingo? Being a tiger means exploring your territory and hunting. A tiger is active in its environment. It doesn’t stand in the water and look pretty all day. A tiger takes initiative. When stress and pressure arrive, the tiger fights through it to get the job done.  On the other hand the turtle goes into its shell and retreats. The turtle hides.  Being the animal and becoming the animal are two different things. Becoming the animal you would like to be requires your action.
 
After all this thought about nature, you may start to view workforce development like a large zoo. If you work with job seeking customers, you can see the animals inside them. The behaviors they demonstrate that may or may not be in line with their goals. If you are involved with data, you see the outcomes of animalistic behaviors and how those behaviors effect the larger picture. Enjoy your time in the animal kingdom. You are of course part of the show. You may even be the monkey in the middle of it all.
~Karen J. Cirincione
Twitter:@kcirincione
 

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