Page 118 - Talane Miedaner - Coach Yourself to a New Career_ 7 Steps to Reinventing Your Professional Life (2010)

106 COACH YOURSELF TO A NEW CAREER

ask them to take on multiple projects, but at least give yourself
the illusion of doing so by putting just a sole project on your desk
at any one time. You’ll stand to be much more productive if you
work with your natural style and not against it.

FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND
MY RATING COWORKERS RATING
Single-tasker % %
Multitasker % %
Total = 100% 100%

Hands-On (Practical) Versus

Hands-Off (Abstract)

Some people have the need to work with their hands and produce
a tangible product or result, while others are content to work in
the abstract and don’t need to put their hands on an object to feel
that they’ve accomplished something. As more and more jobs
become abstract and require dealing with people, concepts, and
ideas, often the only physical evidence of a hard day’s work is a
printed report or memo. As jobs become increasingly abstract,
people with the need to produce something tangible may feel
vaguely or even highly dissatisfied with their work.
People who are hands-off like the abstract and don’t need a
physical product or result to feel satisfaction with their work. They
may be perfectly content to let others do the actual physical work
and have no inclination to get their hands dirty. The hands-on
folks are the ones who get a real sense of satisfaction from building
something or creating something with their hands and need this
level of involvement to feel they are getting something done. One
of the most common causes of dissatisfaction—and it often comes
at about age forty—is a job that entails doing abstract work. If you
come home after a day’s work and feel as if you haven’t accom-
plished anything real, even though you did in fact get a lot done,
this may be a sign that you need to do something with your hands.