Does a colleague annoy you to no end? Consider the quality of the other person behind it and what you can learn from them. Ofman's core quadrant provides a fascinating framework for this.
The core quadrant in a nutshell: with each core quality comes a pitfall, a challenge and an allergy.
What are core qualities?
Core qualities are the specific strengths that characterize a person. They make you who you are. They are so important to you that you consider it normal to yourself. Everyone has at least some of these core qualities. You are born with them, so to speak, and you apply them in all
areas of your life (both professionally and privately).
From your specific core qualities, you look at the world around you and expect the same from others. That's why it can be so annoying when others don't, and exhibit the opposite core quality.
When does a core quality become a pitfall?
Many core qualities become pitfalls when you slip into them. Slipping into your pitfall happens mainly at moments of stress. You use your core quality too much. This is often experienced as very annoying by those around you. If you are very decisive, you can fall into the trap of being pushy. If you overshoot in your caring, you can become very patronizing. Or your core quality of "wanting to do well" may slip into the trap of perfectionism.
Your allergies
The other person's pitfall is your allergy. Just as everyone has core qualities, everyone has pitfalls. When another person overshoots in a certain quality, it can cause irritation in you. Your reaction to this is called an allergy. Such an allergy often has to do
with a quality of yourself. If you are very modest, you may be irritated by people who constantly pat themselves on the back.
Your challenges
To be in a positive balance with yourself and with your environment, it is very important that you can combine your core qualities with your challenges. Your challenges are the positive opposite of your pitfalls (e.g. pitfall "being pushy", challenge "putting things in perspective, being patient", pitfall "patronizing", challenge "letting go"). Unlike your core qualities, you are not born with your challenges. You have to learn them (often over and over again). A condition for learning them is that you are aware of your core qualities as well as your pitfalls.
The beauty of learning your challenges is that the very person to whose behavior you react allergically shows you your own challenge. Are you regularly annoyed by the passivity of another person? Then see what quality is behind it. For example, is someone thoughtful or patient and has they gone overboard? Chances are that is precisely your challenge, because you yourself are sometimes too pushy. You can learn a lot from
the people who annoy you the most! The challenge is the positive opposite quality of the pitfall.
When can you use this?
It is advisable to work out core quadrants with your colleagues and discuss allergies openly. That way you can improve cooperation.
It is also a useful tool as preparation for a performance review and for creating your personal development plan.
Often people say, "I'm like this, that's my character." Many things about your personality are indeed largely determined by innate characteristics, experiences and upbringing, and therefore difficult to change. Thanks to Ofman's core quadrant, however, you can take the sharp edges off.
An example:
1. Els is very precise. That is her quality.
2. Sometimes she overshoots in that and becomes a nitpicker. That is then her pitfall.
3. Her challenge is the opposite of her pitfall "nitpicking," in this case "good is good enough.
4. Attached to her quality is also an allergy. In this case, her allergy is "nonchalance.
So the next time you get annoyed with someone, you know there's a gift in there for yourself!
What about you?
Do you want to develop more self-knowledge? Insight into your core qualities? Know what is important to you in your work? What you are good at and enjoy doing? What would you like to learn? Ask for a free telephone consultation with a Travvant coach in your neighborhood.