Trying Things Your Way

Sometimes, Workers try to help you by sending you to do something that will take time away from your current goals. When they set you to a task, you have to remember that they aren’t likely to have thought it out very well, especially from your perspective. Don’t expect them to be inclined to try things your way in return. Their own actions are likely just a repetition of something they saw done by a person they admire. If you let them know it went badly, they might say they heard it worked for someone else.

Some Workers might be willing to try things another way under very particular circumstances. Say they had a business deal with people of a different culture who lived far away, and they had to visit there occasionally. They would be willing to try hard to understand this culture’s way in this situation. That doesn't mean they love people in different countries who own businesses more than they love you. They love you in a different way. Since they do not lead an accountable life, like a Self Guider, they are not able to explain exactly what that means.

If you really wanted your caretakers to try things your way, then you could try to have control of your own business and culture. Then invite them to come to you. An easier way would be to find people who are more open to trying things differently. One thing that might work for some Workers is making a deal with them. Tell them something like: “If you rethink your way, I’ll do what you want,” or “I had a turn doing things your way, and now it’s your turn to do things my way.”

Exercises: Say you give these two test questions to each of the types of people you might meet, and they have to answer honestly. On a separate piece of paper, write down what each one would answer.

Question 1. How long would I have to be not naughty until you think of a better way to handle it the next time I am naughty?

1. None, I will do the right thing the first time.
2. Between a moment to an hour.
3. Between a few hours to a week.
4. Between a week to a month.
5. Several years or less if someone explains it to me.
6. I deserve to care for people who are never naughty, even if it hinders their potential.

Everything Knower

Self Guider

Wise Leader

Learner

Worker

Pretending Person

Question 2: Someone you care for has an idea for a potentially better way to live. How well said and far along would the idea have to be before you are willing to honestly consider it?

1. They just have to think it.
2. They can try to tell me without really knowing how, and I will help them work out how to say it.
3. I will try my best to understand, but I may make mistakes.
4. Written down with no errors, or presented in a very entertaining way.
5. We agree to play about it or test it on a town-sized group of people and ensure that it still works.
6. If I have to try it to do my job, or I see lots of my friends doing it.
7. No amount of effort will ever be good enough for me.

Everything Knower

Self Guider

Wise Leader

Learner

Worker

Pretending Person

Answer Explanation: Answer D isn’t used. If you make a song, play, poem, movie, or words without any mistakes, most caretakers would say “Good job,” or “You could do this for a living!” without thinking about trying things another way. It may work on busy Wise Leaders or Self Guiders who don’t care for you, if you want to stand out to get their attention.