How Rational Are You?

A rational person is sensible and commonsensical; reasoned and reasonable. In the workplace, rational people exude calmness and steadiness that is comforting to those on their team. If you have rational coworkers, then you know what to expect, which means you can focus your energy on solving real business problems instead of walking on eggshells and drama. Being irrational can stem from a

number of causes — being overly emotional, making false assumptions, having biases, being based in fear, etc. If you want to build your rational thinking, focus on solutions and, when you start to think you might be irrational, try to view your situation through an objective lens.

This week’s Challenge: This week, if I find my judgment clouded, then I will think about my issue from an outside perspective (for example, if this were happening to a friend, what would I advise him/her to do?).

Avoiding being Skeptical (overuse): Being skeptical means you have doubts or reservations. Being skeptical might be a natural, healthy response to something that doesn’t “feel” right… or, it might be based in an unfounded fear resulting from a step outside of your comfort zone. It all depends on the context. Emotional reasoning is usually the underlying cause for both underuse and overuse of this trait, and the remedy is the same — try to look at your situation from an outside, objective perspective, and then ask yourself if your reservations are unfounded.

Commendable Trait: Rational
Underused: Irrational
Overused: Skeptical
Strength: Perspective
Quadrant: Wisdom