Closing General Session featuring Gretchen Rubin

Four Tendencies: The Key to Better Habits

When it comes to work habits, there’s no one right approach for creativity or productivity, just what works for each individual. In many ways, we are all alike—but our differences are very important. The better you understand yourself, and your colleagues, the easier it will be to start working better than before but self-knowledge is challenging.

Gretchen Rubin realized that by asking the seemingly dry question "How do I respond to expectations?" we gain explosive self-knowledge. She sorts everyone into four categories, which describe how people tend to respond to expectations: outer expectations (a deadline, a “request” from a sweetheart) and inner expectations (write a novel in your free time, keep a New Year’s resolution). When a person is confronted with expectations, how do you respond?  Your response to expectations may sound slightly obscure, but it turns out to be very, very important. In a nutshell:

1.       Upholders respond readily to outer and inner expectations.

2.       Questioners question all expectations; they’ll meet an expectation if they think it makes sense.

3.       Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike.

4.       Obligers meet outer expectations, but struggle to meet expectations they impose on themselves.
 

Do you find yourself within this framework? Doing so can help you understand how to manage yourself better. Figuring out the Tendencies helped Rubin understand herself, and it has also made it much easier for her to understand other people’s perspectives. You will learn about these four tendencies and find out what kind of person you are so which will help you get happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. It's far easier to succeed when you know what works for you.