![\"Covey](\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/Covey_finding_your_centre_01.jpg\" "\\"Covey_finding_your_centre_01\\"")
<\/p>\nWhat would you consider your centre?\u00a0 Where are your values focused and from where do you draw your security, guidance, wisdom, and power?\u00a0 These are questions Covey asks and we ask ourselves in the studio we work through in the second part of Habit 2: Keeping the End in Mind.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As we worked through the concept in a recent breakfast session, one of the team astutely mentioned that what we can consider our centre is not any one thing, but often varying degrees of many aspects of our identity that we claim as our centre.\u00a0 I don\u2019t disagree with this in practice, but I find myself wondering if we can have a centre that is distinct from any one spoke.\u00a0 Without a spoke-exclusive centre, what we claim as our centre can cause our wheel to become quite unbalanced<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A simple exercise to self-assess your centre is to write down what you feel your \u201cspokes\u201d are in one column.\u00a0 Then in two other columns, write a number for how \u201ccentred\u201d you feel under no stress and a number for how you feel under high stress with 1 being no stress and 10 being high-stress.\u00a0 Finally, draw out your spokes and plot both circles.<\/p>\n The results of this process can reveal two things.\u00a0 First, deviations along a specific spoke in your low and high stress points may reveal what is not your centre.\u00a0 Second, if the two circles overall are of significantly different shape, it may show you are not operating under a principle-based centre.<\/p>\n I will grant that this process is played out differently based on personalities and natural tendencies to respond to stress.\u00a0 Everyone\u2019s spokes may also be different, as some may operate from a principle-based centre in many areas with notable exceptions of specific spokes.\u00a0 Finally, there are those who say a certain spoke should be your centre, such as \u201cfamily\u201d or \u201cspirituality\u201d.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, I have seen too often where the constructs of religion or dysfunctional family relationships (rather than the healthy expressions)\u00a0can pervert what was originally intended as a healthy centre.\u00a0 Rather, I ask if there is a centre that incorporates the many aspects of who you are, but is also independent such that your centre is not blown away when you are under pressure.\u00a0\u00a0 I ponder such a centre as I look at the significant pressures facing today\u2019s digital studio.<\/p>\n The approach described above can be applied to any organisation, replacing the personal spokes with organisational attributes.\u00a0 In the studio, natural pressures are prevalent.\u00a0 Clients move deadlines, project schedules cause conflict in resource allocations, and unforseen programming challenges can increase development time.\u00a0 By the same token, I strive to continuously improve aspects such as quality, processes, strategy, research and development, and fun and culture.<\/p>\n As the pressures increase, I note how the degree to which stress impacts my ability to move these areas forward can vary from mild to significant, depending on the area.\u00a0 I will leave you with two solutions I strive to apply in our studio:<\/p>\n 1)\u00a0Find a principle-based centre for the organisation<\/strong> 2)\u00a0Find those who are not as impacted under stress to support your weak spokes<\/strong>\n\n
\n Spoke<\/strong><\/td>\n Low-stress<\/strong><\/td>\n High-stress<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Work<\/td>\n 3<\/td>\n 6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Family<\/td>\n 2<\/td>\n 7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Partner<\/td>\n 3<\/td>\n 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Spirituality<\/td>\n 4<\/td>\n 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Hobby<\/td>\n 4<\/td>\n 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Friends<\/td>\n 2<\/td>\n 7<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n External contacts<\/td>\n 3<\/td>\n 5<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Self-view<\/td>\n 2<\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n ![\"Covey](\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/Covey_finding_your_centre_02.jpg\" "\\"Covey_finding_your_centre_02\\"")
<\/p>\nDifferent spokes for different folks<\/h2>\n
![\"Finding](\"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/05\/Covey_finding_your_centre_03.jpg\" "\\"Covey_finding_your_centre_03\\"")
<\/p>\n
\nWhen the pressure is on, confirm who are you as a group of people and remind yourself of your common goal outside of your immediate concerns.\u00a0This ties into how we address the gap between stimulus and response <\/a>through knowing who you are.<\/p>\n
\nEveryone reacts differently under stress.\u00a0 Some may be able to continue to see the strategic vision, others can focus on process, while others have the capacity to keep the laughs happening under fire.\u00a0 Know the strengths of your team, and apply grace and understanding to those whose spokes need supporting.<\/p>\nOther posts in the series:
\nHabit 1: Be Proactive<\/a>
\nHabit 2: Keeping the End in Mind<\/a>
\nHabit 4: Win-Win or No Deal<\/a>
\nHabit 5: Seek first to understand, then be understood (no one wants a web site)<\/a>
\nHabit 6: Synergy<\/a>
\nHabit 7: Sharpening the saw<\/a><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"