LDRS Podcast Episode #6

The podcast episode discusses the Curtain Adaption Innovation Theory (KAI) and the host's personal results from an online quiz based on this theory. The host's score indicates a preference for adaptive problem-solving. The advantages of this style include striving for improvement, organization, consensus-building, and efficiency. However, the host struggles with change, difficulty moving out of established patterns, and getting fixated on details. They also prefer to be in control but acknowledge the need for balance. When working with others, the host emphasizes the importance of organization, avoiding confrontation, and leveraging their focus on details while someone else focuses on the big picture. They also prefer a routine and dislike frequent changes. Overall, the host shares insights on their problem-solving style and how they can work effectively with others, especially in conflict situations. Hi, everyone. Long time no chat. Welcome back to the Senior Season Podcast Leadership Edition. This is Episode 6, and I'm your host, Allie Perl. And we haven't chatted in a while, and we have a lot to break down this episode. We're going to talk all about KAI, or the Curtain Adaption Innovation Theory. It's a lot to look at, but it was really interesting. I took the kind of exam myself, got my results, and I'm going to break them down for you guys today and go over everything. So let's jump right into it because we have a lot to cover. So first off, what is KAI? What is it really looking at? So this theory helps us understand our preferred problem-solving style. So it was an online quiz that I took and essentially answered questions on a Likert scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree. There were about 30 or so questions, and at first, I was pretty optimistic of the entire process. How well was this 30-some question, essentially quiz, going to understand me and my problem-solving style? But wow, I got my results back. I just looked at the results, and I am overall very pleasantly surprised with the results and how they represent me. So essentially, the scale kind of ranges from adaptive to innovative, and the mean is 95, and my total KAI score was an 80. So my score is on the more adaptive side of the mean. There are kind of three sections that I got broken down to. So my idea generation, my score is 36. My methodology efficiency score was a 12, and my management of structure, rule, group, and conformity score is a 32, and all three of these sections are on the more adaptive side of the mean. So what does that mean, more adaptive? Let's break that down. So overall, it means that I prefer more well-established and structured situations. So after I saw these results, I was like, wow, is that accurate? I am very much someone who loves structure, who loves a routine, and these results directly portrayed that. What are some advantages of this preferred style? So people that are more adaptive, myself included, really aim at doing things better as opposed to changing them. That's one of our biggest things that we strive in the work that we do, is just doing things better. We are extremely organized and tidy. We look for consensus when working with others, which is important when either being in a leadership role or when working in a group. We keep ongoing functions running smoothly and efficiently, and as I previously hit on, we love a good routine and we are very toned in with details, but every advantage must have a disadvantage. So being more adaptive, it'll be imperative that I am aware of these disadvantages and how I can use my advantages to balance out some of the disadvantages that I do have. So I do not work well with change. Even though I think I like to, I am not, and I think that these direct statistics prove that. I do not work well with change. People that also are more adaptive may struggle to move out of established patterns in unstable or rapidly changing times. So I currently am working to do better with this in my current job, in my everyday life. Essentially, when I get stressed under high pressure situations, when something needs to get changed, I just get really, really stressed out. So this is something that I'm currently working on, but I do not work well, and I struggle to move out of those established patterns in rapidly changing times. And finally, the details. Sometimes, and these numbers showed it, I can get way too loft into details and just get so fixated on it and have a difficult time moving on, and that can be a disadvantage. As someone who is very focused on those details and the routine that comes with those details and doing things very specifically, sometimes I can narrow in too much on those. And an advantage and disadvantage is that I like control. I like to be in control of things, whether I am in a leadership position or whether I am just working in a group setting, I do find myself to like to be in control. Whether I am the most vocal individual in the group or not, sometimes I think I can kind of fly under the radar and work more quietly, but still have a lot of the control in the group. That can be a good thing, but that also can be a bad thing. So really just finding that fine balance of working with others in a group setting, liking to be in control, but also not being overbearing. So when working with a team, what will be my best way to state this information? How can I work best with others, even if they are more innovative, if they are also someone who is really adaptive? How can I work with these individuals? So first off, just really stressing that I work best with organization and do not like confrontation. So if there is an issue that we are trying to resolve, really kind of coming at one another is not going to be beneficial for me. I will not get work done in that setting. So also just stressing on the organization. Keeping things tidy, straight, in place is the best work environment for myself. If I am in a group setting and someone can look at the big picture, I can narrow in on those little details. So if someone is more innovative and likes to look at the big picture and paint that picture, I can narrow in on the details of the situation. And finally, working with a team, it is best that they know that I do like a routine. Not having things switched up a lot will be important for them to know, whether that be at a job, in a project. There is lots of situations in the future where I will be working in a group setting and just knowing that that routine is what is best for me and how I will most effectively get stuff done. So everyone, that was a extreme nutshell version of my KAI theory results, kind of showing how I work best with others and how I can work towards problem solving and working best with others in an element when a conflict arises, how do I work best in the situation. So thank you all so much for coming and listening to my podcast today. I really appreciate it. And I will see you all in our next episode, which will be after the Thanksgiving holiday. So enjoy the holiday. Enjoy friends, family, any time that you are able to spend with loved ones. And I hope you all have a great holiday and I will talk to you all after. Bye, guys.