“What kind of mood is Jim in today?”
If you find yourself asking this question not out of curiosity, but as a critical part of your planning process, then you are likely working with an Inconsistent.
How to recognize Inconsistents:
- Their assessments of others swing wildly
- They are impulsive
- They waffle between details and strategy
- They sound and reasonable sometimes, narrow-minded and nonsensical other times
- Their style changes day-to-day
- They lack political astuteness
- They are more emotional than logical
- They change their minds about issues unexpectedly
How to work with Inconsistents:
- Be the last voice they hear before walking into a decision
- Remain emotionally consistent
- Document conversations… CYA!
- Be prepared to walk away from, or push to a decision, at any meeting
- Use others (especially assistants) to gauge the person’s mood before engaging
- Follow up publicly
- Gently point out inconsistencies in the person’s position
- Pull the person back from extremes… e.g., when confronted with an overly flattering portrait of someone, ask, “Is there *any* area you think the person might need to improve a little?”
