03. High Achievement 1: Imbibing Openness

Putting High Achievement into Action I: Imbibing Openness

You now know that the five core personality traits, shortened for convenience into the acronym OCEAN, stands for Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

We have also presented research studies as scientific evidence to show that there is a strong correlation between Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Achievement Orientation. The correlation between extraversion and achievement is weak, at best. And there is no correlation between neuroticism and achievement.

Fantastic! So, what’s next?

 Putting High Achievement into Action

In this module so far we’ve seen that high achievement is a derivative of:

1. Managing self for high achievement
2. Managing people for high achievement
3. Cultivating an environment conducive for high achievement

In this lesson, we’ll look at practical steps you could take to imbibe these and become a high-achiever yourself.

We’ll cover ‘managing self’ in a two-part lesson and explore ‘managing people’ and ‘cultivating a conducive environment’ subsequently.

So, let’s get on with…

1.  Managing Self for High Achievement

Managing self is linked to the traits of Openness and Conscientiousness. In this lesson, the first of two-parts, we’ll have a look at Openness, and we’ll cover conscientiousness in the second part.

Here’s how we imbibe Openness as a trait:

a.   Cultivate a Spirit of Inquiry

The ‘Spirit of inquiry’, popularly known as a ‘scientific attitude’ is a persistent sense of curiosity that serves learning as well as experimentation and practice. A professional infused by a spirit of inquiry will raise questions, challenge traditional and existing practices, and seek creative approaches to problem-solving. A spirit of inquiry suggests, to some degree, a childlike sense of wonder – encouraging innovative thinking and uncovering possibilities for discovering novel solutions.

Here are some reflective questions that could spark off your own Spirit of Inquiry

• Who can I seek out to assist me in expanding my knowledge and skill horizon?
• Why am I doing what I do? Which of my personal and professional practices are currently evidence based and which aren’t?
• Where can I find the best evidence to answer my questions?

b.   Be Open to New Experiences

Let’s be honest – being open to new experiences is downright scary. It involves doing things that are out of our carefully crafted comfort zones. So, most of us just find righteous ways to rationalize why we can’t or shouldn’t do them.

And that’s a tragedy. Because, trying new things whether it’s traveling to a new place, learning a new skill, or just doing something unfamiliar – can be really uplifting and rewarding.

Here are some recommendations on how to prime yourself to be open to new experiences when these opportunities present themselves:

• Admit you do have a comfort zone. In an article for Psychology Today, self-help author Peg Streep said, “Before we can break out of our comfort zones and try new things, we first must understand what your zone isand where it comes from”. Recognise your comfort zone for what it is. It’ll take a bit of introspection but this way, you’ll know exactly what’s holding you back from a new experience, instead of pegging it on a ‘gut feeling’.
• Remember, no one is good at anything at first. Lifestyle writer and blogger Jessica Larsen wrote this in an article, “If we’re not prepared to start out as a beginner, we are limiting ourselves to a very small selection of things that we have a natural affinity for. We are closing ourselves off from a boat-load of new experiences. We may think we are protecting ourselves, yet we’re really just keeping ourselves small and stifled
• Remind Yourself It’s Good for You. In an article for Forbes, executive coach and leadership development consultant Kristi Hedges noted that happiness and learning new things are closely tied togetherin our brains. There’s your incentive. Make that choice. Be happy!

Conclusion

Openness embodies breaking away from our comfort zones and routines that have outlived their usefulness, in favour of growth, innovation and even happiness. In spite of this, subscription to Openness for most people is not an automatic choice. One has to actively manage oneself to be open to new experiences and learning, and that in itself, can be a learning curve. It’s worth it though because in the end, it’s only through innovation, new learning and fresh perspectives that high achievement truly comes about.

For now, please take the quiz at the end of this lesson in order to proceed.