There you are: soft, subtle, and calm.
And then there’s the typical work environment: fast-paced, competitive, and often overwhelming.
How do you find the balance of living true to your nature—and succeeding at work at the same time? Today I’m joined by our Type 2 Expert, Anne, as she shares her personal experiences about this very topic. Her stories will resonate with you and help you feel affirmed and supported in your true nature.
Affirmation: I’m heard, and I’m confident that the pace that I work at is honored by me and others. I’m appreciated for all the details I oversee and the sensitivity I bring to my job.
How has knowing your Energy Type helped you in the workplace? Share in the comments below!
Helpful resources mentioned in this video:
Thank you all T2’s for taking care of all the details! I’m soooo happy there are people out there who love to take good care of them. My ideas love you 🙂 (T1)
Oh, where to begin… everything you said was spot on.. knowing that I’m a type 2 has helped me so much in the work place.. knowing that my questioning nature/need for details is NOT me being insubordinate or unsupportive but how I move through the process, that being overwhelmed with new projects at first what I always thought of as me “disaster-sizing” is just my need for details to plan.. helped me to feel better about myself and my gifts. Last month I even received an award at work for doing something that required meticulous attention to detail. I believe seeing aspects of my type 2 nature as gifts and dressing my truth has helped others in my workplace to view them that way as well…Thank you Carol for energy profiling, thank you Anne for being such a great role model for type 2’s.. (Great to see you last week in person!)
Congratulations on your award! I’m so happy to hear you are living and dressing your truth in all areas of your life. It was a pleasure to meet you too! 🙂
This is a great series
I’m a 2/3 as well, and can relate to so many things you said, Anne! I used to think it was a lack of affirmation on my part that I could not formulate clear-cut opinions instantly. I’ve since realized how much of a gift it is to grasp all the details without even trying. There’s this great quote: “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.”
Us T2s just need time to be succinct 🙂
I work for a very results-oriented and demanding Type 3. We have worked together for many years, and I had my tearful moments in the ladies room trying to deal with her “pushy” energy. Here’s what works for me: 1. Say what you need directly. If you need a day to do something, say so, then deliver. It might be hard at first but if you’re reliable it works. 2. Go to a meeting with a list of SHORT things to say about each project. Leave the details out unless they ask. Keep them informed of progress and when RESULTS are expected. 3. Don’t go in to a discussion with a lot of questions. Consider all aspects of the problem, think about some options for solving the problem, pick the best option and be able to argue for it. THEN go in for a chat in confidence that you’ve thought it through and can get to the point. They may not agree with you, but will respect your thoughtfulness. 4. This may not be true for other 3 bosses but mine sort of enjoys disagreement as long as you can back it up. She loves “I disagree and here’s why.” This has taken me years to get to, but get outside your zone and try it. You might be surprised. My energy is still 2 for sure, but I’m learning her buttons, just like she knows mine! We get along well now, although she gets overly anxious about getting things done FAST. I’ve learned to ignore some of this. Good luck, fellow 2’s!
These are some great tactics, thank you!
So much of the type 2 characteristics fit me, more than the characteristics of any other type, however I am not well developed any many ways in details. Maybe it is because I have a strong type 1 secondary so I am scattered into many different areas mentally. What do you think of this? Could have mistyped myself even though I have so many characteristics of type 2. In some areas I do see that I get very detailed but in many areas I am not as detailed as I need to be.
By the way, I loved the ideas in this video and will use them for sure!
I don’t think you can take any ONE thing to determine your type. It is your overall way of being in the world. I also think you secondary is a big factor too. Perhaps someone from DYT can elaborate, but most likely you are right if the bulk of T2 fits you.
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Thank you so much for this episode, it was so helpful, and absolute perfect timing for me. I work very closely with two T3’s and a T1, this has really given me some great insight and useful tips. Love it. Thank you!
Thanks for the great explanation of work for you. I began my work career in positions that were very challenging for me. I was being told to speak up so I was heard. To speak with confidence. To make decisions quickly and move on. I would start a position thinking this job will be a better fit than the last, only to find myself overwhelmed and exhausted. I have finally found a job that allows me to move at my pace and to focus on the details. I really enjoy it even dealing with the things that make me uncomfortable because it is no longer the main part of my job. I know better understanding my self through dressing my truth has allowed me to be open to the position and to be successfully.
Working with a type 3. We visit a studio run by a type 4. Type 3 says to type 4: “Ok, we have taped Lisa´s voice now” (Lisa is me, type 2), she sounds very calm (I don´t think so), and now I need somebody, who sounds “waking up”. Type 3 is very excited and shows a lot of enthusiasm about the project. These were the words. To me it sounded this way: “Lisa is a very nice person, but she sounds boring. Now it´s your job to wake people up, who fell asleep meanwhile she was speaking.” All the appreciation went to type 4, who did not care at all about any indications written by type 3 in the script. This obviously did not matter for type 3, because finally somebody was there to wake people up and this was so great. By the way, I did work on the instructions given by type 3 and I think it worked very well. Besides I am a moderator and type 4 not. To stick with the whole story – type 4 gave me appreciation: “I can hear you are very professional, great!” / Well, type 3 is also my partner and I am still depressed, although type 4 was very nice. It´s like my mother stood up (type 3) and told me once again I should do things different, better, louder, quicker, more excited, more confident, stronger, more like somebody else….. and so on. Any tips for me? Thanks! <3
Do the clearing session for “I Don’t Like My Type 2.” You are just showing yourself some old programming from your childhood. That is how it shows up, people play parts for us and reflect back to us what we subconsciously believe about ourselves. And make sure you use the Affirmations for Type 2 audio to really shift your beliefs to positive ones.
Thank you so much, Carol! I will do that! Love, Lisa
Oh My Gosh – I think I am a type two but have been living in a type 3 universe. I so appreciate the point of when there is emotional buy in I will take care of the details for the team… love it, plus the over telling of details causing me to loose the listener… thanks for this good beginning
Thanks Carol and Anne for this great video. I can relate a lot to what Anne said about the strengths of Type 2. I’m a Type 2 who used to work as an alternative medicine healer. I’m very detail-oriented in everything I do. Sometimes this almost got me into over thinking and over worrying during and after the treatment for my patients. Also, I love to have an emotional connection with my patients and my sensitivity makes them feel safe and comfortable. However, over time, I feel my body got burnt out by taking on lots of emotions from my patients. Now, I am taking a break from my healing work because I found it’s hard for me to find the balance. I take my patients to my heart and my sensitivity and caring nature started to make me feel weighed down in my personal life. I wish I can be more detached but it is hard for me. People around me are surprised that I no longer give healing sessions anymore and they see I have wasted my gift. Sometimes I feel guilty too. Any advice on this situation?
Could you put a toe back in the water with fewer clients and put into use the techniques learnt here for protecting yourself?
I used to work in the academia, and I always felt I was in the wrong place, because the emphasis was on argumentation and individual, theoretical work. I missed genuine connection with people and the feeling of actually being able to help humanity. I’m changing career now and studying to be a RN, and this summer I’m having my first summer job as a nurse substitute. Energy types show up so well in the hospital world! I believe I’m 2/3, and I feel most overwhelmed by having to be in a constant hurry and when there are any conflicts within the work community. I’ve had a few nurses snap at me, especially when I’ve asked questions, which they have taken as criticism (which it is not, as I just ask lots and lots of questions to understand better, no matter what I’m trying to learn). I love connecting with the patients and their families and making their time at the ward as comfortable as possible, and that’s where I pay most of my attention to, which is why I prefer nursing fields with a bit longer patient contacts (specifically gerontological nursing, hospice, psychiatry).That’s also where I’ve gotten positive feedback. I struggle most with setting up emotional boundaries in the conflict situations and stressing when not having clear procedures and instructions for how things should be done. I feel having check lists for different processes would make everything so much easier, and I’d have more time to concentrate on the patients themselves, but I believe in time I will learn to have more flow in my shifts.
I had a very similar experience with my career, Hanna: I was a PhD student and I loved what I was studying. But, somehow, I felt Academia was such a demanding world and it required to be very focused and dedicated to just that one thing, all the time. I’m a Type 2 and, while I absolutely LOVE research, I also missed connecting with actual people and I also have that side of me that wants to “save the world”. Now I’m a high school teacher and, while I love the connecting with my students and the “make things happen” parts of this job, I often feel overwhelmed and rushed. I’m still working on how to be comfortable and work at my pace, and also I “extrovert” myself a lot (it’s a need, when you are teaching) and that leaves me exhausted quite often. I’m starting to miss my solitary PhD experience, haha!
I relate to what you have shared a lot! I studied to be a Medical Assistant and my favorite part is talking with patients and helping them feel relaxed during my clinical rotation but the constant “move, let’s go!” attitude that a lot of Dr.’s have today throws me off. I will try to be fast entering in patient’s information but then mess up but even when I take my time, which is too long sometimes, is just another thing to get scolded over. I asked the Medical Assistants who I shadowed lot’s of questions and would sometimes feel like I was getting on their nerves. Flow is also something that I have to work on, especially when you have patients who have a lot of concerns and I just feel so bad interrupting them just to plug in information fast. It’s cool that you have noticed certain area’s in nursing that work better for you! 🙂