The Mr Spock “That Is Illogical” Mind

Logic is good. Live Long and Proper.

Mr. Spock has a logical mind, but also superb emotional control and smooth interpersonal skills.

Not everyone wants to be or should be Mr. Spock. However some could improve their career prospects by learning a thing or two from Mr. Spock. Look how well Spock influences Captain Kirk. In case you never watched the old Star Trek, Kirk is the guy in charge with the huge ego.

Pat, an engineer, is smart. “Off the scale” smart. But she has a problem reading people. And she keeps talking when the signals from the people around her should be telling her to start listening. She has ideas about EVERYTHING and she’s willing to challenge anyone, including the very influential, because in her “Mr. Spock that is illogical” mind she knows she is right. And many times she IS right. She just goes about investing her ideas in a way that won’t help her much.

You can be right, and still be wrong.

Are you presenting your ideas in a non-reactive way? To the right people? At the right time?

Investing your ideas in your own work and your key relationships is smarter than using your amazing brain to make other people look like dolts!

• When you contradict people in power, even if you are right, you are wrong. Especially if you do that in public. Pat hasn’t figured this out yet, so she is still struggling in her career. She feels she has been treated unfairly. Maybe she has been.
• When you contradict your peers, it’s likely they will be embarrassed. Perhaps angry. Do it more than a few times, or on a key issue in their area of responsibility, and they may begin to think you are a threat to their job security. That ain’t good. Your peers are part of your support network.
• Realize that if you see the problem others do too, and your position or relationship may not enable you to bring up your concerns with the person directly, or at all.
• Do you manage them? It might not be your job to manage them. They do have managers who are responsible for them.
• The whole thing, see it’s kind of tricky. You have to develop relationships first, I’d say mostly by LISTENING and THEN you will be able to influence. Spock is able to influence Captain Kirk because he’s a trusted advisor. Try to influence BEFORE some kind of trust is established and you risk whatever influence you have.
• It’s going to cost you relationship points if it goes badly. Negative relationship points weaken your support network. Is it really worth it?

Allow the right person speak up so you can Live Long and Prosper. If you are the right person to bring forward an idea, do it in a non-reactive way, at the right time, and with the right person/people.

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