personal preference art: Kingdomality

Many years ago there was a period of time that is often casually called "Medieval." It was a time, so the story tellers tell us, of tiny kingdoms, brave knights and ferocious dragons. Transportation and travel were both crude and difficult, usually necessitating that each kingdom be as self sufficient and self reliant as possible. Therefore it was very important that within each kingdom all the major crafts and professions of the day were ably represented to insure the survival of the kingdom. In the English language we still see remnants of some occupations in the familiar surnames such as Smith (as in the village smithy), Carpenter, Miller, and Baker to name just a few. Interestingly enough, beyond the specific title the vocation also took on its own greater personality. This personality preference can also give a broader understanding of the basic complementary style and types necessary to the kingdom's survival, or perhaps any organization's success. Although the specific vocation influenced the name, it was no accident that certain personality types and styles gravitated to certain occupations. The personality of these jobs suited the inclinations of the job holders, and the predecessor to modern day job descriptions was born. The successful matching of a job-holder's personality to the personality and unique requirements of the job was necessary to the kingdom's survival, or perhaps any organization's success. The successful kingdoms were able to blend the differences into a powerful and formidable entity.
With today's diverse workforce, the corporate kingdom that acknowledges and nurtures these personality preferences could become an organization as successful as Camelot of old.
Even though we now appear to have the freedom to explore many different career alternatives, each of us still has a medieval vocational personality within us. This personality, properly identified and understood, can motivate our success but, if ignored, may set the stage for our ultimate failure.

From the publisher of Fish! and the best selling author of Gung Ho! and Raving Fans