A useful tool for anybody wanting to improve.Every day in our life, every
discussion we have, every
meeting or event can be called a
process, a work process. Into this
process we bring ourselves, with
our beliefs, limitations, prejudices,
experience, expectations, hopes
etc., i.e., our ‘personal input.’
Personal
Input
The work process can take various forms. It
may be a meeting, a phone conversation etc.
The success of the work process will depend
on the inputs to the process.
On the personal side, you can feel
happy, disorientated, angry,
frustrated, relieved, unconcerned
etc..
Personal
Output
Practical
Input
There are also “practical” inputs
which influence the work process,
e.g. policies, resources, lighting,
weather, regulations, taxes,
communications, instructions etc..
Working
Process
Practical
Output
The practical results can be a
decision, a plan, a report, profit,
etc. It is the ‘thing’ produced,
whether good, bad, etc.
Y Model
The ‘Y-Model’ is used
to facilitate the
development of a
personal improvement
plan. It consists of
defining the present
and the desired
situation, and a
method to work out a
set of actions to
achieve the desired
situation.
Describe the
Desired
Situation
Describe the
Current
Situation
Need for Change
Analysis
Identify Actions
Reflect
Develop Plan
Select Actions
Implement
Regular Reflection
Assess
How did you do?
Reflection Exercise
Learn even more about yourself and others
with this simple 5-step self study.
Reflection Exercise
1 Pick out 4-6 traits from your report that stand out to you:
Consider, among other things:
Where you scored Highest
Where you scored Lowest
Trait 1
Trait 2
Where you were most
Where you see the most
surprised/where you disagree
potential
for your development
most
Trait 3
Trait 4
ex Flexible
2 For each of the traits you picked, write a 2-sentence summary of
your reflection on your result.
Do you agree with the result? Focus more on the general level than the specific number
See trait definitions for more information about each scale
How does this trait serve to help or hurt you in your current role and in your growth aspirations
List one way each trait might help yo
List one way each trait may hurt
Trait 1
Trait 2
Trait 3
Trait 4
©2021 Ray Dalio.
Understand yourself. Understand others. Help others understand you.
Reflection Exercise
3
Ask your manager and 1 person who works
closely with you to reflect on the same questions.
4
T r ait 1
T r ait 2
T r ait 3
T r ait 4
Put together your own, your manager’s, and your coworker’s
reflections to arrive at a more complete picture of what is true about
yourself in these areas of your personality.
Don’t shy away from nuance, but try to state the most important points as clearly as
possible. If certain areas feel unresolved or unclear, ask questions of others to
understand their perspectives better.
TakeAWAY 1
©2021 Ray Dalio.
TakeAWAY 2
Understand yourself. Understand others. Help others understand you.
Reflection Exercise
5 Now that you have your takeaways, what do you want to do about
them?
In most cases, when you have a tendency that is hindering your progress, you can either work on it to get better or (more
often) find others who are strong where you are weak. It usually will involve a combination of both strategies
Are there any growth areas you’d like to work on to improve
Solicit feedback and coaching from others around you through Dot Collector. Look to others’ Principles You results to
see who might be strongest in these areas and ask them for their tips
Try to list some specific and achievable steps you might take e.g. if organization is a weakness, you might design a
detailed schedule and partner with someone to hold you to deadlines
When looking for people to partner with where you are weak, use Dot Collector and Principles You to find others who have
complementary strengths and weaknesses to yours.
Growth Area
ACTION PLAN
1.
2.
Growth Area
ACTION PLAN
1.
2.
Growth Area
ACTION PLAN
1.
2.
Growth Area
ACTION PLAN
1.
2.
©2021 Ray Dalio.
Understand yourself. Understand others. Help others understand you.