ARRANGER

Arranger
Theme Description
You are a conductor. When faced with a complex situation involving many factors, you enjoy managing all of the variables, aligning and realigning them until you are sure you have arranged them in the most productive configuration possible. In your mind there is nothing special about what you are doing. You are simply trying to figure out the best way to get things done. But others, lacking this theme, will be in awe of your ability. “How can you keep so many things in your head at once?” they will ask. “How can you stay so flexible, so willing to shelve well-laid plans in favor of some brand-new configuration that has just occurred to you?” But you cannot imagine behaving in any other way. You are a shining example of effective flexibility, whether you are changing travel schedules at the last minute because a better fare has popped up or mulling over just the right combination of people and resources to accomplish a new project. From the mundane to the complex, you are always looking for the perfect configuration. Of course, you are at your best in dynamic situations. Confronted with the unexpected, some complain that plans devised with such care cannot be changed, while others take refuge in the existing rules or procedures. You don’t do either. Instead, you jump into the confusion, devising new options, hunting for new paths of least resistance, and figuring out new partnerships—because, after all, there might just be a better way.
Action Items
You are highly organized and flexible. You can get a lot done, even though you usually have many projects going at the same time. You can multitask like few others.



You enjoy coordinating all of the complex factors that go into making a project successful.



Some people who like to do things by rules and procedures may find your ways chaotic. They may think that your effectiveness is mystery or pure luck.



Arranger talents are valuable because they help you continually find the right combinations of people and resources to complete projects successfully.



You are happiest when you are part of a good team. You can offer your natural sense of organization and arrangement to keep a group project moving toward its goal.



Complex, dynamic environments in which there are few routines are likely to bring out your best. Having daily opportunities to orchestrate solutions will keep you motivated and hone your Arranger talents even more



Even the best systems routines can be improved. Refine your talent by challenging yourself to find ways to make these arrangements more efficient.



Study successful systems and arrangements to understand the configurations that work best. Make notes and apply the patterns you see to your own systems.



Discover the greatest talents of your friends, family, and coworkers. Help them figure out how they can match their talents to the tasks at hand.



Organize a big event, or coordinate a homecoming celebration or club project. The challenge of a large-scale effort can energize you by highly engaging your Arranger talents.



Your ability to multitask and prioritize allows you to manage several projects at the same time. Sometimes others may think you aren’t listening to them if you continue to multitask while they are talking to you, so partner with Empathy or Individualization talents to recognize the nonverbal cues from others that tell you it’s important to listen exclusively to them.



Note all assignments, tests, and appointments on a calendar. Use your planner to coordinate your personal and academic activities.



Read all directions prior to taking tests. Allot appropriate time to each section of the examination.



Be prepared to stop working on a current project and begin a new one in case the situation changes.



Keep all notes related to a topic on one page. Make them easily accessible for studying, test taking, and research papers.



Prioritize your studies. Identify the most important tasks based on deadlines, percentage of final grade, and difficulty. Balance your workload.



Underline, highlight, and take notes in margins of books. Summarize main ideas.



Pick locations where you can study. Figure out why certain environments are better for particular subjects.



Schedule study breaks to clear your mind. Check on other projects, or make phone calls.



Break each study session into distinct modules. Plan time to read, write, work on projects, eat, sleep, exercise, and socialize.



Recognize that you can change your personal agenda to meet others’ demands. Ponder how you adjust your living and working environment to help others reach their goals.



Assemble people to work on major class projects and prepare for exams. Name the ways you help your study buddies distribute and redistribute learning tasks.



Create opportunities for group members to teach each other.



Plan activities to mark the end of projects and success on exams.



Help your instructor plan class projects. Volunteer to assemble needed supplies. Distribute materials to students and collect them at the end of class.



Figure out ways for your classmates to manage their workloads so that they complete projects on or before the due date.



Suggest independent study options to your advisors and professors. Design your own curriculum.



Examine the course catalogs from other schools in the vicinity. Substitute some of these courses for ones on your degree or certification plan.



Orchestrate your study time so that extracurricular activities can fit into your schedule.



Get involved and stay busy. Mix non-academic projects, appointments, meetings, and tasks into your day or week.



Coordinate routine activities, special events, trips, parties, and projects for your teammates.



Mix and match the talents, knowledge, skills, and experience of your classmates to launch a project, move toward a goal, or produce desired outcomes.



People who are especially talented in the Arranger theme often arrange and rearrange bits and pieces until a pattern emerges. This talent can be useful in career planning. Map out a success plan for your education — arrange and rearrange it to accommodate all possible scenarios as you think about careers that interest you.



Keep your options open. Explore a variety of careers, knowing that it will all fall into place at the right time.



Environments that give you contact with people and allow you the freedom and flexibility to work with others and plan events will allow your Arranger talents to flourish.



You may be a whiz at juggling schedules and people. Environments that call upon these talents may often be very rewarding to you.



Your Arranger talents may be most obvious during stressful or chaotic times. Environments that encourage multitasking and are relatively unpredictable may bring out your best.



Talk to event planners, travel agents, human resource directors, city managers, or case work supervisors. Ask them what they enjoy most about their daily work.