INTP and problems with doing routine work

[INTP!]

I'm an INTP and I enjoy problem solving and creating something new. I can hyper focus and work really hard at figuring something out. But it's a huge let down when I realize that I have figured out how to make something new for work, but in order to make a living I need to do repeat what I have figured out already over and over, which would use up most of my time and be not so interesting. That's where I am now. I could hire someone and teach them, but the skill level is high and I would be in a tough spot if they quit, due to the time it would take to hire and train someone else.

I have started the process to invent a new product that could be made with less skill, not entirely, but 3/4 of the time it would take to make. So it would free up my time and I would feel better knowing that I have solved the problem in such a way that I don't have to repeat most of the work over and over. I could hire someone to do most of the work and they would be able to start without much training. But the catch is that I have to spend more time and money now to get that going.

Another issue is that I don't put a lot of effort into sales and marketing because I know that that would lead me more in the direction of having to do more and more routine work. So I'm left with not having less business and less money and going nowhere.

What do you think?

 

[Tilt]

You could give someone part-ownership to take on the more routine/structured tasks while you take on the more creative/problem-solving role. Not everyone wants to take on the chaos of the creative process so it can work with someone who you trust and can balance you out. As long as you treat the other person well, they will stay with you in the long haul.

However, sometimes you also just have to suck it up in business in order to succeed. I do a lot of routine admin work because it is what makes the company function, not because I like it.

 

[INTP!]

You could give someone part-ownership to take on the more routine/structured tasks while you take on the more creative/problem-solving role. Not everyone wants to take on the chaos of the creative process so it can work with someone who you trust and can balance you out. As long as you treat the other person well, they will stay with you in the long haul.

However, sometimes you also just have to suck it up in business in order to succeed. I do a lot of routine admin work because it is what nakes the company function, not because I like it.

That's one way to go. But you mean to keep on producing the difficult product and give some ownership to the person doing the routine work?

The plan I proposed in my OP, isn't that risky. I already started it and it's worked out. I just need to do some design tweaks, come up with some variations in design and get samples to stores. It's still a project, but it's very doable. It's also cost less to make, can be made in volume easier and the product is just as good as I'm already making, so in the long run, it can be a lot more profitable. I just have to spend maybe 10 days working on it and about $2,000.

I still like your ownership suggestion. I would possibly do that at one point. It would be good to have people working for me who have a stake in how the company is doing outside of just being able to pay them their wages.

 

[Tilt]

That's one way to go. But you mean to keep on producing the difficult product and give some ownership to the person doing the routine work?

The plan I proposed in my OP, isn't that risky. I already started it and it's worked out. I just need to do some design tweaks, come up with some variations in design and get samples to stores. It's still a project, but it's very doable. It's also cost less to make, can be made in volume easier and the product is just as good as I'm already making, so in the long run, it can be a lot more profitable. I just have to spend maybe 10 days working on it and about $2,000.

I still like your ownership suggestion. I would possibly do that at one point. It would be good to have people working for me who have a stake in how the company is doing outside of just being able to pay them their wages.

I am not suggesting you do all the hard labor and someone else do all the easy, routine stuff, but moreso a division of labor. This way, you can focus on your strengths and find others who enjoy taking on roles that you dislike or are your weaknesses. For example, there are probably a few folks who could help you with keeping up with the day-to-day operations, or skilled at the marketing piece of promoting/selling the product.

Another option besides partial ownership is a percentage of net revenue for a period of time/under certain conditions. That will probably motivate people to stay more than just a wage if you really want to keep a right-hand person.

I would advise setting up clear boundaries and expectations before taking on a business partner...you're almost "married" to the person.

 

[INTP!]

Protege, I agree with what you are saying about division of labor, to allow myself and others to do the work more aligned with their strengths and some form of compensation above wages would help a good employee stay.

I'm in debate with myself about making big changes to products, so that I can better do what you suggested. The downside is the time it takes and the upfront cost. I posted in a MBTI form, because personality plays a big role in why I'd want to do that. How beneficial is it to make changes or choose careers based on how well they fit your personality and strengths, vs just deciding that you should just deal with doing stuff you aren't so good at or enjoy, because that's where you are already.

 

[Tilt]

My take on it is that we can't specialize in everything. Sometimes, in the short-term, we have to adapt ourselves to fill multiple roles (that's what I meant by sucking it up) But once more resources flow in, one can start delegating tasks to others who are more attuned to those areas.

Like you said, it really is about "opportunity cost". What you do in the short-term affects things in the long-term. Is it worth going through all the "product changes" now to create more efficient processes later on or will you end up spinning your wheels? Is it better to wait it out some until you have more resources in order to roll out "product changes" and then hire a qualified individual? Or do you just need manpower now, knowing the people might not stick around?

The ownership and related ideas is more of a long play... long-term investment sort of deal. I assumed since you were trying to create more efficient processes that this sort of compensation would be more appropriate to your goals. However, if you are still trying to work out some of the kinks, that sort of compensation would probably not apply to the situation.

What it boils down to is business needs, your wants, and the overlap.

 

[Luke O]

With repetitive tasks, could any of them be automated?

 

[INTP!]

With repetitive tasks, could any of them be automated?

For the bulk of the work, I can't really automate, but it can be a lot more efficient. It currently takes me 8 hrs to make one product. 6 out of 8 hours to make it would be very difficult to have someone else do, given it would take months to train them. But, I have come up with a different way to make a similar product, where I could spend maybe 2 hours doing the more difficult work and I could hire someone else to do the 2 hours of work to finish it. They wouldn't need much training, maybe a week. The end product would be comparable to the ones that take 8 hours. So overall production time is cut in half and the time I would need to spend on each one would be 1/3 compared to if I hired someone to do the last bit of work ones that take 8 hrs.

 

[INTP!]

My take on it is that we can't specialize in everything. Sometimes, in the short-term, we have to adapt ourselves to fill multiple roles (that's what I meant by sucking it up) But once more resources flow in, one can start delegating tasks to others who are more attuned to those areas.

Like you said, it really is about "opportunity cost". What you do in the short-term affects things in the long-term. Is it worth going through all the "product changes" now to create more efficient processes later on or will you end up spinning your wheels? Is it better to wait it out some until you have more resources in order to roll out "product changes" and then hire a qualified individual? Or do you just need manpower now, knowing the people might not stick around?

The ownership and related ideas is more of a long play... long-term investment sort of deal. I assumed since you were trying to create more efficient processes that this sort of compensation would be more appropriate to your goals. However, if you are still trying to work out some of the kinks, that sort of compensation would probably not apply to the situation.

What it boils down to is business needs, your wants, and the overlap.

Coming up with the new products won't be that hard. I already went through months of "spinning my wheels". I went about making the new products a different way, but it wasn't working out. I quit for several months. They tried again a different way. It worked. The technically hard part is over. Now it's just about design tweaks and making the samples.

My plan is to make the samples and test if they sell. I'll do this while still doing the old work. Then grow the new. My opportunity cost is that it will take me 2 weeks and 2k to make the samples. I could spend that time going after more business with the old products. But 2 weeks and 2k isn't that much and in the long run it saves me a lot of time.

 

[KitchenFly]

I think one of the problems most INTP can have doing routine work is a reliance and over dependence on adrenaline to get though and get done.

Last night I worked with an INTP supervisor who had the routine aspect of his repetitive work worked out and reflecting on his energy he had a very health attitude that was well measured to the activity task and self and others and the flow of the day.

I believe he had his adrenalin well balanced with the other two main brain chemicals that we all rely upon for a balanced mind.

Staying in the MBTI frame work understanding the F value of the activity action the I and E of it all in a Si and Se contextual understanding would be helpful.

The great thing about The S function is that it helps with context like play time work time family time bear drinking time keeping in touch with a real frame work time management, content in contex and this helps with balancing adrenalin with the INTP's experience.

Think about a close opposite ISFJ a healthy ISFJ they can be masterful with things like managing personal energy within the context of work activity and multi skilling, perhaps the mirror you need is an employee who is a type ISFJ.

But remember to reward and praise they well and correctly to help keep them happy and healthy.

If won't the easy option with out relying on another then consider one of my heathy tricks, if I am stuck and need to preform in a work like or social like situation I tap into my adrenalin and imagination and envision a type that can do it and recognise identify the MBTI energy and mimic it to get the job done. After it is simply the attitude and basic energy of the mind set that is needed to get the self started and across the line. This trick becomes like a learnt habit and a learnt action aides our self preservation and activity willingness abilities (wink wink) ,a health human learns to multi skill all the basic energies with in the routine of an active life.

Best of luck with that, as an INFP I need to now go out side and look for some unicorns and elves and day dream about saving homeless animals and planting trees to save the earth.