Any 'starter planners' around as opposed to 'completer finishers'? What job do you do?

[Hollyhead]

Just thought I'd seek like minded people as I feel so lonely because I don't know anyone else like me in real life! I have come to realise that I am the opposite of a completer finisher, I am highly energised at the start of something, love solving problems and planning how it's all going to be done. In any task I lose energy about 50-60% of the way through. I have it with things like sudoku too - once I've done the heavy lifting of solving the puzzle enough so the rest of it's obvious I just lose interest! Are you like me? What job do you do? I think my working life is so draining of me because my job involves seeing everything through until the end - I obviously do it, because it's my job. Looking back I think a career in something like A&E medicine or nursing would have suited me really well - deal with immediate priorities and then people move on 😂

Oh I think I might be a starter-planner, going by what you've said! I absolutely lose interest in things once I've figured them out and would much prefer to hand them off to other people to see them through!

High five @RedPandaFluff :)

It's ok at home as DH is the opposite to me so we compliment each other - it's like a dream scenario for him when I say things like 'I've sorted most of the wardrobes, can you do that last bit, take the bags to the charity shop and then hoover it out'?

I didn’t know this was a thing but if it is I’m a starter planner. I’m a journalist (ducks) and thrive off short deadlines. It doesn’t give me enough time to get bored. Long term projects I just procrastinate and then do it all at the last minute, so if I only have a day to work at something, it works for me.

I am also a starter planner! I have realised I have ADHD. Luckily my DH is a completer finisher so we work well. I unfortunately also have a job where I have to complete the tasks haha so can’t help you there. I too think I would have been bloody brilliant in an emergency room.

Yes as soon as if found this out, back around 20 years ago, the next few people I hired were all completer finishers. Made my life so much easier.

Or dream would be to be a midwife. Feel like the whole job is leading up to the exciting bit and then not much to do after that.

Me! I also have ADHD like a previous poster. I get bored easily, usually when I've solved the problem. Once you realise it's a skill set of its own, new doors start to open. I'm in senior management in policy planning. I can 100% deliver on analysing evidence and developing a policy. I do not want to then implement that policy - a programme manager does that, and they do it brilliantly.

I am, did the proper assessment and I'm a "resource investigator". Love knowing how to kick things off and with whom and then lose interest
I'm an accountant and love new tax/financial years!

Oh and I would also say you in my home life I'm the same. I can go head first in to organising a space, or developing a system and it'll be the most efficient/practical. But I can't maintain it. So I need someone to do the maintenance of it for me. For example great at organising the kitchen cupboards. Not so great at putting stuff away from the dishwasher as I get bored

I feel so much better already :) I'm not in a position to move jobs at the moment, but I do wonder if in the future I could find something that 'leans in' to my strengths more.

Where can I find the different types. Is this a particular scheme/theory?

Ooh yes this is me.

Strategy consultant or management? As long as you can get around to finishing developing the strategy, someone else can deliver it

Also a starter planner and In totally wrong job! Watching with interest…

Ha ha me too. So many ideas, initiatives and then geez can I be fucked. I work within education and do shorter term roles across a range of schools. Youths chills in need of turn around means challenge keeps me engaged.

Me too. Also ADHD. Full of ideas, never finish anything.
DH also a starter-planner.
House is a shit tip!

That's classic ADHD behaviour, isn't it? The people I know with ADHD do work with very short deadlines, so troubleshooter in a biology lab; journalist; and quite a few teachers, tutors and lecturers. So jobs that are likely to throw up unexpected situations and where they need to be able to respond on the hoof.

I work in the NHS in innovation and problem solving, I can usually very quickly see what needs to be done. Very little interest in doing the doing.

I think the plant, planner/resource investigator and completer finisher are Belbin team roles iirc. The important thing about them is that they are how you naturally like to be in a team - so if there's 3 people someone will love to take on the big picture stuff and someone else the wrapping up. The interesting thing about it is it isn't fixed, if you see the roles aren't being done you tend to flex into another one to make the team work.

So if you're happy as a planner it doesn't mean you can't be a completer finisher.

How did you get that job @Ascubudr ? What are the jobs that lead up to it?

Oh God this is me and I very much suspect I have ADHD.

And yes I've wondered about ADHD but I can't gauge how much of it is just because of increased awareness but I have seen lots of things about female adhd lately and they've certainly felt familiar, but then I am a fully functioning adult and wouldn't want to take services away from people who are genuinely struggling to function!

Interesting thread. I did the Belbin questionnaire in a job 20yrs ago and scored zero on ‘completer finisher’! In that system the ideas person was a ‘Plant’, which I scored highly on as well as expert and team worker. Funny I remember that all so well, it did make an impression on me. And I haven’t changed much but probably have more strategies to handle my difficulties completing. Like others I definitely have ADD traits, not diagnosed though. I’m a social worker.

For example: I spent ages planning my new bathroom. Ordered the suite, tiles etc. booked the fitter. Exciting times. Welcome my new oasis of calm. Two year later I still need to put the blind up. I’ve stopped seeing it.

Can anyone link to the test? Also interesting this is an ADHD trait. A few things lately have suggested I fall into this but I have a DS with ADHD and I’m much more organised than him (still a shambles mind).

My best job for being a planner not a completer finisher is when I taught horticulture. Always planning different ways of growing things with teenagers. Once you have done planning the veg beds, you plan the meals and then enjoy the spoils. Always problem solving. Always sowing seeds. Always making compost.

Oh yes, I am. Probably also ADHD. I'm a teacher, now with senior responsibilities and it's worked pretty well for the thrillions of 'door-handle lessons' that have worked out much better than sticking to my (loose) plans over the years. You have to have stamina for all-nighters sometimes, but 'just in time delivery' combined with flexibility, trust and energy suited my previous team and me brilliantly. One person was a systems type and another was a 'finisher'. I miss that team so much.