The sensitivity matrix — Rick Lindquist

One idea I’ve been playing around with is this concept of a sensitivity matrix.

The sensitivity matrix has two axes. One axis represents your sensitivity to incoming communication from others. The other axis represents your sensitivity to how your outgoing communication will affect others.

I’ve posted an image below to visualize how I’m thinking about this.

Insensitive outgoing + insensitive incoming = Asshole
Sensitive outgoing + sensitive incoming = Emotional
Insensitive outgoing + sensitive incoming = Volatile
Sensitive outgoing + insensitive incoming = Thoughtful

The best teammates are people who fall in the “Thoughtful” box. They aren't too sensitive about what other teammates say to them, but they are quite sensitive about what they say to their teammates.

Where you fall in this matrix depends on several factors. Your personality and your habits matter, but I also think your mood and the environment play a significant role. This means you might move between different boxes depending on how you’re feeling and/or the team you're working with.

I hope to expand on this concept another time. If there’s one takeaway right now, I think we should all strive to be less sensitive to the incoming and more sensitive about the outgoing.