As with the methodology of agile, we maintain that many new conceptual ideas that are being implemented, and successfully, in the industrial world, can be adapted into our own lives to achieve better productivity in reaching our goals. Here we introduce you to the base persona.
What is a Base Persona?
Personas are fictitious characters that industrious teams of marketing, design and product development, create upon which to build their product, site and applications. Based on real data collected from individuals, base personas are created and they become the focus of the development. It allows teams to step outside their process and mindset and recognize what their personas’ or essentially, their users, will need and want. Everything thereon is designed towards the personas’ experiences, behaviors and goals.
Bringing this idea from the industry, you can use a base persona in your own life to reduce the anxieties when meeting new people and put your best self forward when it comes to networking. We attempt to lay out a high level of how you should approach and be approached by others.
Keeping it at mid-level
Create for yourself a mid-level persona. This is you at your midpoint temperament at each one of your isolated traits. For every human trait there is a spectrum of its behavior, with at both ends the opposite extreme of that trait exists. Expressing those traits is then based on our decision making. Creating a midpoint temperament of each of your traits you possess; a behavior that is equidistant from either extreme, without being close to either of them.
Emphasized in ancient Greek and Aristotalian philosophy, the [golden][mean] (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Golden-Mean) way is a desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. Maimonides, a Jewish philosopher from the middle ages principled, that
..instructed a man to evaluate his traits, to calculate them, and to direct them along the middle path, so that he will be sound (of body). - Maimonides / D'eot 1:4
An Example.
At work, a networking event, or meeting an acquainted on the street, politely asks how you are doing.
“Oh hey there, how are you doing?”
Since these people do not fall into the family, close friend or mentor category, you should respond as your mid-level base persona. Respond with something along the lines of…
“That is very nice of you to ask, I am doing well.”
With this answer, you aren’t dragging them into your personal life but are still treating them with a respectful and polite response. Sometimes, it is appropriate to break from a midlevel persona because there are nuances across different types of relationships. That’s why base persona is about understanding the end side of all different types of users and re-assessing when the script needs to meet a different user.
Re-Assessing the Middle Path
The middle path is intuitive at first but starts to complicate when it needs to be applied differently when met with multiple scenarios. Think to yourself if the middle path is the same for family versus friends. Obviously, they are different. So, let’s go through them.
Family
Some people have close relationships with their family while others don't. In addition, there are specific family members within the family in which you feel closer to. But generally speaking, the family unit is connected one way or another, and the people who make it up share and often build deeper and intimate relationships between them.
"Hey, how are you?"
"I don't know, I hurt my back and I'm having a really hard time with college."
"Ok, let's talk about it."
Friends
Part of the industrious framework is having a network and having friends. It’s not about the number of friends, but having at least one best friend and a crew of several more. The close friend is someone to be vulnerable with and a conversation may go like this:
"Hey, how are you?"
"I'm doing good. Hey, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"I'm having a really difficult time with my studies, can I pick your brain on something?"
Mentors
Teachers and mentors, while quite sparse in today's day, is something that we promote in the Industrious Framework. We'll discuss getting a mentor in further detail, but when you’re able to get one, they are who you approach about macro problems. A classic conversation with a mentor can go like this:
"Hello, how are you?"
"I'm doing well. Can I ask you a question about College? It's about my major, and I'm not sure if it's the right one."
"Sure, but first, let me tell you a story..."
Co-Workers
Co-workers should usually be kept at a distance and where your mid level persona works, However, you do want to keep it cordial, and make sure that they seem important. Here, the conversation is in the opening section.
Breaking From Middle Path
It's important to note, that many times remaining astute to the situation is absolutely imperative to keeping a middle-path. For instance, a co-worker will need you to treat them like family, because they have no one else at that moment. Or a family member is going through a difficult time and the relationship will have to be one-sided. An additional point to this, is making sure that as methodic the Industrious Framework is, keeping your humanity is always a first priority to steer where you take it. We will dedicate a sole article to making that remaining human and approachable is essential.