Knowing thyself

Well this is America. So apart from facing strawberries the size of potatoes – which evinced the comment, ‘You should see the ones we have in Texas’ – we’ve been doing psychological assessments with an instrument called CDR

I take a fairly detached view [42%] of these things. In fact I’m not at all worried [29%] about them. Slightly more ‘off the wall’ was my score as an eccentric [82%]. But those who know and work with me will be glad to know that, contrary to all appearances, I am not an egotist [14%]

One visits these things as if meeting a stranger – and wonders if one’s efforts to second-guess the questions were successful or unsuccessful. But I do think that this is really useful in one respect – the Risk Assessment section. That sets out the places where you are vulnerable in working with people and groups. Most ministry – but I think particularly episcopacy – is something of a ‘high wire’ act. You work under pressure and against time with very limited resources … often a passionate advocate of programmes and causes. Of course it’s risky and you can get it badly wrong. So this is helpful [75%]