From the editor

Fix this or change that. Forget these mantras of the self-help movement. To improve yourself, be more of yourself, says Marlane Miller, a management con­sultant and a member of the University Club of Dallas. Having had a few battles with the premise that “you can’t change people,” I called the author of BrainStyles: Change Your Life Without Changing Who You Are (Simon & Schuster). When we met in her North Dallas office, she explained that BrainStyles is a system to define how your brain works the easiest, most naturally, and most effortlessly when you are solving problems and making decisions. The concept is designed to heighten your awareness of who you are. There are four BrainStyles.

“Knowers” bring clarity and focus to a decision — these people are logical and practical. “Conciliators” operate in the abstract world of the intangible and immeasurable — they’re imaginative and emotional. “Conceptors” form general notions or ideas by mentally combining the characteristics or particulars of a decision — these folks are inventive. Finally, “Deliberators” assess what’s actually going on around them and remember what they have stored in their “mental files” as the best or “right” answer to a situation.

Knowing how you make decisions helps you make better decisions, Miller explained._The information also helps you deal with colleagues — and maybe golf and tennis partners.

After all, since Associate members are active, decisive people, it seems logical that BrainStyles can help in our approach to hobbies.

Write on, Miller said.

 “If you look at the PGA Tour, 99 percent of the pros are probably Deliberators. In general, Deliberators do better at golf because they are more sequential, less emotional, more logical, and can repeat a behavior more consistently,” she said. “Deliberators love playing golf because it’s a game that draws from their strengths. It’s a game of nuance, millimeters, repetition, challenge, and outside stimulus.” However, for a Conciliator, it’s a different game. Miller noted: “It’s about overcoming oneself and mastering one’s inner challenges. An issue for Conciliators is not to take things personally. And golf can be very personal.”

Obviously, a big difference between tennis and golf is the pace. Miller said BrainStyles is about timing. Therefore, if you are a person with a very high-energy level, you tend to enjoy things that move quicker. Tennis takes a quicker action. It often takes six or seven holes of golf for high energy people to slow down and focus. In tennis, they’re good right away. Miller’s advice is to match­ your energy level to a sport — that will be a big factor in your enjoyment and ability to play and focus.

P.S. Thanks to the Houston Society members who graciously served as our cover models this issue. Not wanting to negotiate with Mother Nature in Houston in January, we opted for a “photocomposite.” As the photo on this page shows, we convened on a tennis court (courtesy of the University Club of Houston) to photograph the Society members and later added the Houston skyline.