Working Genius & Coaching [Tenacity]
We're on the home stretch now! The final letter in Working Genius is T for Tenacity!
Working Genius says this about it. "The natural gift of pushing projects or tasks to completion to achieve results."
This is one of my geniuses and I have a love/hate relationship with the concept. I mean I don't go out of my way to notice things not getting completed, I just can't help but see them and have a strong desire to see things through.
Most often this is a gift and a value add, but sometimes it isn't perceived that way or received well, or it is just too much.
Once I was called a "pusher" by a well-meaning colleague, and it stung a little. I mean I wouldn't have to push if things were being completed right? ... just saying...
Working Genius has helped me so much! Having Tenacity as a genius can be used for good as a means of follow through making sure things don't get dropped, but it can also be a handful. It's truly hard for me to just let things go without express direction.
That's where Working Genius helped me see that if any of the letters for a particular job were missing, then follow-through may not be the best course of action.
If Wonder if missing - perhaps there is a better way?
If Invention didn't happen - were the best options even considered?
When Discernment is skipped - we jump right to action and the timing or process may not even be the right one.
Galvanizing fuels the project and process. It can just plain be a grind or grind to a halt without it.
And then there is enablement. E is closer to T but sometimes can miss the mark of completion.
Tenacity needs the other letters to happen first to be legit.
Let me give a couple of real-life examples. I once was working on a project with a strong E who didn't have T as a genius. She did her part faithfully asking for input and logging what came in, but if anyone didn't send in their data it just didn't get logged and it didn't get called out. Inconceivable right?! Or maybe the process just needed to officially be called off. It's difficult for someone with Tenacity as a genius to just let things slide or die a quiet death.
Another time I just decided to do a big project. I knew I could do it and thought it needed to be done, but I didn't count the cost and my energy faded as there was no galvanizing around, and clearly discernment was skipped, but it was kind of too late. I was faced with the cold hard choice of pressing on and just doing it cuz I started it, or calling it off and feeling like I let something go. It's really hard to not complete something I have started even if it is proving to be costly in time or energy.
Maybe all the letters need to be revisited regularly?
Using Tenacity as a coach is so important. If the other letters on the pathway have been part of the coaching journey it may go without saying that the journey isn't complete without completing it. Adjustments may need to be made along the way, but helping someone you are coaching get to their intended destination is actually what coaching is all about!
When you have helped someone through the first 5 letters, or if your team is focusing on a project asking questions like these can get you to your destination.
How will we decide our pace?
What can be expected by when?
Shall we make markers to accomplish bits along the way?
Do we need to bring anyone else into the process for any reason? (assessment, encouragement, ...)
Are there any variables we need to be aware of along the way?