E.E. CUMMINGS SAID, “IT TAKES COURAGE TO GROW UP AND BECOME WHO YOU REALLY ARE”.
NEVER WERE WORDS TRUER FOR ME.
For years I attended workshops and meetings featuring behavioral tests that continuously put me in the “introvert” box. While the descriptions were usually accurate, I struggled with what being an introvert meant for me career wise. (Secretly I always hoped some test would tell me I was a rock star.)
My life took a major detour about fifteen years ago where my world was turned upside down (more to come on that another time). During this time, I invested heavily in myself and career. I attended seminars, workshops, retreats and worked with few amazing coaches.
It was along the way that I attended a business and personal development weekend event where I first was introduced to the Fascination Assessment. I thought to myself, finally, a new tool after all this work on myself will reveal me to be a rock star!
Well, as you might have guessed, my core being had not changed. But rather after reviewing my results, I was able to see them in a new perspective. You see, the Fascination Assessment allows you to understand “How the World Sees You”. When I read my results it was a serious aha moment. I wasn’t being classified as an introvert anymore. Instead, I was the Wise Owl. I was able to embrace this assessment as it was the most like me.
Why Coaching Matters
We’ve all heard the expression “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”.
This same principle applies to coaching. The goal of coaching is to guide employees and teach them how to do things for themselves, versus micromanaging the process. Coaching at it’s best is meant to empower people to succeed in whatever endeavor they are undertaking.
It’s probably safe to say that we all have things we need to work on. Whether it’s how we manage our time or how we interact with colleagues, there’s always room for improvement when it comes to our careers.
While coaching is a valuable tool that organizations can use to help their employees perform to their full potential, it’s also something that sometimes makes people get a little defensive. We all like to think we’re totally awesome just the way we are, right?
Where many organisations struggle with coaching is that while they may be encouraging managers to coach, they don’t have an overarching coaching strategy. This is where hiring a consultant can be a huge benefit.
Having someone come in with the skills and the knowledge to build an overarching coaching plan means you’ll have a consistent coaching program in place and expectations are clearly laid out to everyone involved in the process.
Running a business that embraces a culture of employee coaching isn’t just about bettering your bottom line. It’s also about creating an engaging environment where employees feel empowered to improve, and creating strong connections within your team. Employees who feel engaged and valued are much more likely to perform above expectations.
Why I Use the Fascination Advantage Tool
Obviously, there are hundreds of coaching programs around. And just as many programs that focus on personality types and their attributes. But there’s something really special about the Fascination Advantage tool because of the fundamental approach to the assessment it dives into.
The basic premise starts with the idea that everyone’s personality has one primary advantage. That advantage represents what makes you different and how you add value to the world around you. It’s how you do what you do and how you do it differently than everyone else.
The best way to think of your Fascination Advantage is as your superpower. Your personality has a natural specialty and it is the ultimate differentiator.
Your primary advantage represents the way you communicate most effectively and how you connect with people. By honing in on this it allows you to be more authentic and confident in your interactions.
Unlike other assessments, it’s not focused on how you see the world, but rather how the world sees you. This provides a unique approach as it reveals so much that we may not realize about our strengths and the value we bring to those around us.
There are seven different advantages (also known as archetypes) and no advantage is considered better than the other. Each one has a distinct way of adding value and a different approach to relationships.
The seven advantages are:
- Innovation
- Passion
- Power
- Prestige
- Trust
- Mystique
- Alert
There are also secondary advantages identified through the assessment and this is your second highest mode of communication. The secondary advantage describes how your use your primary one, and essentially functions as your “second language” meaning it’s where you fall back to when you’re not in primary mode.
When it comes to coaching, this is insightful information to have. Part of being a great coach is knowing exactly how to approach each person as an individual with their own communication style and being able to adapt your style to their needs.
As a coach, if you know each person’s advantage, and know your own advantage, you are in an optimal situation to get the best coaching results.
Armed with all of the finer details that the Fascination Assessment provides means a deeper understanding of the people you coach. You’re not focusing on who the person isn’t, but rather on how they can be a better version of themselves.
What Being a “Wise Owl” Means to My Business
I mentioned earlier I had a bit of an epiphany when I found out I was a Wise Owl. After years of chasing the idea that I would be known as a business rock star and trying to mold myself into being “more” it was a sigh of relief to let that all go.
I’ve always considered myself an introverted extrovert, and I assumed that that’s how other people saw me too. So finding out there was much more to it was a real eye opener, and it make me think about how this knowledge could be applied to my business.
You’re probably wondering at this point, what the heck does she mean when she says she’s a “Wise Owl”?
Here are some of the characteristics of my primary advantage (Mystique) and my secondary advantage (Trust):
- You remain controlled and focused – without drama or emotional fuss.
- You guard the details of your thought process and goals so that you can ensure results.
- Your quiet, unassuming style conveys a thoughtfulness that others sense immediately.
- You build success gradually but with the strongest foundations.
This information has enabled me to play to my strengths with my business, my brand and how I approach working with clients.
For example, as I’m engaging with potential new clients, I know I can give them a space to be heard and to come back to them with detailed, thoughtful strategy versus coming up with “big ideas” to wow them right on the spot. And that my approach is appreciated and respected as I’m intentional about what I put forth and am focused on their goals.
I’ve also learned through this process, that I don’t need to show up to a meeting and talk all the time. I’m at my best when I let my mystique – the language of listening – work its magic. With that superpower, I may hear things other miss or pick up on specific nuances of a challenge we’re having. That quickly sets me apart as when I do speak it’s thoughtful and it gets noticed.
Thanks to the Fascination Advantage, I no longer worry about being a rock star, and I just focus on being exactly who I already am. For any coaching situation, this powerful tool that helps people to be more confident and perform in ways that they may not even realize are possible.
The Fascination Advantage can be a game changer for your organization. You can schedule a free consult by emailing me at [email protected] to chat about how to use fascination or my other coaching programs with your team.
