Have a question or comment? Connect with me at Julie.shipman@jwsgroupllc.com
Uniqueness. We talk a lot about uniqueness. No one wants to be mass-produced…. and yet, someone is buying all those Maroon 5 albums.
We are all unique and we are all the same. It’s like the snowflake. The symbol of my coaching business.
Hailing from the great state of Minnesota, I see a lot of snowflakes each year. But I really “see” a snowflake when my daughter is pointing out how this one looks this way and this one looks that way. You know the ones, that have gotten stuck to the window. When we look at them individually we see their beauty, their uniquely engineered structure, how delicate they are as one and how powerful together.
I do love a metaphor and the snowflake provides the perfect one for people, all people. When you talk with someone and you learn their story, it’s in that moment that you being to learn what makes them unique. Even a set of identical twins has their own set of special traits. Talking to people allows you to discover their uniqueness while you discover your similarities.
When I started my coaching business I chose the snowflake because I’m from MN, because I’m a person of faith and God tells us no two snowflakes are the same and because it is the perfect metaphor for the business I do. Every day, I get to learn what makes someone special, unique. Using that uniqueness drives how I coach them. It ensures that the strategy we establish for their unique coaching goals are truly driven by who they are, what motivates them and what skills are strengths. So what does that mean for people managers?
Do you know how to manage each of your employees for their unique skills?
Why take the time to do that?
Because when someone is working in their strengths, everyone benefits including them. Think about a manager that you worked for who knew how to draw the best out of you. It made you a better employee, it impacted your confidence and it probably stretched you in ways you didn’t think possible. That means great things for a business too.
To learn more on managing this way check out the article in Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2014/07/29/leadership-is-about-enabling-the-full-potential-in-others/#1e2ab5ae6698
There are a lot of great tools out there to learn about individual strengths. My two favorites:
Enneagram – https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/
Bottom line: Discover what makes your team members unique. The results will be even better than you think. And by discovering their strengths, you’ll learn a little about your own strengths in the process.