Barefoot Winter Conference 2017 ‘Enabling Genius – a mindset for the 21 st Century’
The origin of Enabling Genius? • How can a coach safely and effectively move beyond a classic, ‘non - directive’ coaching approach to support people who have a real desire to excel? • The Enabling Genius Research Project took this question as it’s remit • The is a vast quantity of information, from the scientific to the fanciful, on ‘genius’ in all it’s guises: talent, excellence, high performance, flow … from many sources: psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, religion, sport, the arts, business, education. There is little that takes an overview, that simplifies • The Enabling Genius Research Project took this as it’s challenge
? Genius is …
Genius: the current understanding Genius: the preserve of the few …but why?
Not Genius Genius eejit!
? What reasons might the be for holding a view that only the lucky few get to be geniuses?
‘Fordism’ Total Quality Management Business Process Re-engineering Six Sigma and Lean This thinking has been applied to human beings…
Education systems Performance management systems Talent management systems Competencies ≠ Greatness
The meaning of Genius is not fixed • Ancient Rome: A Guiding Spirit (Daimon, Dijinn) • The confusion with Ingenium (talent) • Francis Galton : “A man’s natural abilities are derived from his inheritance ” (Hereditary Genius, 1869) • Sport’s commentator : “ She’s a natural!!”
The science behind Genius • The reality of Mozart’s talent • Nature vs. Nurture and The Ten Year Rule ‘Only a few exceptions, most notably height, are genetically prescribed. Instead, we argue that the differences between expert performers and normal adults reflect a life-long period of deliberate effort to improve performance in a specific domain. ’ Anders Ericson • Stefan Holm (World Championships 2003 High Jump Gold medal vs . Donald Thomas (World Championships 2007 High Jump Gold Medal) • Beyond Nature vs. Nurture “There is no genetic foundation that gets laid before the environment enters in: rather, genes express themselves strictly in accordance with their environment. Everything that we are, from the first moment of conception, is a result of this process. ” “Individual difference in talent and intelligence are not pre -determined by genes; they develop over time. Genetic differences do play an important role, but genes do not determine complex traits on their own. Rather, genes and the environment interact with each other in a dynamic process that we can never fully control but that we can strongly influence. ” David Shenk , ‘The Genius in all of us’
Genius: The Five Propositions • Genius is available to all • Each person can develop a Unique Individual Genius • Each person can develop genius in any Discipline Craft or Skill • Moments of genius are available to all • People can work together in a state of collective genius
Pathway to Genius How would you help someone who truly wanted to excel?
The Pillars of Genius Identity Learning Mind-set and Desire Mental State
Identity ..identity, our sense of self, is essential to our individual emergence as a human being for it is on this base that we develop ourselves, promote ourselves and take our place in our communities. Having a better understanding about the nature of identity is a prerequisite to beginning to thank about and develop a unique individual genius • Embraces: nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, career, profession, memories and experiences, purpose, values, self-image, personal construct • Work out what you are great at – and learn to be great at that!
Desire • Many of us think about drive as something we either have or do not have …To set out on a path towards genius requires many things including a strong and persistent desire and, for most of us, we will need to develop it. • Desire embraces both the ‘masculine’ energy of will and drive with the more ‘feminine’ energy of purpose. The synthesis facilitates adaptability to changing circumstances • Embraces: Purpose, ‘passion’, inspiration, will, drive, motivation, intent, goals, objectives,
Mental state and mind-set Mental state and mindset • Mental state and mindset have a huge impact on the quality of performance. Show up for any activity frustrated, distracted and bored and the performance will be diminished and not much fun. Show up relaxed and focused and performance, learning and joy are maximised Mental State State of mind – not the contents. Csikszentmihalyi’s ‘Flow’, Gallwey’s ‘Self Two’ Mindset • The content: Contructs, mental models, beliefs, Dweck’s Fixed and Growth mindsets
Learning “In a perfect world, it would be great to have many more months to prepare, because you then could actually come back and be sort of a different player … I won't say I regret doing it (playing tournaments) but I wish I could have taken even more time to train on my game …”
Learning Learning • No one gets put on the planet as a fully developed, de facto genius, the finished article. Or anything close. Genius requires development and conscious, intentional learning is the key. • Includes: structured learning, deliberate practice, ruthless self-appraisa l, reflection, awareness, self-awareness
Identity and you as a coach Your Individual Genius as a coach Understanding this is the first step in truly expressing yourself as a coach Allows you to create a development plan Suggests what part of the market you will thrive in Is a key to marketing and selling your coaching services
Your unique Genius as a coach • What are you good at as a coach? • What part of coaching brings you joy? • What do people seek from you as a coach? • What was it that drew you to coaching? • If you could choose your coaching engagements what kinds of engagement would you choose? • VISUALISATION EXERCISE • What image or symbol occurred to you? • How might you understand that? • What Affirmation occurred to you? • What stood out from the first part of this exercise, before the visualisation? • Get the sense or feeling of having a clear purpose in life. What does that feel like? • From that place or feeling what does this exercise suggest as your unique ability or genius as a coach?
Genius ‘Genius refers to the innate ability of each and every individual, all the resources, skills, abilities and capacities that are part of being human. Genius is the uninhibited expression of those resources. Genius is an intent and a way of engaging that I can awaken in myself and inspire in others – to allow this instrument – me, you – with all it’s capabilities and limitations, to be expressed in a given moment. Genius is an intent in action. To intend genius is a give oneself an on-going, everyday challenge. Genius is joyous, healthy, holistic, creative, generative, life enhancing and affirmative. It is being “unstuck”, it is to inhabit your own authority and autonomy, self-actualising. Genius is a provocation: it is a choice available to each and every on of us .’
“ I believe that the natural state of the human being is to be fully expressed, uninhibited, without doubt or fear: to perform, to learn and to enjoy. A state in which there is access to all the innate resources born to us: Genius”
Approaches to coaching Knowing Directive LEVEL 4 Process LEVEL 3 Structure LEVEL 2 Following interest LEVEL 1 Non-directive
Following Interest E – X – P – A – N - D Questions: Tell me something about …? F Tell me some more about...? O What else? C U S What is most interesting? What stands out?
Continuum of attention Unconscious Focused Absorption Noticing awareness attention Self Two/Flow
The Guide • Non-directive or directive according to need • Knows the territory and has trodden much of it • The territory is like a golf course: there are a number of fairways/holes that must be played – but not in a specific order • Uses EG model as a scaffolding
Myles Downey • Myles Downey is a writer, speaker, consultant, innovator and is widely regarded as one of the leading coaches in Europe • For over 25 years he has coached senior executives and leadership teams in some of the most prestigious organisations, enabling them to deliver extraordinary goals. In 1996, Myles founded The School of Coaching, and later The School of Coaching International in 2015, to bring his coaching expertise in developing excellence to a wider global audience • His book ‘Effective Coaching’ sold 50,000+ copies and was considered by many a seminal work on coaching. This was followed by ‘Effective Modern Coaching’ in 2014. In March 2016 ‘Enabling Genius – a mindset for success in the 21 st Century’ was published • Now he has created the first and only online coaching system, Enable, which extends high quality coaching to the many, not the few …….flexibly and affordably • www.mylesdowney.com • www.enablingprogrammes.com • enquiries@mylesdowney.com
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