CLARITY ~ CONFIDENCE ~ CALM

I was asked this question recently, “How would someone know that you purposefully and intentionally develop and live your strengths?” It took a lot of strategic thinking on my part to figure out a way to not only respond, but to demonstrate in writing what “purposefully and intentionally” living your strengths meant. I took out my StrengthsFinder Insight Report and, once again, completed the activity of underlining the phrases and words that most resonated with me in each of my top 5 Talent Themes. This was about the third or fourth time I completed this exact task. But, this time, I viewed my report through a different lens.

I began to see patterns that I did not see before by simply referring to the question at hand. I dissected my report into categories: What I do, How I do it, and Why. As I began to type out the phrases and words under each category, I realized something was missing. There were highlighted phrases that did not fit within those 3 categories, but were important to me. After studying each theme again, the realization of my fourth category became clear, What makes me unique?

I remembered a phrase my Alignment Coach, Kyle, used to refer to a lot. He called it the 3 C’s: Clarity, Confidence, and Calm. In that moment, I felt an overwhelming sense of emotion. The answers I have been looking for within were right there in front of my face: my WHY, my PURPOSE, how I use my strengths to be my BEST SELF, and most importantly what makes me UNIQUE. All of a sudden, the sense of clarity, confidence, and calm rushed through my soul. I had reached yet another level of transformation.

I replied to the question asked of me, “How would someone know that you purposefully and intentionally develop and live your strengths?” by sharing in a document what is written below.

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Living Intentionally: How to Succeed with Strengths

July 28, 2015

www.beckiejorgensen.com

My Top 5 Talents: Strategic ~ Maximizer ~ Responsibility ~ Futuristic ~ Positivity

What I Do: Working Within My Strengths

• I discover each person’s unique qualities, interests, and strengths. (Maximizer)
• I identify and recognize the differences that make each person unique. (Maximizer)
• I motivate people to transform something good into something utterly superb.(Maximizer)
• I move people to take action. (Responsibility)
• I inspire and lift the spirits of people around me. (Positivity)
• I offer a unique perspective on events, people, challenges, and proposals. (Strategic)
• I position a person for success once I know what drives him/her to take action and produce outstanding results. (Maximizer)

How I Do It: Intentionally Using My Strengths

• I talk to, observe, and study successful people who have produced excellent results to identify what inspires them. (Maximizer)
• I associate with those who share my passion for taking something good and making it better.
• I listen to people and do not discount or belittle their emotions, ideas, or reactions to events. (Positivity)
• I speak with precise phrases and terminology and am forthright and plainspoken. (Strategic)
• I propose alternative courses of action, different ways of doing things, and generate innovative ideas. (Strategic)
• I inspire, encourage, and hold people account to take action to start projects, launch initiatives, and/or set goals and measurable outcomes. (Strategic)
• I work persistently until I can deliver on my promises. (Responsibility)

Why I Do What I Do: Aligning My Strengths to My Purpose

• I have a natural fondness for human beings. (Positivity)
• I think about what my life could be like in the future. (Futuristic)
• I work hard to breathe life into my big dreams. (Futuristic)
• I am compelled to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the planet. (Positivity)
• I desire to live a legacy of great value and worth. (Positivity)

What Makes Me Unique? The Interplay of My Talents, Now Turned Into Strengths
Strategic

• I express myself with ease and grace.
• I love to collaborate with others and enjoy group brainstorming.
• I have acquired special skills and knowledge to coach, consult and help others.
• I notice new as well as unusual configurations in facts, evidence, or data.
• I am fascinated by problems that puzzle, confuse, or frustrate most people.
• My subconscious mind continuously absorbs information and creates possible options.
• I see opportunities, trends, and solutions before others see them.

Maximizer

• I am aware of what I do well and what I do not do well.
• I trust my instincts.
• I refuse to risk losing confidence in myself by tackling assignments for which I lack the talent, even if I possess some relevant knowledge, skill, or experience.
• I spend my energy on what I know I do well and manage around my weaknesses.
• I learn, grow, and build on what I naturally do best.

Responsibility

• I am open and honest about who I am, what I have done, and what I cannot do.
• I authentically communicate to others my strengths and limitations.
• I am hardwired to do what I say I will do.
• I do more than just “live up” to my commitments. I go the extra mile.
• My work ethic is very important to me and is as much a matter of conscience as it is in just simply doing tasks.
• I have a strong need and desire to do what is right, honest, true, correct, proper, and accurate.

Futuristic

• I possess a high level of skill/knowledge about specialized issues, subjects, processes, or programs, such as talent development, leadership skills, business challenges, and human resources processes.
• I channel my mental and physical energies toward what I can accomplish in the days, months, and years ahead.
• I concentrate better when I set short-term objectives.

Positivity

• In the end, I want my life to have mattered.

All Rights Reserved, © 2015 Beckie Jorgensen
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The lesson here is if you have taken the StrengthsFinder Assessment, do not put your StrengthsFinder Report in a drawer and forget about it. It is a significant tool that when studied, read over and over, and action steps carried out in your daily activities, can transform your life. Even those of us who are Certified Strengths Coaches, who eat, breath, live and teach strengths-based development to clients need to continuously learn, grow, and develop our own strengths every day. Self-development is a continuous process. One of the best tools to help you is probably sitting in a drawer somewhere near you. If you have not taken StrengthsFinder and want to learn more, I encourage you to connect with me.

I have made a commitment to myself that every Sunday, I will pull my report out and, week after week, read it again and again and again…I know this one intentional task will stop my own limiting beliefs, keep me focused and on track to achieve my goals, and allow me to show up every day as my BEST SELF!

“God gives each of us special talents and gifts. It is both our privilege and our duty to make the most of them.” – Robert E. Allen

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE ACTION? Do you want to find your purpose within? Do you want to show up every day as your BEST SELF? Haven't taken StrengthsFinder 2.0 and want to learn more? Then I would love to connect with you!

I invite you to connect and follow with me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and/or Twitter. 

Visit: www.beckiejorgensen.com

Confront Your Real Story Part 2: The Power of Persistence

On July 13, 2015, I shared a link on Facebook, Step-By-Step Blueprint to Monetize Your Message by Ted McGrath. This was a 3 part video series. Mr. McGrath shared in his Message 2 Millions about the power of story and a four step formula to create your story:

The Power of Story

1. The Call – Every story has a Hero. The call is the Hero’s journey. 
2. The Pit – Depths of darkness. Your private thoughts of despair. The power of vulnerability. 
3. The Search – Searching for the solution or the big breakthrough. 
4. Break through Moment – “Freedom!” 

His message reached the depths of my soul. That afternoon, I wrote a Blog – “Confront Your Real Story: Get Rid of the Ghost.” This was a very vulnerable moment for me. It was the first time that I ever wrote about and confronted my past. My very own personal story exposed to all who chose to read it.

Today, I began THE SEARCH. I am not exactly sure how this happened, but I went through my emails and chose to open one from Michael Hyatt. I started to look through his podcast series and found this: “The One Way to Guarantee You Won’t Succeed: 6 Tricks for Training Yourself to Persist When You Want to Quit.” As I listened to this podcast, I wrote down his 6 steps to persistence:

1. Break your project into smaller goals. 
2. Keep the end in mind. 
3. Improve your pace and renew your enthusiasm. 
4. Run and walk. There has to be recovery time even in the pursuit of a big goal. 
5. Kill the distractions. Stay focused. 
6. Change your self-image. See yourself as persistent and not a quitter. 

The reason I chose this podcast was because of its title. Over the past few weeks, my usual positive and hopeful personality was draining. I started to severely doubt my ability to be an entrepreneur, get clients, and make an income. With only a few hundred dollars left to my name and many projects “up in the air,” I started to slide into THE PIT once again. But, Mr. Hyatt’s podcast reminded me of yet another story about my life.

When I was in High School, I was a long distance runner, cross-country and track. My freshman year, I was #2 on the varsity Cross Country team. The leader of the pack was a senior. By sophomore year, I was #1 on the varsity Cross Country team and remained so through my senior year. Running became my passion. For all 4 years, I made the All-State Championships, moved on to the New England Championships, and became recognized as one of the state’s top runners. I set a goal for myself that in my senior year, I was going to win the Connecticut State Cross Country Championship. I was well on my way. Having been written up in the Hartford Courant Newspaper many times, my senior year full page article featured, “Mercy senior has love affair with running.” I was noted for not only my physical talent, but my discipline and mental toughness.

Then, the most unexpected tragedy happened. I had just finished defending the Class LL Championship for the third year in a row, set a new course record, and as I crossed the finish line I experienced excruciating pain in my left leg. I collapsed, could not stand up, and could not walk on my leg. All I could think about was that the Connecticut State Championship race was only a couple weeks away. Was I going to be able to run? Was I going to be able to achieve my goal as the State of Connecticut Cross Country Champion? Am I going to let my team and fans down? What was I going to do?

The next newspaper article written in the Hartford Courant stated, “Star Mercy Runner Out.” After several weeks of trying to run through the pain, rest, and try again with nothing but tremendous pain, my mom took me to the Yale New Haven Hospital of Sports Medicine. I had a severe stress fracture in my left tibia. There was no way I could run without risk of further damage. I was done for the season! I missed my chance!

persistence

noun per·sis·tence \pər-ˈsis-tən(t)s, -ˈzis-\

the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people

I was absolutely devastated. Watching the State Championship from the side-line my senior year was one of those life moments where my mom would say, “This builds character.” Just like in my previous story, “Confront Your Real Story: Get Rid of the Ghost,” this was yet another time in my life where I had to make the choice: give up, give in, or fight. As you can see, there is a pattern forming here. I chose to fight, because I valued persistence!

Over the next several months, I was rehabilitated in my home by a former Olympian from the 70’s. I rode a stationary bike, worked-out on a make-shift wooden box turned into a weight bench, and trained. It took the entire winter to heal, re-gain my strength, and be able to run without limping. I had one more chance. Becoming the 3200 Meter Connecticut State Track Champion was my new goal.

The day of the Track Championships was also the day of my High School Graduation. I will never forget the date, June 5, 1990, as my mom had it carved into the back of a sterling silver cross necklace that she gave me in the morning before I left. The Championships took all day and the 3200 Meter race was the very last event of the day. It took a lot of persistence to remain calm, keep focused, and stay hydrated all day.

It was late afternoon and it was time. We all lined up on the track. My High School Coach, Rehabilitation Coach, and even the University of Connecticut Women’s Cross Country and Track Coach (I was being recruited to attend college at UCONN) were all there watching. The gun goes off…and well, the rest is history. I won the State Open 3,200 Meters in 11:10.24 to earn the title All-State Champion in Track for the first time! I did it! I reached my goal as the Connecticut State Champion!

That evening I went back to my High School, quickly showered, and made it just in time to walk into my Graduation Ceremony behind the tallest girl in my class. The entire auditorium erupted with clapping. Word had already spread like wild-fire that I had won. Now that was truly a moment to remember!

We all have memories, stories, and times we can look back upon to get us out of THE PIT. There is power in persistence, power in your story, power in your life lessons, and when you are faced with falling into THE PIT…SEARCH for the solution. Your breakthrough will happen. My search led me back to this story and one of my non-negotiable core values, PERSISTENCE.

I am out of THE PIT with renewed enthusiasm to move forward with my calling to help others never give away their dreams, passions, or HOPE! Give these tips a try and reclaim your FREEDOM!

Coming soon: Confront Your Real Story Part 3: The Break through Moment

Confront Your Real Story: Get Rid of the Ghost

“There’s a loneliness that only exists in one’s mind. The loneliest moment in someone’s life is when they are watching their world fall apart, and all they could do is stare blankly.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Have you ever felt like you were losing hope? A point to where your mind cannot shut down the racing thoughts of fear, doubt, and inadequacy? All you do is sit and stare. You are exhausted, feel empty, alone, and trapped like a prisoner in your own body. Positive thoughts quickly turn to despair. Inside, your heart hurts. The pain spreads to your muscles, joints, and bones. You no longer have goals, lost all passion for the things you love, cannot focus on work, and begin to walk through life as if you are a ghost.

“I walk around the world like a ghost, and sometimes I question whether I even exist. Whether I’ve ever existed at all.” – Paul Auster, From Travels in the Scriptorium

You are invisible. Nobody can see you are in pain. You hide from others too withdrawn to interact and put a smile on.  You are a person who has given so much of yourself to others that you have no identity left. You no longer know who you are, where you are going, or where to turn. Relationships continue to fail because your expectations of yourself and others are too high. Scars once healed are repeatedly re-opened. You feel cold, unlovable, and abandoned by those closest to you.

“All it takes is a beautiful fake smile to hide an injured soul and they will never notice how broken you really are.” – Robin Williams

You are a loyal soul, giving endlessly to others with only hopes of receiving help in return at a time of need. Then that time comes. You are suffering, physically sick, cannot explain in words how you feel, and when you look around nobody is there. Those closest to you have their own problems to deal with. You can no longer be their rock. Your friendship is of no value now. You are broken.

  

“When she betrayed and abandoned me in my darkest hour, I was distraught, broken-hearted, devastated and dismayed. I could not believe I lost my best friend. It took a long time before I realized I did not lose my best friend. She lost hers.” – Stace Morris

The breaking point is here. Teetering on that line, you know that you have three choices: give up, give in, or fight. The answer is in the power of your mind.

“The mind is everything. What you think you become.” – Buddha

This is my REAL STORY being read through your lenses. My story is not unique. Many of us have at one time in our life been here. In the past year, I have learned a lot from successful people. I listened to their words, studied their successes, and read their books. There are four key messages that I have heard over and over again: (1) allow yourself to be vulnerable, (2) share your story, (3) be authentic, and (4) know your strengths. This is where the true healing comes from. It takes courage, discipline, and trusting yourself for true transformation to occur.

“Strength is not measured by the ability to carry our pain, hurt and wounds. It is not about denying our feelings and soldiering on. Strength comes from our capacity to remain open, and vulnerable, allowing healing to take place. Strength is owning and acknowledging our feelings and emotions - moving beyond our scars, and recognizing the wisdom contained within them. Strength is empowered by love and compassion.” - Julie Parker.

Today, as a Certified Strength Coach and Entrepreneur, I use my own unique strengths to serve and inspire others. Your story does not have to end in despair, disappointment, or pain. Choosing your mindset, determination, self-love, and courage will give you the strength to be your best self. But, sustainability only comes when you intentionally choose to wake up with positive thoughts, get rid of toxic people in your life, and surround yourself with those who will encourage you and believe in you.

"We all possess innate talents that when developed into strengths drive our purpose in life. Your purpose is a calling only you can discover within. Live your life intentionally, be your best self, and never give away your passions, dreams, or HOPE!" – Beckie Jorgensen

If you are ready to take control of your life, relationships, and career to find happiness, fulfillment and success, you are my ideal client. I would love to help guide you in your journey, support your transformation, and watch you reach your true POTENTIAL in life.




Beckie Jorgensen is a Certified Strengths Coach who helps people discover their innate talents and turn them into strengths to achieve personal and professional fulfillment and success.

For more information visit:
Website: ​www.beckiejorgensen.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beckie.jorgensen
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/beckiejorgensen

The Major Missing Point That Should Keep CEO’s Up at Night

A couple of days ago, I was doing research in preparation for developing a survey. So I Googled, “What Keeps CEOs Up at Night?” Several articles came up and videos about this topic. As I read through the articles and listened of the videos, I made the following list:

What Keeps CEO’s Up at Night

·         Feeling overwhelmed with own to do list

·         Cybersecurity

·         Retention

·         Engaged workforce

·         Aging workforce

·         Talent management

·         Talent pipeline

·         Operating in a fast paced global marketplace

·         Setting direction and tone for company

·         Maintaining consistent company culture across different regions

·         Leading company amid shifting regulations and legislation

·         Setting priorities

·         Setting others up for success

·         Negative surprise

·         Lack of meaningful data in the organization

·         Performance of Executive team

·         Executive team not acting with urgency

·         Lack of control over company direction

·         Having an aligned strategy

·         Innovation - staying relevant

·         Finding and cultivating talent

·         Monetary stability

·         Keeping the peace

·         Customer satisfaction

·         State of economy

This is a pretty big list of concerns that surely would keep me awake at night too. But, there is one MAJOR point missing. Do you have the right people in manager roles?

In the State of the American Manager (2015), Gallup has uncovered that Organizations fail to choose the candidate with the right talent for the manager job a whopping 82% of the time.

This is a staggering statistic. Even worse news, Gallup has found that only 10% of working people possess the talent to be a great manager.

Gallup defines “talent” as the natural capacity for excellence. Talents are innate and are the building blocks of great performance. Knowledge, experience and skills develop our talents into strengths, but unless we possess the right innate talents for our job, no amount of training or experience will lead to exceptional performance.

Gallup defines a “manager” as someone who is responsible for leading a team toward common objectives. This individual takes the direction set forth by the organization’s leadership and makes it actionable at the local level.

Referring to the list above on what keeps CEOs up at night:

·       How many of those bullet points could be eliminated if your organization had the right talent in management roles?

·       Does your organization attempt to fix bad managers with training? By the way, no amount of training can fix a bad manager.

Gallup’s research shows that only 1 in 10 people have the natural, God-given talent to manage a team of people. Another 2 in 10 people have some of the key talents and can become successful managers with the right coaching and development. Hence, my question “Do you have the right people in manager jobs?”

So what makes a great manager? According to Gallup, great managers possess a rare combination of five talents. They motivate their employees, assert themselves to overcome obstacles, create a culture of accountability, build trusting relationships and make informed, unbiased decisions for the good of their team and company.

Talent Dimension	High-Talent Managers	Limited-Talent Managers
Motivator	They challenge themselves and their teams to continually improve and deliver distinguished performance.	They lack excitement about and expectations for outcomes and allow team performance to stagnate.
Assertiveness	They overcome challenges, adversities and resistance.	They struggle to create change or drive performance improvement.
Accountability	They ultimately assume responsibility for their teams’ successes and create the structure and processes to help their teams deliver on expectations.	They fail to organize the workflow of teams, making it more difficult to meet performance expectations.
Relationships	They build a positive, engaging work environment where their teams create strong relationships with one another and with clients.	They suffer from the dysfunction of teams that lack cohesion and disengage employees and clients alike.
Decision-Making	They solve the many complex issues and problems inherent to the role by thinking ahead, planning for contingencies, balancing competing interests and taking an analytical approach.	They seek the convenient solution over the best solution, not taking into account all of the pertinent information and/or complexities.

The majority of managers do not possess these five talents. According to Gallup’s, 18% of current managers have the high talent required of their role, while 82% do not have high talent. Bad managers cost businesses billions of dollars each year, and having too many of them can bring down a company. On the other hand, Companies that hire managers based on talent realize a 48% increase in profitability, a 22% increase in productivity, a 30% increase in employee engagement scores, a 17% increase in customer engagement scores and a 19% decrease in turnover. It is proven that when organizations hire managers based on talent, they will thrive and gain a significant competitive advantage.

People can learn skills, develop knowledge, and gain experience, but they cannot acquire talent — it is innate. When individuals have the right talent for their job role, they are engaged, productive, and energized by their work. But for others whose talent is not the best fit for their job role, they tend to “check-out” at work, are not engaged, less productive, and are generally unhappy at work.

Managers account for at least 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores across business units. Gallup’s study of employee engagement found that just 30% of U.S. workers are engaged, demonstrating a clear link between poor managing and a nation of “checked out” employees.

The percentage of engaged managers is only somewhat higher than the percentage of engaged employees. Gallup research has found that 35% of managers are engaged, 51% are not engaged and 14% are actively disengaged.

I will ask this question again in a different way, “Does your company have the right talent managing the organization’s workforce?

Talent is the strongest predictor of performance in any role. As a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and former Human Resources Professional, I have expertise in consulting with organizations to create human capital strategies that put talent at the core to attract, recruit, assess, hire, onboard and develop managers. In addition, I coach managers to develop their talents into strengths, and to develop career paths, reward systems, and ongoing training based on their team’s talents.

Want to know more information so you can sleep well at night? Just fill out the contact form on my website www.beckiejorgensen.com and let's chat!