Emergenetics Behavioral Attributes Refresh: Flexibility

Let's Talk About Behaviors: Flexibility

When I'm working with teams, Flexibility is one of the first places I look in a combined team profile. I'm looking to see if the team has balance and shows up in the 2/3 as an overall group. If the team leans too far to the 1/3 or 3/3, we often see the tension in product and service delivery.

This is why understanding your team's Flexibility is important:

  • If the team leans into the 1/3 of Flexibility, where the majority of the team is Focused and Firm, the team is likely to deliver the project on time as promised, but it might not capture new information or a change in the environment. The team may be so focused on delivering and meeting a deadline that they miss that the project's scope needed to shift.

  • If the team leans into the 3/3 of Flexibility, where the majority of the team Welcomes Change, the team might be so energized by new information and new work that it has a hard time following through to meet timeline commitments.

In a team environment, 2/3 Flexibility does not necessarily equal harmony. (We all know there is more to it than that!) It does provide an opportunity for the team to flex with ease with the demands of the business.

If your team leans 1/3, be sure you're actively looking around and asking yourselves if the track you are on is still the right one. If your team leans 3/3, consider the commitments you've made to others and hold those in high priority.

Check out this glimpse into Flexibility!


Remember, the full spectrum of Flexibility brings value to the team!  The natural preference toward Focus keeps teams on track. And, the ability to easily respond to a crisis or change helps the team be responsive to client and business needs.

Don't forget, everyone's flexibility shows up differently!

Emergenetics Behavioral Attributes Refresh: Assertiveness

Let's Talk About Behaviors, NOW! Assertiveness
(That was a Third-Third Assertive Headline!)

Whew! You can feel the energy from a third-third assertive headline, can't you? One of the things that stands out to me is the "burning question" on each end of the Assertiveness spectrum. It's so interesting how individuals with first-third preferences are starting at a fundamentally different place than those with third-third preferences!

In a team environment, it can be challenging to ensure all ideas and opinions are heard. Don't mistake, those who are in the first-third absolutely have an opinion! The way they go about sharing that opinion tends to be with a more deliberate, often one-on-one, pace. They are interested in harmony in the team.

And those in the third-third...well, they will move the team forward for certain! They are open to debate (and might intentionally create it!) and appreciate openly challenging and voicing their concerns.


Here is what Assertiveness looks like in action!


It's important to understand that those in the first-third aren't doormats. And, those in the third-third aren't jerks. It really can be challenging, especially in today's environment, to figure out how to bring your opinions forward in a way that is constructive.

It's easy to see destructive examples of bringing forward opinions, just open any social media app! One way I encourage my clients to approach this is simply to consider, what is the point I'm trying to make and why is it important to me? Too often, we may be so focused on establishing our position (or exiting the conversation) that we lose sight of our "why". Then, we are smack in the middle of the Intent-Impact Gap!


At a minimum, when considering your assertiveness in action, always remember to start with RESPECT!

Emergenetics Behavioral Attributes Refresh: Expressiveness

Let's Talk About Behaviors: Expressiveness

One of the things I love the most about Emergenetics is the way it captures our behaviors separately from our thinking preferences. This distinction has been immensely valuable for my clients -- and for me personally -- when working to improve relationships inside and outside of work.

It's important to remember that, as humans, we naturally communicate in the way we prefer to be communicated to. It's such a part of who we are, we are almost unconscious of it. Until...we get feedback that we're talking over people and disrupting the team meeting. Or, we're not speaking up in meetings so others aren't hearing our ideas and insights. This creates the Intent-Impact Gap.

We probably didn't intend to talk over others -- and we certainly want our ideas heard! In this gap, unintended consequences like this occur. These consequences can cause avoidable challenges in our professional and personal development.

So, as we dive into Expressiveness, consider how your natural behavioral characteristics are helping you or may be holding you back. Is there a gap between the intention of your expression and the impact it makes on others that needs attention? And, is there an opportunity to use your natural preference to improve a relationship or team dynamics?

Check this video out to see the difference between First-Third and Third-Third Expressive.

Reminder: You can review your behaviors (and those of your connections) in the Emergnetics app too! This free app is a robust resource for all you'd like to know about Emergenetics. Heads-up! You must make your profile Public before others on your team can locate you in the app! (And, this might be why you can't find others, so ask them if they have set their app to Public yet!)

If you have any questions, please send them my way! And, stay tuned for the next edition where we talk about Assertiveness.

Emergenetics Attributes Refresh: Social and Conceptual

In our last refresh, we touched on our convergent thinking preferences: Analytical and Structural. Today, we're going to bring to light the brilliance of our divergent thinking preferences: Social and Conceptual.

While convergent preference thinkers tend to solve problems in a logical and methodical way, divergent thinking preferences encourage us to reach outward in an intuitive and relational way. Let's explore a bit!

If you have a Social preference, consider how to use your relational connection to improve your communication skills. If you do not have a Social preference, but work or live with others who do, check out the tips below to ensure you are communicating your message in a way that is empathetic and egnaging!

If you have a Conceptual preference, you might have a number of creative ideas about how to improve your communication skills! This list is designed to help you bring those ideas to life. If you do not have a Conceptual preference, understanding this communication style might help you see how to bring in the Conceptual thinkers in your life!

Ready to re-engage with your team and talk about your profiles?

Here is an easy way to pull Emergenetics into your next team meeting -- ask each person to answer the following questions out loud (give them a couple of minutes to consider it first!):

What are 3 notable characteristics of your profile?

What are 2 ways your profile contributes to the team?

What is 1 thing you would like your teammates to do when they communicate with you?

Let's keep the conversation going! What questions do you have about Emergenetics - how to use it, how to interpret it, how to leverage it for development? Send it my way and I'll do a future FAQ full of answers for you!

Emergenetics Attributes Refresh: Analytical and Structural

Can you believe it is already November?

As we move into the final weeks of the year, full of performance review writing, reporting on progress on our goals, and setting plans for 2023 strategy, let's do a refresh on the Emergenetics attributes to ensure our communication is clear and effective.

This refresh is inspired by the Emergenetics International team's recent Brilliance Series. They regularly produce such informative content! I recommend you sign up for their emails here. Today, we are digging in to our convergent thinking attributes, Analytical and Structural.

If you have an Analytical preference, remember your list of strengths below and how to be a better communicator. If you do not have an Analytical preference, but work or live with others who do, check out the tips below to ensure you are communicating your message in a way that they can receive it accurately and logically!

If you have a Structural preference, see the list below for your strengths and a list of tips about how to be a better communicator. If you do not have a Structural preference, understanding this communication style might be just the thing you need to improve your communication. (See the list below - particularly "Don't surprise" and "Allow time for questions and clarifications"!)

Here is a detailed review of Structural thinking.

Don't remember your profile?
Can't recall the profiles of your team?
Use the Emergenetics+ app!

This free app is a robust resource for all you'd like to know about Emergenetics. Heads-up! You must make your profile Public before others on your team can locate you in the app! (And, this might be why you can't find others, so ask them if they have set their app to Public yet!)

If you have any questions, send them my way!