What is The Daring Way™?

Avoidance of fear and things we dislike is only human. Our brains have wiring to seek pleasure and avoid pain. However, this avoidance can harm the person you want to be, the goals you want to achieve, and the relationships you want to establish. And there's the ever-present pressure to have it all "figured out."

What stands between you and those things you want? Is it fear, shame, or simply feeling unworthy?

To make new choices and create change in our lives, we must understand the obstacles that get in our way and how to conquer them. It means having courage and vulnerability. Many people will lock in on what they believe is right and stay the course, but it is much more common to feel unsure or try several paths before developing a sense of what is right. Vulnerability is not a sign of weakness; it is the bridge between your fears and what you truly want.

The Daring Way™ workshop through Bauman Consulting Group in Loveland, Ohio, helps you build the bridge. It helps participants recognize they are worthy of love and belonging no matter their path. It teaches us to acknowledge and utilize the power we have within ourselves.

The Daring Way™ is an empirically based training and certification program for helping professionals, based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown.* The work focuses on courage-building, shame resilience, and uncovering the power of vulnerability. The methodology is designed for individuals, couples, families, and groups.

The Daring Way™ workshop is for those who feel like they are not living their lives fully. Maybe they are afraid to present themselves with worries, such as an interview for their dream job, a crucial conversation with their partner, confronting life after a divorce, or a challenging relationship with a family member.

It is hard to show up for the scary things because we are afraid of what will happen if we fail or fall short of expectations. So, we avoid and then avoid some more. Then, as we get closer to the event, we start anticipating our negative self-talk voice: “Who do you think you are? Why do you think you'll be successful? Don't even try; you are sure to mess it up.”

The Daring Way™ gives us a method for working through issues that hold us back from accomplishing hard things, professionally and personally. Contact Bauman Consulting Group today to reserve your spot for one of our upcoming workshops at info@baumanconsultinggroup.com. Mention this article for 20% off the registration fee.

*The Daring Way - Brené Brown. https://brenebrown.com/thedaringway

Lead Yourself Forward

What's next on your career path? Are you dissatisfied with your work but are unclear on how to move on? You're not alone. There's no doubt that COVID-19 has changed many things about living and working. According to Bankrate's August 2021 Job Seeker Survey, over 55% of what economists describe as the immediate workforce plan to re-evaluate their current work and find a better fit over 12 months. But, even if you plan to stay put, how are you reaching out to your direct reports or mentees to give them the support they need in their decision. When considering your next steps, it is sometimes helpful to consider using assessments to grow personal leadership skills and skills for potential leaders, either in your workplace or as a mentor.

The truth is that we can all continue to improve and develop. The better our leaders become, the better their team, which significantly impacts the overall business. When we partner with clients, leaders often say, "I've worked on so much over the years, I'm not sure what to work on now." Our response is always simple– "You need to take an assessment." It's more challenging to decide the next steps of your development without data to drive it. An assessment will give you that data for drafting a plan. 

Leaders have often taken assessments over the years and are apprehensive about returning to that route. They feel they've already gained all the information they can from that process, but assessments remain a valuable tool. Assessments give us information about a person at a particular time. Yes, you may have taken an assessment as part of employee development protocol several years ago– but you've likely changed a lot since then. You've most likely developed your skills, and perhaps you're not even in the same position, or you have a completely different work environment. There is value in going back to complete an assessment for all these reasons.

There are many different assessments on the market that you can consider for informing your developmental path. Each serves different purposes, and some are better than others when considering specific needs. We recommend three assessments to our clients beginning this process: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0, and the Global Leadership Assessment 360. These assessments provide an array of information, as outlined here:

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is perhaps the world's most well-known personality assessment. The participant completes the tool online or in person, placing you into one of 16 different personality types. The evaluation results provide:

•          Insights into how you interact with others

•          Increased self-awareness of each personality type's strengths and challenges

•          Ideas for adapting your behavior in response to other personalities in the room

Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 (EQ-i 2.0) is the world's leading assessment tool for evaluating emotional and social intelligence. The assessment contains 133 items that converge to provide insight into 15 competencies and five composite areas. In addition, the EQ-i 2.0 provides you with a picture of how you operate emotionally– something that research now demonstrates is a more significant predictor of success than traditional intelligence. The client and their manager, peers, and customers complete the assessment. The assessment result provides clients with holistic insight into their emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence is a set of emotional and social skills that influence how we perceive and express ourselves, develop and maintain social relationships, cope with challenges, and use emotional information effectively and meaningfully.

Global Leadership Assessment 360 is a leadership assessment rooted in groundbreaking research conducted by Marshall Goldsmith (#1 Leadership Thinker and Executive Coach.) The study involved CEOs of Fortune 100 companies, global thought leaders, and international business executives of organizations on six continents. The GLA360 articulates and measures the top 15 most pressing competencies for today's global leader. In addition, it shows leaders the areas they need to develop to succeed in a competitive business environment. 

Don't stop at just completing the assessments. Once you have this data, it's time to put the information to work for you. You can incorporate these findings in a detailed personal or professional development plan. Partnering with a coach through this process can prove helpful. A coach can assist you with interpreting your assessment results, locating areas of opportunity, and guiding goal setting related to your development. Coaches also act as accountability partners and personal cheerleaders for clarifying your purpose and problem-solving in a confidential environment. Working with a coach, especially during a challenging time, can be the catalyst for change that you may need for lasting positive results.

Please find more information about Bauman Consulting Group and the coaching services and assessment tools we provide on our website, www.baumanconsultinggroup.com/coaching. In addition, all readers are eligible for a free 45-minute consultation.