So what is this Emergenetics? If only I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked this question :-) My response used to focus on a description of the tool as a brain based psychometric assessment that measures key thinking and behavior attributes. I was always sure to mention that as a result of my own exposure and learning through Emergenetics I had selected it as a key tool for my work as a coach.
In recent months however, as I have begun to use Emergenetics in new ways, I find my response to the “what is Emergenetics” question less focused on the description of the tool and more focused on its application. So what does that mean? Well, recently I had the opportunity to use Emergenetics as the basis for a Vision and Strategy workshop. The organization leader wanted a structured approach to build his team and develop their organizational strategy. To meet this objective I designed a one and a half day workshop that combined a classic Emergenetics seminar with traditional visioning and strategic planning processes. I have to tell you this was a powerful combination!!
Over the course of my corporate career I had led vision and strategy development sessions many times. But having the Emergenetics profiles of all the key participants meant that I was able to design all the exercises around the WEteamTM concept and the results were striking. So what is a WEteamTM? A WEteamTM is a Whole Emergenetics team, essentially a “brain trust” composed of people who represent each attribute in the Emergenetics model. The energy that emerges from the varied thinking and behavior attributes creates an impressive combination of creative and productive results. I was struck by how quickly the teams connected, how members built on each others ideas and how quickly the teams delivered on their assignments.
Organizations that have embraced Emergenetics within their culture are taking its application to new and exciting levels. One example is MillerCoors who were featured in an article called “Brewing Up Culture” in the May 2011 issue of Talent Management magazine. In this article MillerCoors shares its success for merging America's 2nd and 3rd largest breweries to achieve greater market share and scale. When asked how they approached it, the leaders at Coors talked about Cognitive Diversity, Self-Awareness, and Trust. In the article they discuss the use of Emergenetics as the cornerstone, coupled with their other training and development initiatives “With an instrument like Emergenetics, you quickly see who is on your team, where their strengths lie, and how they think, behave and communicate," said H. Muir, senior consultant of learning solutions at MillerCoors "It helped us build a process to value the individual and get things done via relationships." If you would like to read more about how MillerCoors are embracing Emergenetics you can access the full Talent Management article via the following link: http://talentmgt.com/departments/application/2011/May/1529/index.php
As a certified Emergenetics associate I am available to work with organizations who want to explore how Emergenetics can help build stronger more productive teams and with individuals who with Emergenetics have the power to look inward to find out who they truly are and how they prefer to work, learn communicate and go about life. For more information contact me at: Susan.McCarthy@SaolDevelopment.Com
