Two Years or 90%

“Dave, the way you’re wired, you are going to be good at stuff for about two years, or 90%, whichever comes first.”

I was stunned. Was that supposed to be a compliment??

I was 25 years old at the time, and I was having lunch with a consultant our agency had hired when he sprung this “wisdom” on me. 

At the time, I couldn’t hear anything but a backhanded compliment. 

Was he saying I was flaky? Disloyal? That I didn’t finish things? I had prided myself on my consistency, stability, and loyalty. Although he was well-intended, it felt like he was throwing my deeply held personal qualities out the window with this “advice.”

He didn’t know it, but he was stepping on a deep father wound. Part of the reason I so valued consistency was that my father was anything but consistent when it came to work. While he was consistent in some things, like telling me he loved me, he rarely held down a job for long, and as a result, we lived with a lot of turmoil and instability.

“I am consistent. I am loyal. I finish things.” My self-view was built on this foundation, and this consultant was shaking that foundation. 

What does this guy know?

After a few weeks, I started to wonder if he was on to something. I was on my third job in three years at the agency – all through promotions. I hadn’t been in any role for longer than 18 months. 

Above: Young Dave Raley didn’t know how to respond to being told he might be good at starting things, but he might lose steam after a while. 

Over the next few years, his words stuck with me. “Two years or 90%, whichever comes first.”

I started to realize that he didn’t mean I would change jobs every two years, or necessarily leave the company, or that I would flake out on things before they were finished.

I noticed my energy and passion were super high at the beginning of any new role or initiative. I LOVED wondering about what could be, LOVED generating different ideas for how we could get there, and had good judgment.  

But once things were essentially underway, I would find my energy fading. At first, I wasn’t conscious of it - others had to point it out. “Dave, where’s the passion? Where’s the fired-up Dave I know?” My friend Chris Ihrig was a key voice in my life during some of these moments. (Appropriately enough, he runs a firm called Fired Up Culture, so he knows a thing or two about being fired up! 🔥)

I stayed at the marketing agency, Masterworks, for 18 years. Over that time, I served 7 different roles, 5 of which were starting or building teams. I learned that I am NOT flaky. I DO finish things. I AM loyal. 

But, it also turns out the consultant was right. He didn’t mean that I was flaky, or that I didn’t finish things. What he saw in me was a natural wonderer, ideator, and starter of things. I love tackling big challenges and connecting dots.

Over the years, I learned a few things. I need to surround myself with people who have gifts I don’t have. That I needed to monitor my energy and passion levels. And that yes, about every two years, I needed a new challenge to tackle. But that “new challenge” didn’t always have to mean a new job - sometimes it was a new initiative, a mountain to climb, a goal to achieve. 

Then, a few years ago, I learned about Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius tool, and the pieces clicked into place. 

Working Genius is a productivity tool. The idea is there are six kinds of work we all have to do, but each of us is wired for two of these kinds as our “geniuses” - we are naturally drawn to them and gain energy. Likewise, two are working “competencies” - we can do them, but they don’t bring as much joy and energy. Finally, two of these kinds of work are “frustrations” - we might be good at them, but they drain us and don’t come easily. 

My “geniuses” are Wonder and Discernment. I also love Invention, which is my third “genius” in order. But the last three geniuses - the geniuses most associated with implementing and operating things, those tend to be more draining - Tenacity, Enablement, and Galvanizing. 

Working Genius has been so instrumental in my life as a leader, doer, father, and husband that I do it with every client I work with. 

It’s helped shape the way I show up as a leader, and how we serve the clients we work with. Every combination of Working Genius has what is known as a pairing:

If you’d like to learn more about Working Genius, I put together a guide and recorded a 15-minute walkthrough video. You can download both at www.imago.consulting/workinggenius.

Above: Working Genius is a productivity tool that helps teams be more functional, less frustrated, and more innovative. I put together a guide and video walkthrough at www.imago.consulting/workinggenius.

How about you? Can you relate? If you’ve taken the assessment, what’s your Working Genius?

Ultimately, I’m grateful to that consultant who spoke into 25-year old Dave all those years ago. That day, it was a hard truth… but it's shaped the trajectory of my life, the effectiveness of my career, and the health of my family.  I’m grateful for that consultant all those years ago – Bobb Biehl. ❤️

This last month, I celebrated two years since founding Imago Consulting. 🥳

In the context of this post, you might rightfully worry… is he out of steam? Has he lost the fire? Is he going to lose energy? Is he going to move on to something else?

I’m as FIRED UP as I’ve ever been. 🔥

The past two years have been a season of starting, learning what works, and establishing systems and structures. I’ve got a new book coming out next year.  

The next two years are going to be fun. We’re just getting started. 

I’m glad you are along for the journey!

Until next week… Surfs Up! 🌊

  - Dave

About the Author | Dave Raley

Consultant, speaker, and writer Dave Raley is the founder of Imago Consulting, a firm that helps non-profits and businesses create profitable growth through sustainable innovation. He’s the author of a weekly trendspotting report called The Wave Report, and the co-founder of the Purpose & Profit Podcast — a show about the ideas at the intersection of nonprofit causes and for-profit brands.

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