How would you like to experience greater productivity, more fun, and maximize your energy and impact at work and beyond? In this episode of the From Good Girl to Grown Ass Woman podcast, I share a concept with you that has the potential to transform how you relate to work. Listen below:

In a nutshell, Zone of Genius is a concept developed by Dr. Gay Hendricks, a thought leader in the field of leadership and personal development. According to Dr. Hendricks, there are 4 zones within which we tend to live and work. They are:

Zone of Genius

You know you’re in your Zone of Genius with the activities or states of being you’re participating in:

• Come naturally to you

• Don’t feel like work, even if it’s something you’re getting paid for

• Feels fun, easeful and timeless, meaning you can easily lose track of time

• Spending time on these activities energizes you

• You create more value or impact than most other people doing these activities

Zone of Excellence

Clues that you’re in your Zone of Excellence include:

• Activities and skillsets that you’re really good at at and for which you are rewarded or compensated.
• May include skillsets that you’ve received training or education

• Requires effort and feels like work to you

• If you only work in this zone, you would eventually burn out

Zone of Competence

When you’re in your Zone of Competence:

• Your efforts create mediocre results

• Your energy is easily drained

• You don’t enjoy these activities, or may even actively dislike them but feel they have to get done

• Tends to lead to boredom or frustration

Zone of Incompetence

Activities that are in your Zone of Incompetence are those in which:

• Other people do better than you.

• You don’t enjoy, and find difficult

• You create unfavorable outcomes

I invite you to listen to the full episode to identify specific examples of each of these zones, how to identify your Zone of Genius and spend more time there, and barriers that may be keeping you working outside of your Zone of Genius.

When you live and work as much as possible in your Zone of Genius, you get to have more impact, with less energy expenditure, all the while having more fun. Take a listen, and let me know how you’ll apply this concept in your life and with your teams.