The Pace Setter CoreDrill - Don't Waste the Pace

“My whole life I’ve always felt like an anomaly. I can’t wait to hear why!” Adam was an administrator for an organization that had brought me in to go through the team’s talents with CoreClarity. Word had gotten around that Adam’s CoreDrill only showed up in one in two hundred people. No one, including Adam, was surprised. All 5 of his top talents landed up in the motivational quadrants of Mobilize and Energize, making him a Pace Setter. 

Pace Setters have a constant drive towards outputs and accomplishments, whether they are intrinsically motivating themselves towards results or giving push and lift to others. They are natural catalysts for action and achievement and may generate a rhythm and pace that soon laps others. The lack of Reflect talents is made up for by being a hands-on learner that is helping, facilitating, or teaching others. The only meeting they may enjoy is the one they are in front of and leading.

Most have a strong work ethic, are perpetually in motion and allergic to inaction. In my days as an in-house facilitator I had a young woman on my team named Danielle who was a Pace Setter. She would get antsy sitting in staff meetings that lasted more than 20 minutes. If I’d ask her what she was thinking she’d look like a deer in headlights. I quickly learned that when we met for her personal development time it was best to meet at a park with walking trails rather than a coffee shop. Engaging in the action of a brisk stroll allowed her focus and her imagination to flow with verbal fluidity as we processed priorities and projects and burned calories. 

Pace Setters can push the envelope with rules, regulations, and restrictions. They can stir the pot of the status quo with an activist flair. This unique wake is why most Pace Setters have felt out of place or misunderstood at different times in their lives, especially those younger years in school. This was especially true for Adam. When we went through his talents and CoreDrill his whole team kept nodding, laughing, and making comments like, “Now I get you.”

After the group session I met with Adam for a personal debrief. He was excited to be the CoreDrill “celebrity” of the team but much more thrilled to have clarity, confirmation, and a language to put to his anomaly of a life. It was clear from conversations with him and his team leaders that there had been some growing frustration with his current administrative role. When I asked him to tell when he last enjoyed his work life, he told me about a role where he was more of an entrepreneur launching new programs and events that included leading and developing people. It was almost 180 degrees from his current role of managing budgets and policies while brokering other people’s desires. He had gone from road runner to paper pusher and needed a new career course.  

The lesson learned is that Pace Setters bring a unique value and competitive edge to the world, but it is critical their roles and responsibilities are aligned with their talents. Anything less leads to wasted pace.