Q.1) What is an EZOG?
Your Entrepreneurial Zone of Genius is an indicator of your natural talent reflected in entrepreneurial space. Not who you are. Not what you can or can’t do. It is more how you inspire yourself and others, your style of creativity and the ‘activities’ which you seem to have limitless energy for.
Q.2) Where does the name come from?
We started with DABC, then it was the ESP (Entrepreneur Success Profile), even considered TESS for a short while and settled, on EZOG!
During the development phase as we were explaining the concept and results to numerous entrepreneurs we often found ourselves using the analogy from Gay Hendricks - outlined in his book “The Big Leap,” about moving form incompetency, to competency, to expertise, and finally aspiring to move into the “Zone of Genius”. Through a mutual friend we contacted Gay and asked him if we could reference his work in Entrepreneurial space, he said yes, and EZOG was born.
Q.3) How is it different from other personality traits or type testing?
You are talking to yourself and we are listening!
Yes, OK, similar to many other tests, we have designed the questionnaire to separate your responses into four different styles and the forced ranking helps to bring some additional perspective. Unlike other tests, however, which are usually trying to categorize all of your personality, we are trying to focus in on how you are wired, where does your creative flow comes from, and how you are thinking. This analysis is then reflected into the Entrepreneurial space. It’s not your entire DNA, it’s just your Entrepreneurial Zone of Genius.
Q.4) How has it been validated?
Validation for the test in the early stages of the research was included over 100 exhaustive 1:1 interviews and comparison with personality assessment tests like Myers Briggs. Subsequent validation has come from hundreds more entrepreneurs taking the test, statistical analysis and feedback from so many on how it is helping them. Working on the EZOG reports and interviewing the recipients has also proved to be provided invaluable feedback as well as additional validation.
Q.5) So I find out my EZOG -- then what?
Just like in Gay Hendricks’ book – “A Giant Leap,” knowing is just the first step of the journey. The ideal situation is when you spend more and more of your life working in your zone of genius. Having discovered your EZOG, consciously reprioritize your activities, so ones most closely aligned with your EZOG get priority. Create more space for these activities by delegating/swapping/exchanging others activities with other people who are also ideally aligned to their EZOG. Operating in this way-- it’s a win-win game, play it as much as you can.
Q.6) Two of my scores are almost identical -- what does this mean?
No two individuals are the same and your unique EZOG will have many elements to it. With two EZOG styles to work in, you just have a bigger playing field. It’s one of those good news/bad news situations. Great to have more options and a bigger field to play in and harder to find that elusive place that is exactly your unique Zone of Genius.
Q.7) What does my lowest score signify?
The low score simply identifies the zone where you are least likely to find “zen” in your life. You may be talented at all of the activities relating to this style and very professionally competent doing them, but and the EZOG is not what you can do, it’s where is your unique zone of Genius lies.
Q.8) How do I spend more time working in my EZOG?
You will have to make a conscious choice to achieve this. We are not adding any more time to the day, not suggesting you sleep less. However, we do recommend you look at the things you do and reprioritize your focus/energy/time where you can.
Also, in all the activities you are engaged in, challenge yourself to express more in your EGOG style – a Visionary can inspire others more, an Architect can design and plan more, a Builder can accomplish more, and the Cultivator will collaborate more.
Q.9) What other EZOG styles complement mine?
All others styles will complement yours.
You will have a tendency to attract similar styles, we relate best to people who think like we do! Depending on the nature of your endeavor, some complementary skills can be prioritized, which will be identified by what needs to happen and isn’t! As a generalization – Visionaries and Builders most need each other most and the Architect/Cultivator combination works well.
