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Striving, Driving, & Relating

by Rick Baker
On May 19, 2011
What are your talents?
 
Most of us have a fuzzy answer to that question.
 
How do you define the major categories of talents?
 
Most of us have a fuzzy answer to that question.
 
Isn’t that interesting!
 
Stop the next business person you see. It doesn’t matter who the person is. Could be someone you know. Could be a stranger. Regardless, stop that next business person. Ask that next business person:
 
Are talents an important thing…YES or NO?
 
I am guessing the person will answer, “YES”.
 
Ask a bunch of people that same question.
 
Again, I am guessing the vast majority of them will answer, “YES”.
 
“YES, talents are an important thing.”
 
If I am wrong then the rest of this Thought Post is wasted effort…please do not read the rest of it.
 
If you are still reading...
 
Ask that next business person the following question:
 
What talents do you rely on when you do your job?
 
Listen carefully to the answer.
 
Doesn’t the answer sound fuzzy!
 
I am re-reading ‘First, Break All The Rules – What The World’s Greatest Mangers Do Differently’ [Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman, 1999, by the Gallup Organization]. Their observation is accurate. People do not have a clear understanding of their talents. And, as Gallup concluded in 1999, people often provide answers that mix up talents and weaknesses… people claim their talents is also their weaknesses. Often, the talent they mention is not a talent…rather, it is a skill. Or, instead of a skill or a talent, people claim a piece of specialized knowledge is their talent.
 
The fuzziness expands if you ask about the major categories of talents, let alone how to structure a business team to make the best use of people’s talents. [that is, people’s amazingly-diverse talents]
 
Isn’t that interesting!

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STRENGTHS: People-Focused for Success

Comments (1) -

rick baker
6/13/2012 9:16:22 PM #

"As a practical matter, when you are looking for your talents, look for:

1. What you enjoy doing
2. What you enjoy thinking about
3. What you enjoy learning about
4. What you enjoy as a process"


Laurence G. Boldt
'ZEN and the art of making a living', (2009)

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