Play to Your Strengths

How to Succeed by Doing More Of What You Do Best!

I first learned how important my talents were in 5^th grade. I was sitting in a parent-teacher conference with my teacher, Mr. Holly. He was going over my standardized test scores with my parents. In a polite way, he was saying I was ‘average'. But he pointed to one score with excitement. ‘Here! This is an area of exceptionally ability. She's at the 12 grade level.' We all marveled and pondered this score for a moment.

Soon the conference is over and the test results forgotten. I continued to plod through high school and college as a ‘C' student School did not come easy for me. I worked hard. When I turned 25 I decided to go to graduate school. The admissions counselor doubted I could get in. With a bit of persuasion, the school let me enter on a trial basis. From the minute I set foot in the door, I made straight A's and graduated with a 4.0.

Now you might wonder - how did this average student jump to the top of her class? Did she study more? Was she more disciplined? Did she finally learn how the secret to success in school?

No. As a matter of fact, I worked less and had more fun in graduate school than ever before. SO what happened?

Finally after years in school, I entered my talent zone. School was suddenly exciting and easy. I loved my studies. I excelled in every class and graduated with honors. Since that time I've continued to focus on my talents and leverage them throughout my career. It's a great way to work. I've played many roles - but all of them use my core talents.

When we think about talent, we often think of people like Michael Jordon and Maya Angelou. I want to take the mystique out of our notions about talents and share leading-edge information with you about your talents. I'll describe 5 common traps you need to avoid to use your talents fully. And I'll give you practical ideas you can put into action immediately.

Facts About Talents

Here are some basic facts about talents you need to know...

Absolutely everyone has talents. You and the people around you have talents. Your talents are not the same as your job, your skills, or your education. Your talents are your innate abilities. You were born with them. If any of you have children, you quickly see they're born with different talents. Some like to dash around the house and climb fences. Other prefer to sit and draw.

You can change jobs and positions - but your talents go with you. They show up at work, with friends, at church, in the community, and when you're socializing, playing, working or relaxing. Your talents are always with you.

Your talents are simply what you like to do. The work and activities you gravitate towards reveal your talents. I have an office assistance that helps me once a month. Her talent is organizing. She helps me keep my files, closet and supplies in order. The last time she came over I asked her how many hours she spends organizing, sorting, and de-cluttering at home. Her immediate response was 3 hours. I was stunned and asked, "Every day?" She said, "Yes. Every day. It relaxes me." This is clearly her talent.

To discover your talents ask yourself these questions, "What do I enjoy doing? How do I like to spend my discretionary time? What is easy and effortless for me to do?

We all have five to seven core talents we use in various ways. And we combine these core talents in a predictable way to get things done. I call this combining of talents your ‘success pattern' - or the unique way you mix and match these core talents to achieve your goal.

What ever you do well, you'll do to a fault. Our greatest strength can also be a weakness. For instance, if you like to plan ahead, this is a great talent. But when circumstances require flexibility and spontaneity, you might not respond easily. The sales person who is great at penetrating new accounts may be lousy at daily account management. Every talent has value - but not in every situation.

One of the best ways to discover your talents is to ask individuals who are close to you this question: "What do I do that bugs you? What do I do to excess?" Then flip their answer around and look for the positive side of this quality. When you walk into a room, do you see every problem and nit that needs to be fixed? Then you might have a talent for detail and problem solving. Do others tell you're a Pollyanna and your heads in the clouds? You might be an optimistic visionary. Every strength has a potential flip side and visa versa.

You have a primary talent. You have between 5 to 7 core talents. And one of these core talents is a primary talent. Your primary talent is a driving force in your life. If this talent is missing in your job - you'll lose the fire in your belly. We can see this in the entrepreneur whose company is sold. He or she loses steam when they're not at the helm. When there's no need for our primary talents or it's undervalued, we'll lose our oomph for what we're doing. Our primary talent is the one that motivates us.

The 4 Talent Types

In my work with leaders I've discovered four essential primary talents. Organizations and especially teams need all 4 of these talents to launch and implement work projects and change initiatives. In my book, Play Your Best Hand, I describe these 4 talent types in much greater detail.

Here's a snap shot of the 4 primary talent types. I've call them Diamond, Club, Heart, and Spade talents:

Diamond talents are the individuals who like to think up new ideas. Diamonds are innovators and out-of-the-box thinkers. Steve Jobs has Diamond talents. His innovative ideas skyrocketed Apple Computer to the front of the pack and driven up the stock price. In typical innovator style, Steve Jobs is quoted as saying "Why join the navy when you can be a pirate?"

Club talents have a vision and create the systems to ensure long-term success. Bill Gates is a Club talent. His deal-making abilities turned Microsoft into a market leader. Many business owners have benefited from his structure and market savvy. Bill Gates is quoted as saying, "Our success has really been based on partnerships from the very beginning... In the next century, leaders will be those who empower others."

Heart talents like to focus on relationships. A Heart talent will champion the underdog, encourage others and express appreciation. Princess Diana exemplifies a Heart talent. She was a compassionate champion for the poor and reached out with kindness. Princess Diana is quoted as saying, "Whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are."

Spade talents like to dig in and get things done. These are the practical realists of the world. Margaret Thatcher, former prime minister of England was a Spade talent. She refused to rest until she made progress and checked off her list at the end of the day. Margaret Thatcher is quoted as saying, "Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It's not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it's when you've had everything to do, and you've done it."

Work projects require all four of these talent types. Ideally you know your talent and you're focused on work that leverages your talents. As a result, both you and your projects are successful.

Why is it vital to know your talents?

Your talents can guide you. Knowing your talents helps you navigate your career and contribute your best. That's the bottom line. Recognizing your talents helps you work better with others and leverage everyone's talents to get things done.

The goal is to focus on your strengths - not your weaknesses. This idea goes against conventional thinking and many performance review systems. From early on we're taught to fix our weaknesses. I'm here to tell you that the ROI or return on investment for focusing on your weaknesses is poor.

I want you to recognize your weaknesses - but don't waste time trying to fix them. Ninety percent of individuals who take our talent assessment are weak at least one of the 4 talents. The good news is that for every task we hate - there's some one else who loves doing it.

Ideally you pay just enough attention to a weakness so it doesn't get in your way. I could spend years trying to balance my checkbook. And some day I might even get it right down to the penny. But the energy I'd have to spend achieving this goal is a poor investment. I'm much better off knowing this area is a weakness and getting help. Instead of focusing on balancing the ledger, I spend my time as a communicating, creating and building relationship. It's a better investment of my time.

And so what?

Just knowing your talents isn't enough. Many people have great talents but they're not using them. Only 20% of employees say they are fully engaged at work. 50% say they are doing just enough to get by, and 39% of middle manager are actively looking for a new job. This is disheartening.

You want your talents to add value! The goal is to find the sweet spot - where your best talents align with the needs of the business.

What keeps us from using our talents?

In my work as an executive coach and a business owner myself, I've discovered five traps that leaders, and especially women leaders are prone to fall into. I'm not talking about lackey's here - these are very talented leaders. But they're still vulnerable to these 5 traps.

# 1. We don't see our value.

We assume what we're doing is ‘no big deal.' We don't recognize the impact we're having on others. We don't see our worth. We literally don't realize the difference our talents are making inside the organization and other's lives. We've learned that modesty is noble so why focus on our value? But playing small does not serve us.

We need to ask our customers, employees and boss, "What do you appreciate about my work?" "How are you and others benefiting from my services?" "Specifically, what do you value most?" We must find out. Ideally, we take personal inventory of our strengths and clarify the value we bring. We know how to create a value proposition for our customers. Now we need a value proposition for ourselves.

#2. We don't tell others what we do.

Too many of us are doing good work, hoping to be noticed and picked out from the crowd. Or we're are going to the other extreme and frantically handing out business cards to any one who'll take them. I suggest a different approach.

Simply start doing more of what you do best. Find ways to offer your talents. Share with others what you love to do. Help your boss and co-workers see projects with your name on them. We need to calmly tell others the value we bring. It's the quiet clarity about our offering that makes us believable. We can't assume others know. We must tell them.

#3. We don't say ‘NO.'

We are promiscuous yes-sayers. When others ask for our help we're quick to respond. We want to be of service and a team player so we jump right in. Soon we're overwhelmed and can't keep our promises.

Instead we need to pause and ask our selves, "Is this mine to do?" "What is the best contribution I can make in this situation?" "Does this fit with my priorities?" And if it's not - we need to say no. NO is not a four-letter word. A quick pause will help us. In today's organization, it's our responsibility to place ourselves in situations where we can contribute the highest value.

#4. We do everything ourselves.

We fight hard to hold on to control. Instead of letting go, we take everything on our shoulders and try to muscle our way through projects. We think, "This will be over soon. I can handle it. I just have to get through this week." But there's always another crunch time just around the corner.

The truth is no one gets promoted for looking stressed and frantic. Recognizing our limitations is the starting point. Accessing others' talent is the key. We need to trust others and call on the full range of their talents to deliver our best. Great talents reside in people other than our selves. Challenge yourself daily with this question, "What am I doing now that could be done by some one else?"

#5. We don't ask for help.

When we don't let go we have a melt down. Then we get sick or bail ut and leave. In the middle of the quagmire - we get depressed, get mad, get even, get skinny, get fat, cry, blame others, and stomp our feet. But the one thing we don't do is ask for help.

It's so simple. Early on, before we're even close to losing it, we can simply say, "I need a favor... Can you help me?" Why is this so hard? I don't know. But it's a major challenge for many - including myself. Just today I walked five mile rather than ask a colleague for a ride. Odd isn't it?

To use our talents, we must be alert to these traps. They're easy to fall into. It takes effort, anticipation, reflection and conscious decisions to side step these nasty buggers. These habitual behaviors won't take us to the top - or anywhere else we want to go. We must recognize these traps and walk around them.

Your talents are a gift

I want to challenge you to see your talents as a gift. When you give someone a gift, you don't just pick something off the shelf, shove it into a paper bag and hand it to this person. No!

Instead, you take time to think about the individual and what they might need. Then you carefully select your gift and wrap it beautifully. Finally you wait for the right moment and give it to the person. Their response is delight and appreciation.

In the same way, I want you to see your talents as a gift. When you see your talents as a gift, you take the time to notice who needs them before jumping in. You pay attention to the wrapping - whether it be wearing the right clothes or creating a beautiful brand. When it's time to deliver the goods, you tune into the situation and are sensitive to timing. You don't just spatter your talents around indiscriminately. You're deliberate. You know your worth. You set yourself up for success. You know your talents are a gift and use them wisely.

At the end of the day you want to make a difference. And you can. I invite you to be bold, value your talents and take your place at the table. This is how it's meant to be. YOU - feeling appreciated, valued, and contributing your best.

Your talents are there for the taking - grab on and enjoy the ride!

Topics

• Managing Talents and Career