All About Strengths
The principle of building on your strengths started with a very simple question: "What would happen if we actually focussed on what is RIGHT with people, instead of focussing on what is WRONG with them?" Contemplating this question started a revolution of talent-development.
Unfortunately most of the Western world is still oblivious to the effect of this revolution.... as most of the Western world still concentrate their effort and energy on "weakness fixing", instead of "Strength-development". This is true in the areas of business, sport, politics, education, religion, community... everywhere.
It starts with awareness & recognition
A strengths-based approach to anything starts with the principle of awareness and recognition. Recognizing your own potential and talents, as well as those in other people. This does not come naturally!
Gallup research shows that 65% off Americans say they received no recognition in the workplace in the last year. The research further shows that by building recognition and positive emotions, organisations increased employee and organisational engagement and boosted bottom line outcomes.
A study in recognition, which included more than 10'000 business units and more than 30 industries, showed a direct link between regular recognition and praise and specific business outcomes, for example increased individual productivity, higher loyalty, better customer reviews and increased safety on the job.
A crucial element in recognition of your own abilities and talents, as well as those of others, lies in talent discovery, knowledge about these talents and experience in the dynamics of talents in action. We are mostly shockingly unaware of who we really are.
Unfortunately our concept and understanding of talent are limited and obscured. Mostly, we only acknowledge the result of talent, as talent itself. This leads to the misleading idea that what is seen within performance, skill and achievement (like a winning athlete, a leading business person, a brilliant musician, a convincing actress or a bestselling author) is actually the definition of talent. This is not so. What we usually see in society is the result of refined, skilled, practiced and experienced talent in action within a specific field of interest of passion. Underneath the observed skill, lies the true drive... and the real talent. And we all possess a unique blend and mix of such talent. If, where and how we develop and apply our talent mix is what makes the difference!
A Bowl, not a Shelf
Your Talent mix should be seen as different talent definitions and potential talent drivers poured into a bowl, rather than separate entities packed neatly on a shelf. This means that your talent themes never functions solely by themselves, or as an individual entity. It is part of a complex mix that has the same effect as a unique recipe for a dish... when tasted and enjoyed, you can distinguish flavours within, but you can never again seperate the ingredients. We do not take a specific theme of a shelf, so to speak, and then place it back afterwards to gather dust untill we need it again... Our different talent themes are always in play - but we "spice up the dish" as we choose.
That is if we know what ingredients are at our exposal... and if we take up the important role as the "chef" of our own feast!
Thus: when we observe talents in action, what you see is the unique mix of different talent themes that drives the knowledge, skill and experience through a specific field of passion and interest.
Talent thrives when celebrated
Our natural talents are starved for celebration! With the 'weakness fixing culture' that we find ourselves in, our talents are deprived of one of their greatest nourishments: to be celebrated for the natural ability that they possess. But obviously we can only celebrate and acknowledge what we can observe. Therefor we get back to the starting point of recognizing the special and unique traits and manifestations of each of our talent themes - and those of others.
[Interestingly enough it is much harder to celebrate our own unique themes, than it is to celebrate those we see in others. The acknowledgement and celebration of talents themes is in itself a skill that needs to be aquired and mastered.]
Confirmed with constant research: Strengths makes most sense!
Over the past 20 plus years, Gallup has studied and surveyed more tha 10 Million people worldwide on the application of their talents and turning it into strengths. More than 70% of all these people surveyed are not functioning within an area where they can do what they do best.
Research also confirms that both success and fulfillment in any arena of life and work stems from simply two major factors: being passionate, and building on your natural talents and abilities. Hard work acts as an excellerator when it follows these two factors.
Finally: are you a firework... or a moonrocket?
What is the main difference between a firework (flare) and a moonrocket? Simply this: after the spectacle of the launch is over, only one of the two still has a purpose. And that purpose is a destination...
Too often in life we treat our dreams like fireworks. We give it an enthusiastical launch, with a "bang" and lots of energy. And after the fire that flamed up after the initial spark, has burned out, our dreams merely falsl back to the earth... simply burned out and useless.
We should treat our dreams with more long term intent, knowing that the purpose is a destination, and that the real work and perceverance only starts after the spectacle of the launch is over.
This is the main challenge when developing our talents, and turning them into strengths. Should we treat the discovery of our talents only as a spectacle and a "nice-to-know", it's purpose will be deminished into something short lived and sporadic. This is exactly why coaching in your talent themes is the most important part of the journey of your dreams...
