Why Most Corporations Homogenize Remarkable People, Part 5: Identifying Strengths

Last week I gave a talk at the AMD Women’s Forum about Professional Destiny in Business and igniting passion in the workplace. How is this done–especially in larger organizations? The answer is that great productivity and passion at work always starts with people. Always. It begins with identifying your gifts. And if you’re a leader, it also begins with identifying the gifts of others and putting them to good use.

In the first installments of this “Homogenization” series, I’ve written about the problems of marginalizing vs. empowering people and the difference between “spiky” and well-rounded skills. Let’s go a step further and discuss why matching people to their unique talents is so important.

Studies have shown that up to 80% of workers feel that they are not being allowed to use their strengths on a daily basis at work. Why is that? In my experience, I’ve found that there are usually three main reasons:

• Many employees are not aware of their natural gifts or strengths. They are not clear on what sets them apart from others and consequently they are unaware of the types of work that fits them best.
• Organizations don’t pay enough attention to the difference between natural gifts and acquired skills and experience. They pay too much attention to credentials (resumes and fancy degrees), which are a good indicator of intelligence, but not a great indicator of a natural gift (such as seeing new opportunities or building customer trust).
• Many leaders do not have the insight or inclination to identify and match people with their greatest strengths. This is especially true if the strength is not immediately identified as part of the established job description.  

In Professional Destiny, I give an example of a helpful exercise to help you identify your gifts. It involves getting crystal clear on the things you love to do, the things you’re naturally good at (sometimes these are the same, sometimes they’re not) and the things you loathe to do, and should avoid altogether.  Once you’re clear, initiate conversations with manager and see how you can maximize your time doing what you do best. If you’re a leader, do this exercise with your team.

In essence, many managers homogenize remarkable people because they fundamentally believe that employees are interchangeable parts. They believe that skills and credentials are more important than natural gifts and that with the right training or attitude almost any person can be adapted to any position. The mistake in this logic is that it leaves out the passion factor and employees eventually begin to disengage. Their attitude can change to the “I’m just doing my job” factor. When people are passionate about their work, they are more loyal, innovative and driven to achieve remarkable things. Companies sometimes forget that it’s the people who first and foremost determine whether an organization is great or not. Not the other way around.

8 Comments June 22, 2010

Out of a Job and Into Your Professional Destiny

The following is a post that I contributed to the Pink Magazine blog about how setbacks in this economy may turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

For many, there comes a point in our life when we stop in our tracks and ask ourselves, “What is the meaning of the work we’re doing?” It might be because we’re feeling unchallenged, unfulfilled or unmotivated. Or it might be because external events—like losing a job—force us to rethink our options. Rather than look at such a circumstance as a challenge, you can see it as a golden opportunity to reintroduce joy and creativity into your professional life.

Years ago, I became fascinated by the idea that, for each and every one of us, there is a “career we were born for.” Only a small percentage of us manage to find it, and oftentimes our discovery only comes after some period of disappointment or disenchantment. I experienced this personally when I became increasingly dissatisfied with my 9-to-5 life as leader of an advertising agency. Looking around me, I saw dissatisfaction as an epidemic, and it prompted me to write the book, Professional Destiny.

During my research, I questioned people to see if I could find common traits among those who displayed a real passion for their work. I discovered that the most highly motivated and fulfilled really did have something in common—their profession allowed them to make full use of their natural gifts. For these people, work isn’t about money or title—it’s about satisfaction, empowerment, feeling energetic about what they do, making an impact, fully exercising a talent and inspiring others.

As I wrote in Professional Destiny: “A job is something we do to earn a living. Oftentimes it is too small for our spirit. Our life’s work is a mighty undertaking that challenges us, taps into our creative energy and reawakens our spirit. It is our work with a capital W. Once we start on the path, the urgency of this work is bigger than us. Our passion and creativity are ignited.”

Given the current economy, this may be the perfect time to assess the gifts you were born with and rethink your goals. You may well see an opportunity to pursue a different career, one that will make you feel energized and alive. A time of uncertainty can become our time of greatest opportunity. This is when new doors and new possibilities are open, and we have that added incentive to venture out and try something new. You can emerge from this on a path headed for true happiness and satisfaction for the rest of your professional life. Seize the moment and get clear on what you really want to do—you’ll likely look back at it as one of the most satisfying decisions you’ve ever made.

2 Comments September 25, 2009