A company I work with has recently employed a Talent Manager. The term is becoming more common in the Human Resources function as the search moves from just warm bodies to the identification of talent to ensure the best and brightest are part of our organizations. What is not to like about this? Nothing. Not one darn thing. Assuming we know talent when we see it, this is a win-win for both parties. Only it …
“Things are challenging — there are those who will oppose anything if it is not their idea…scheduled a team meeting tomorrow to do some work planning and I think that will help disperse some of the responsibilities a bit and give me some more time to manage the personalities.” A client recently shared this status update. Does it sound familiar? Anytime change is afoot you can expect crossfire. It can happen with a recently promoted …
Growth is exciting but not if you aren’t prepared. If you said “grow” today would your team be ready? The capacity of your team and organization to grow depends on the capabilities of your managers. Much like the pebble in the pond, their impact is felt across the organization and is exponential. Consider the role of the manager. Not only are they responsible for direct reports, they also manage upward to leadership and sideway with …
“What I thought was a weakness is actually a strength and I can build on it.” A pebble dropped in a pond ripples across the entire surface. But where the pebble is dropped is the deepest and most profound impact. When strengths are the pebble, the impact is deepest with each individual that discovers their unique talents. How would your life change if you discovered what you thought was a weakness was actually a strength? …
If a pebble dropped in a pond ripples the surface to the outer edges, what happens when you drop a larger pebble? The ripple effect is bigger. Not only does it impact the surface of the water, the waves rippling across have more power and energy and move things further below the surface. But is that impact just a wave washing over the rest of the firm roiling their world for a few moments until …
The knowledge of strengths within an organization is not an isolated effect. Like a pebble in a pond, the impact ripples outward across the entire surface. The ripple effect occurs regardless of the size of the pebble. One individual exposed to the Clifton Strengths® assessment can begin the ripple effect that starts a different type of conversation with peers, co-workers, and management. A new leader I work with has not yet had the opportunity to …
It’s exciting to discover your strengths. Wow! Natural talents at your beck and call; ready to accelerate you forward. What are your Top 5? Hmmm…did only one or two come to mind? Might those top of mind strengths be a hint of who owns you? WOO and Positivity are my top of mind strengths and why not? Who wouldn’t like a little WOO and Positivity? Caution! Not everyone sees the world the same way I …
This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Whoosh! What happens between Sunday school where we first learn this song and where we are now? Life. And for many of us, that is exactly where we are now, our light snuffed out. I sat with a young employee recently helping him understand his natural talents and strengths. He had a good grip on …
Do you know your Top 5 Strengths Themes? Achiever, Responsibility, Relator, Strategic, Learner. Awesome! Do you recognize them when they show up? It is not enough to be able to name your strengths, you must know how they influence what you do and how that impacts others. This is self-awareness. If you’ve been part of a strengths workshop, you likely completed an exercise that asked you to think of a time when you used your …
It delights me to hear someone say “I know my strengths. I took the assessment and loved it.” Awesome! What are your Top Five? Long pause. “Intelligence, Connected, ummm…Related! Darn, I can’t remember the rest.” What does it take to own your strengths? More than simply taking the assessment. There are three key components: Self-awareness – I can see my talent and how it impacts me and others Self-expression – I am aware of the …
Engaged workforce. Purpose. Accountability. Ownership mentality. Balance. Autonomy. Collaboration. Communication. These are the words heard daily in conversations with business leaders and their employees. Seldom are the words money, pay, compensation, salary heard…from either party. It suggests that we all seek something more than just the paycheck. At a recent presentation, the speaker asked participants to think about a time recently when the participants had felt powerful. After a few quiet moments of reflection, three …
What does it take to have an engaged workforce? 37 companies around the world have found just the formula for their workforce. These are the winners of the annual Gallup Great Workplace Award. This is the 11th year for the award that recognizes organizations that achieve performance excellence through engaged workforces. Only 16% of employees are actively engaged in their workplace, according to Gallup’s worldwide research. That leaves an astounding 84% that are not engaged, …
The question, ‘Is it nature or nurture?’ often comes up in the workshops I lead and in one-on-one coaching with clients. Once someone has identified their natural talents and can see the role they have played in their life, they become more and more curious. How much of what I do today and how I view the world was determined before birth? How much was developed by the environment in which I lived? Research doesn’t …
Every single one of us is talented. Natural talent exists in us from the moment we are born. For some, talents present early and for others talents lie latent awaiting an experience that demonstrates their existence. Either way, the existence of talent does not mean we are or will use it. Here is how we limit the power of our natural talents and what we can do about it. Dismissal of talent – occurs when …
Early on in my blogs I shared this story… Usache (my horse) and I began showing competitively in early 2008. For the first few shows we (okay, me) were thrilled just to be there. After our third outing came the wake-up call. We had an okay showing but it was obvious there were some skills yet to be learned by me and some teambuilding for the two of us. Usually the Sunday night after a …
It is quite possible and happens more often than not, that you are walking around completely unaware of the superpowers you possess. Yes you! Take a look under that shirt. Is there a big red “S” underneath? Unlike Superman, we do not have a superhero outfit indicating the presence of superpowers. Many people go through an entire lifetime unaware of the strength that lies within them. Sometimes by choice, oftentimes by circumstance, the ability to …
“Wow! That’s amazing. You have a real talent for that.” Have you ever heard those words? Most of us have at some point in our lives. The usual acknowledgement is “oh, it was easy” and a clue to a superpower is dismissed and forgotten. When things are easy for us to do, we disregard the value they provide. It is easy for us thus it must be easy for everyone else. And that is why …
There are a couple of reliable reactions when someone takes the CliftonStrengths® Assessment. The first is “oh, I knew that about myself.” It is an easy first reaction and the one I hear most often when I ask about the assessment. The second reaction takes time for people to share and understandably so. “I thought this was a weakness” comes later in a workshop or private coaching session as individuals grapple with the realization that …
Headed for the Big Leagues! Addressing the maintenance issues in our lives frees us up to move to the big leagues, to tackle the real issues that get in our way. No longer majoring in minors, we can focus on areas that have the greatest impact on our future. Let’s get a few things clear before we tackle these bigger issues. If you are not sure what the minors are, those basic maintenance items that …
Why Strengths? Why Accelus? For as long as I can remember, I have been able to spot signs of strengths in others. Yet I couldn’t see how to make that what I did in my everyday life. Role models for sparking excellence and achievement in the 1980’s and 1990’s were motivational speakers. While I read and listened to them every chance I got, how could that be a viable career? Restless and growing dissatisfied after …