What if I only know how to do the specific tasks of my position? Do my friends overestimate me? Maybe I don't have any talent! Discovering our hidden talents can seem difficult. Especially when, after years of developing technical skills related to our position or to reach another, we have forgotten how good we were at other things like cooking, drawing or writing haiku.
We all have strengths that we do not cultivate because we have not identified them or because we have prioritized others. But working using our best talents and those we like the most is what will help us work -and live- with greater motivation and satisfaction.
So, what to do to discover those talents that we have and do not see? It is said that continuing to wait for infused science to reach you while you complain watching the success of your favorite influencers does not give much result. However, these tips and questions will help:
Practice introspection:
We live, especially millennials and successors, in an accelerated and hyperconnected reality that absorbs our free time and does not allow us to enjoy silence and think. When was the last time you sat on the couch without looking at your smartphone and left yourself reflecting consciously?
Thinking, thinking about ourselves, asking ourselves questions and even debating with ourselves what is the most basic way to get to know ourselves without depending on the gaze or the likes of others. Our number of followers does not define us, but what we like to do and what we do, yes.
A mini-advice within this advice: treat yourself honestly, do not invent abilities that you do not have or that you are not in a position to acquire. As much as your mother applauded you, you're not the best. But maybe you are good at giving advice to your friends, crocheting or being the captain of your team.
Get out of your comfort zone:
Oh, how being cosy and comfortable is the best and now they make us dizzy with changes. It's not about getting a tattoo on your face like a trap singer if you don't like it, it's about not getting stuck; and the human being is an expert in accommodating themselves even in what we do not like, even with constant complaints.
How can we advance in our personal and professional life if we do not broaden our knowledge and our horizons? You need to at least test the waters from time to time. Learning new things, improving your skills, giving a change to your career...Don't let fear stop you, outside of that bubble there are also very good things.
Note, leaving one's comfort zone only makes sense if there is a meaning. Forcing yourself to do things that are not going to bring us anything, is not necessary at all.
Identify your strengths and weaknesses:
What are we good at? What are we bad at? Dare to make a list! Evaluate yourself and describe what you do better and worse and don't just stick to work. Maybe you are very good at customer service and making cocktails but very clumsy doing the eagle posture and conflict resolution.
Ideally, if your organization is interested in bringing out the talent of its employees, frequent evaluations should be carried out in order to detect and manage the skills of the entire team . This will make it even easier to see what your true talent is and recognize the best way to apply it in your work environment. Do you want to propose it to your boss?
Listen and ask those who know you:
The vision of the people who know us best is the perfect complement to our self-knowledge. Have you ever wondered why everyone turns to you to help them write a contract or install a device? Your family, friends and co-workers are aware of what your talents are, even those that you did not know or did not value. Listen to them (...yes, also when what they have to say is not flattering).
And ask. Asking is also necessary. How good we are at leading escape rooms or how well we listen and empathize when they talk to us about love sickness does not have to be a regular or recurring theme. So don't be afraid to ask those close to you what they think your greatest strengths are. Collect the answers and among the most repeated will be your talents.
What do you like the most?
What is one thing you would never stop doing? What is the first thing you do when you have free time? What can't you stop talking about? Think about it, it could be or is related to one of your natural talents.
What can you do?
In addition to liking it, you have to know how to do it. You can love twerking and not know how to move ypur knees. What things do you like and know how to do brilliantly?
The Hedgehog Concept:
Isaiah Berlin, based on a Greek proverb, divided the world between hedgehogs and foxes. The fox knows about many things but they are also aware of many objectives and they do not unify their ideas. The hedgehog, however, simplifies the challenges into simple ideas. So in the political scientist's essay, the hedgehog always beats the fox.
Jim Collins at Good to Great tells us about the Hedgehog Concept (The Hedgehog Concept), a strategy applied by all large organizations and the great people within them.
All companies would like to be the best at something, but few really understand, with penetrating vision and egoless clarity, what they really have the potential to be the best at, and more importantly, what they can't be the best. They focus, which is precisely the key that differentiates good companies from truly successful ones.
It is about looking for the answers to the following questions: what are you most passionate about? what do you know how to do best? And what supports your economy? In the union of these three answers is what will make you stand out:
Many people only look for the answer to one of the questions, others are satisfied with finding two of the three answers. But it is not only about knowing what we are passionate about or what we are good at, we must also take into account what we can contribute to society and what will bring us benefits.
We are going to tell you a secret: at HRider, what makes each team member love their job is, among other things, that they can develop their skills there, take advantage of what they are real nerdy about (we have a very team diverse!) and help other organizations so that their collaborators take advantage of their talent.
Do not wait any longer, you need your talent to be happier at work and, best of all: many people need your talent,
go for it!