Blog Series: Managing my Talents

"A well managed Talent, becomes a Strengths....but a Miss-managed Talent, becomes a Detriment!"  This statement cannot be more true.  In Talent Management and coaching, it is first about identification of Talents, then about acceptance and understanding, and then about the importance of managing those Talents well. 

Our next series is all about the skill and importance of Talent Management.  I will take each talent, and unpack the main aspects that drives that talent - and then analyze how you can manage it better.

Please join in commenting on the posts.  Especially if you have personal experience and stories about managing a specific Talent Theme under discussion.

Dries.

Being predominantly THINKING

Within the Thinking Theme cluster, we have the talents of Ideation, Input, Intellection, Learner, Strategic, Analytical, Context and Futuristic. 

The Thinking Cluster refers to those Talent Themes that functions on a cognitive or thinking level.  It is "mind-related".  Thinking Themes are active and energized on different levels of thinking activity.  If your top Talents are mostly sorted within this cluster, you will find that you basically "live inside your head". You love to think, reason, strategy or learn.  Your worldview are formed by your thoughts.  You think, therefor you are.
Each Theme in this cluster has a different function.  Some might think that "thinking is thinking.  Not so....

• Ideation:  Basically it is all about ideas. Ideation is a creative and innovative way of thinking.  You love new ideas. You love to dream. You love to innovate.  To an Ideator, the idea is the point.  The idea is as good as the product. If you had the idea, you are satisfied.
• Input:  A good explanation for this theme:  specialized interest. Inquisitive.  Very often a collector of sorts - but within a specialized area of interest.  Also, you "input" in order to "output".  You love to share your stories, data or knowledge.  That is why you gathered it.
• Intellection:   You truly live inside your head!  You muse, ponder, think deep.  You talk to yourself and others in your head.  You process deeply, and thoroughly.
• Learner:  Being in the process of learning energizes you.  It can be formal learning like studies, or informal learning like reading or watching documentaries or something of interest.  Thing is, it is that "feeling that I am learning something" that gives you a kick.
• Strategic:  You strategise and see options.  You can make decisions and process detail.  You love to disentangle problems and find solutions.
• Analytical:  Facts and Data colors your world.  You analyze and love the world of research, statistics and data.  That you can work with.
• Context:  You most probably love history.  You take the past seriously.  You might even be labeled as a sentimentalist. The past explains today to you.
• Futuristic:  You look forward.  You love to plan. You love to dream.  But it is mostly planning and dreaming about things yet to come.

If the above make you smile and nod in agreement, you most probably have one or more of these themes....or you live with someone who does.

Thinking Themes that combine can be especially strong.  They tend to "pull" you into a world of thoughts, facts, stories, data, puzzles, history, philosophy, or whatever your passion may be.

Treasure it.  It is what makes you strong.

This concludes our 4 part series on the four Talent Clusters.  There is a very easy way to summarize the four clusters with a few words:

• Executing - you lead by doing.
• Influencing - you lead by showing / telling.
• Relational - you lead by connecting.
• Thinking - you lead by planning / explaining.

Being predominantly RELATIONAL

When we refer to the Talent Cluster for being Relational, we obviously do not mean that people who are strong in this Cluster are the Relational Gurus, and those who are not lack any relational skills.  As with the other 3 clusters, it simply refers to a matter of preference and predominant energy.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that Gallup first published these 4 Clusters in their book "Strengths Based Leadership".  The clustering works very well if applied towards the "way you prefer to take lead".  When in a position of leadership, your predominant clustering will determine the most comfortable way you choose to lead an influence others.

Back to the Relational Cluster:
The Talent Themes sorted within the Relational Cluster are Developer, Adaptability, Connectedness, Empathy, Harmony, Includer, Individualization, Positivity and Relator.
Obviously a case can be made for each of these themes to also function in another Cluster, and that is true.  but the research from Gallup has showed that these 9 Themes expresses itself best within a Relational context.

Let's briefly look at each one individually:

• Developer:  Developer (like the other Relational Themes) has an expression within a direct personal relation.  You can only develop within personal contact, and that contact forms a relationship of some sorts.  You develop step-by-step, and with huge patience.
• Adaptability: A better word for this Themes is "Responsiveness".  You respond to situations, and there is mostly people involved within a specific relationship.  For instance, Achiever will also respond under pressure, but predominantly task driven.  Adaptability loves to respond to the challenge and pressure within some kind of relationship.
• Connectedness: Everything is connected - within a unique relationship.  Nothing happens on its own or due to chance.  It happens within a connection.  Within a relationship.
• Empathy:  You feel the feelings of others.  Empathy cannot exists outside of relationships.
• Harmony:  Peace.  Unity.  Harmony.  Strong relational.  You need to create or uphold harmony.  You influence relationally through bringing harmony and valuing it.
• Includer:  Leave nobody out.  Include everyone. Includers has a sense for someone that feels excluded.  The inclusive nature of teams, groups and pairs are crucial to an Includer.
• Individualization:  The value of the individual, and the value of the uniqueness of each person, is what Individualization is all about.
• Positivity: Being positive and energetic happens within relations.  You "rub off"' on others.
• Relator:  Relator literally means "relating to".  A relator believes in, and values two things more than any other:  trust and loyalty.

The most important aspect to get to grips with when you have strong Relational Themes (or when you connect with someone who does) is to understand that it has a strong "sensing" nature.  You sense thing - be it feelings, uniqueness, how to respond, conflict, energy or trust.  You are tuned in to sensing.  This nature of the Relational Cluster is also the one aspect that hose who does NOT have it strongly, struggles to understand.  How can you simply just "sense" it?

That is the beauty of being predominantly relational.

Next post:  the last of the four clusters:  the Strategic Thinking Themes.

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Being predominantly INFLUENCING

According to the Clifton StrengthsFinder, the talent themes that has a predominantly influencing nature, are Activator, Command, Communication, Competition, Maximizer, Self Assurance, Significance and Woo.
These themes mostly has an influencing effect on people.  Therefore it is also utilized in that manner. The best way to understand the so called Influencing themes, is by understanding that it has a "we" or a "let us" approach to a given situation.  When you take other people out of the equation, an Influencing Theme cannot function to its full potential.

To explain it better, let's look at each one individually:

• Activator:  Most people would frown on Activator being an Influencing Theme.  The idea of "Action" leads to think that it should be Executing.  But what one must understand about an Activator, is that their energy mostly lies into influencing OTHERS to get going and to start.  That is why, with activators, their thinking, feeling and behaving centers around the thought "When can WE start"...
• Command:  Someone with a strong Command, really gets energy from being an influence on others.  The commanding edge must have its flow towards influencing others within any specific context.  Command cannot function in isolation - and this is true of all the Influencing Themes.
• Communication:  The essence of Communication as a Theme lies in "verbal thinking", thus meaning that you need to express your thoughts.  It is mostly verbally, but can also be in written form or even within an art form.  Thing is, someone with Communication want to Influence others by their need to Communicate.
• Competition:  You need to measure, and therefor you need to influence.  You need something or someone to compare yourself against.  Winning is important, and that in itself is an influencing act.
• Maximizer:  Maximizer is, along with Woo, one of the strongest Influencing Themes there is.  you cannot maximize without influencing.  The basic essence of Maximizing someone or something means that you influence someone or something, and get them to new and higher levels.
• Self Assurance: Being Self Assured means you are an influencer.  Self assurance rubs off on others in one way or the other.  This gives you energy.
• Woo:  "Winning others Over" - you cannot do that without strongly influencing someone.  This is, with Maximizer, one of the strongest Influencing themes.

I need to repeat the importance of the "Cluster trap" when using the Clusters in your coaching or development:

Something that one must be very careful not to do, is to fall into the trap of generalization of these clusterings. Not having specific Influencing Themes high in your mix, does not mean that you cannot influence people, make an argument, communicate or helping people develop or change.  Skills can be learned. That is the edge we have of being human. But when it comes to sustainable energy, and outlasting the rest within a field, someone with strong Influencing Themes will be more suited towards a situation of influencing others, in the same manner that someone with strong Relational Themes will be more suited towards a situation where people and relational interaction is predominant.
Share your thoughts....?

Next time:  More on the Relational Cluster.

Visit our website at www.africanmosaic.com