Managing your Talents [11] - Context

According to Gallup, the essence of the talent theme of Context is the following:

You look back. You look back because that is where the answers lie. You look back to understand the present. From your vantage point the present is unstable, a confusing clamor of competing voices.

It is only by casting your mind back to an earlier time, a time when the plans were being drawn up, that the present regains its stability. The earlier time was a simpler time. It was a time of blueprints. As you look back, you begin to see these blueprints emerge. You realize what the initial intentions were. These blueprints or intentions have since become so embellished that they are almost unrecognizable, but now this Context theme reveals them again. This understanding brings you confidence. No longer disoriented, you make better decisions because you sense the underlying structure. You become a better partner because you understand how your colleagues came to be who they are. And counter-intuitively you become wiser about the future because you saw its seeds being sown in the past. Faced with new people and new situations, it will take you a little time to orient yourself, but you must give yourself this time. You must discipline yourself to ask the questions and allow the blueprints to emerge because no matter what the situation, if you haven’t seen the blueprints, you will have less confidence in your decisions.

But a talent like this on itself is quite meaningless unless you develop and manage it. That is why we believe that "a well managed talent becomes a strength, but a mismanaged talent becomes a detriment".

How do you manage the talent of Context?
  
First, you must embrace the reality of your thinking, in that you need the past in order to make sense of the present and the future.The past, to you, is a compass.  It is the indicator of where you should go, and how best you should engage the present and the future.  It is like an essential rear view mirror that you need to navigate your decisions.  You most probably love history, family trees, and to study the past. (Although this is not necessarily true for everyone with this talent).
Your Context talent forms your worldview.  Be careful not to regard this as a bad thing in a "futuristic" world. This world needs your thinking, because without it they might miss crucial lessons from the past.  Offer your talent as an important aspect in any environment. 
Once you understand your thinking patterns in terms of using the past, you can fully embrace it in order to go forward.  You take the past seriously for a reason. And you need to build on it.

 How?

Your Context Talent Theme drives your thinking.  It is the filter through which you view the world. If you understand this, you can be intentional about getting the "historic" context whenever you need to engage in something. This will ignite your thinking and your energy. Make sure you obtain the "reason behind the reasoning".  This is a first step towards managing this talent well.  You must understand your own reasoning.
With this, manage your context in a way where you use the kind of language that does not make others think or feel that you are holding them back. They will appreciate your contribution if they see the value-add in it. This goes especially for those with a Futuristic worldview, and those with a responsive (in the moment) worldview (Adaptability). Once they understand the fact that you complete the whole, they will love you for it. Explain this to them. 

A second important aspect of managing Context, is to understand your need to create special moments in the present.   If you understand it, you can command it.  Most people under-estimate this truth, and then end up with a mismanaged talent that controls them.
Because your Context make you look back towards significant events and beacons, you need many of them. So, unknowingly and naturally, you might find yourself creating them. (remember that this aspect aligns with your personality and your other talents. A Context Talent can manifest relational and social, or very clinical and more towards research and interests. Understand your approach.)
You may find that you love to "capture the moment"... This might be with things like photography, or simply in you memory.  You do this because you know or sense that a moment in the present pretty soon becomes a point of reference in the past.  And you need that. Some people with high Context might love to keep a diary, exactly for this reason. This is a precious asset to have.  But, you need to understand that this too needs management, as it has the potential to drive you towards being overly nostalgic and even sentimental. 

How?

Understanding your behavior helps you to manage it well.  When others understand it, it helps them celebrate you for it.  Make sure people know where your nostalgia comes from. Most people will naturally appreciate it, as you are the creator of special memories that they will share in.  But some might find it irritating simply because they do not understand your talent.  Explain it to them.
Also, be sure not to try and create a nostalgic moment out of  every single occurrence.  Sometimes, things just need to happen naturally, and pass naturally.  You will in any case hold on to it.  You do not need to involve everyone to "pose for a picture" or to share their feelings surrounding it.  Be wise. But, this said, do not hold back on your initiative,  I have found that - although my Context is extremely low (number 33 out of 34), I do appreciate the fact that others created memories that I can share in. As long as they do not expect me to be part of every single moment (as I am an introvert). So, keep on creating those memories!!

A third  characteristic of this talent, is their often extremely strong and vivid memory. This makes sense in terms of all of the above, not so? Your Context not only creates memories, it has a memory super-power! Most people with this talent remembers things in the past up to the finest detail. I have found that they do not, for instance, only remember that we spent time together years ago, but they will remember the exact time, place and detail like where we sat in a restaurant and what everyone ordered...and even the exact discussions!  Sometimes that freaks me out a bit, to be honest, as with my high tendency to live only in the moment, I have trouble remembering this morning! This is an awesome natural ability of people with Context. But you also need to understand that others might find it threatening at times....  .

How?

As most people only remember very important occasions, or things that really needs to be remembered in their view, your ability to remember details might make others think that you have some kind of agenda with this.  Even that you do not trust them. Why else would you remember a conversation up to the exact words? Again, manage this by describing your talent and skill surrounding this to them.  Make them realize that you do not have an agenda, and that you can rather be a source of memory that they can rely on. When you refer to the past, do it in a non-threatening or accusing manner. Do not say "I remember exactly what you said, so don't come with other stories now!" Realize that you have a special ability, and their non-ability to remember does NOT mean that they disregard the facts, or that they try to twist it. It simply means they do not have your talent. Explain it often. Especially in a work or strong relational environment, make sure your colleagues or members of the team sees you for the strengths you add to them with this talent.  Never accuse or judge others if they cannot do the same.

Now go and offer this wonderful talent to the world!

- by Dries Lombaard, founder and owner of Africanmosaic and TALENTmosaic.

Important note when reading this: in this series, I simply focus on the specific talent in isolation. I do not take the crucial element of Talent Dynamics (two or more talent themes combining) into consideration. This is very important as any Coach should take that into consideration when coaching people in their talents. But you need to understand the challenges that the talent theme on its own might hold. Therefor the challenges in managing the talent as explained below might not be applicable to everyone, as the dynamics with some of their other talent themes might override the specific challenge and "make up for it". But, knowledge of the most common management challenges in every talent theme still is crucial in talent development and when turning the talent into a strength.  All information is my own, acquired by years of Strengths Coaching experience, and not verified or scientifically tested by Gallup. The definition at the beginning is the intellectual property of Gallup, and well researched.

Managing your Talents [10] - Responsibility

According to Gallup, the essence of the talent theme of Responsibility is the following:

“Your Responsibility theme forces you to take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name depends on it. If for some reason you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person. Apologies are not enough. Excuses and rationalizations are totally unacceptable. You will not quite be able to live with yourself until you have made restitution. This conscientiousness, this near obsession for doing things right, and your impeccable ethics, combine to create your reputation: utterly dependable. When assigning new responsibilities, people will look to you first because they know it will get done. When people come to you for help — and they soon will — you must be selective. Your willingness to volunteer may sometimes lead you to take on more than you should."

But a talent on itself is quite meaningless unless you develop and manage it. That is why we believe that "a well managed talent becomes a strength, but a mismanaged talent becomes a detriment".

How do you manage the talent of Responsibility ?
  

First, understand the emotional impact of this talent.  Of all the executing talents, this one plays out exceptionally strong.  The reason for that is that is has such a strong emotional component to it.  With it's strong urge to accomplish goals, it has this psychological and emotional commitment towards the accomplishment of the goal.  It strongly aligns with the delivering of the goal towards someone.  Therefor, Responsibility is more than a value in this case, it is a combined drive to get the job done and not to let someone down.  Of all the talents, I find this one the most likely to keep people awake at night - either to finish what needs to be delivered, or because of the worries that you will let someone down. It is in this talents nature to have an emotional effect on you.  You should be aware of it in order to manage it well.

 How?

Just like with all other talents, if you know it, you can grow it.  Thus you need to know when this talent "kicks in", and when it starts affecting your emotions.  Remember that the emotional effect must not be seen as a detriment, it must simply be managed so that it does not overwhelm you, and this strong and wonderful talent starts controlling you, instead of the other way around. Emotional Intelligence is a key factor here, and you can develop that.  Your talent of Responsibility will have a driving and motivational effect on you, and that is superb.  But it must not drive you over the edge.  Realize that people will tap into this talent as they most probably see you as someone who always gets things done.  And that is great.  But the cannot simply keep stacking responsibilities your way and expect you to cope.  But you need to set those healthy boundaries. Do not hold a gun to your own head, and then blame others that they do not understand your work load.  Communicate clearly.  Learn how to say "no".  The next point connects with this.

A second issue in the management of Responsibility is the fact that you need healthy boundaries, and you should practice your "No" muscle.   If you understand it, you can command it.  This is crucial.  You should be in control of this talent in a healthy manner.  Otherwise it may destroy you, as the miss-management will turn this talent into a detriment.  This talent must not run wild.  You should fence it in with clear and healthy boundaries.

How?

First, learn that you are allowed to say "no".  Even if you feel this talent screaming inside you, if you do not respect your own limits and capacity (which is most probably already a lot more than the everyday person's) you will experience that this talent will cause other aspects of your life to fall apart.  The fact that you have Responsibility does not by default mean that you cannot say "no".  It has to do with how you manage this talent.  But, if the management of it is not healthy, it can cause serious problems for you.  I have more often than not encountered people in coaching this talent who struggles with their "no muscle".

A third issue in the management of Responsibility has to do with your strong connection with people, not wanting to let them down.   This is a wonderful trait.  But, if not managed, it could cause you relational problems, as you always feel indebted to people, and it could even turn into a "people pleasing" mode.  This relational aspect should be managed well.

How?

Think of yourself.  This does not mean that you are selfish at all.  Your talent of Responsibility will counter that always.  But, as they say in the airline industry:  "Put your own oxygen mask on first, before assisting the people around you".  In by far the most cases you should understand that the people you are delivering to does not have the same feeling regarding it than you have, but they do know that they could count on you.  You should draw the line.  You will be surprised at how accepting and understanding people are. Look after yourself.  You deserve some Responsibility towards yourself.

Embrace your great talent of Responsibility.  Understand it, so that you can command it.  Feed it, so that you know when you need it.

- by Dries Lombaard, founder and owner of Africanmosaic and TALENTmosaic.

Important note when reading this: in this series, I simply focus on the specific talent in isolation. I do not take the crucial element of Talent Dynamics (two or more talent themes combining) into consideration. This is very important as any Coach should take that into consideration when coaching people in their talents. But you need to understand the challenges that the talent theme on its own might hold. Therefor the challenges in managing the talent as explained below might not be applicable to everyone, as the dynamics with some of their other talent themes might override the specific challenge and "make up for it". But, knowledge of the most common management challenges in every talent theme still is crucial in talent development and when turning the talent into a strength.

Managing your Talents [9] - Restorative

According to Gallup, the essence of the talent theme of Restorative is the following:

“ You love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter yet another breakdown, you can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and finding the solution. You may prefer practical problems or conceptual ones or personal ones. You may seek out specific kinds of problems that you have met many times before and that you are confident you can fix. Or you may feel the greatest push when faced with complex and unfamiliar problems. Your exact preferences are determined by your other themes and experiences. But what is certain is that you enjoy bringing things back to life. It is a wonderful feeling to identify the undermining factor(s), eradicate them, and restore something to its true glory. Intuitively, you know that without your intervention, this thing — this machine, this technique, this person, this company — might have ceased to function. You fixed it, resuscitated it, rekindled its vitality. Phrasing it the way you might, you saved it."
But a talent on itself is quite meaningless unless you develop and manage it. That is why we believe that "a well managed talent becomes a strength, but a mismanaged talent becomes a detriment".

How do you manage the talent of  Restorative?

First, clarify where exactly this unique talent of your draws its energy from.  Restorative has two major "directions" in which it can flow:  healing people, or fixing things.  Mostly Restorative connects with one of the two, but in some cases even with both.  Your other top talent themes will play a significant role in this.  If you are highly relational, chances are you lean towards healing people.  If the other themes are more executing or even thinking in nature, maybe you will lean more towards fixing things. But ultimately it aligns with your passion and interest.  Clarity surrounding the specific field your Restorative connects with, will help a lot when it comes to understanding how you should manage it.


How?
Are you drawn towards people-problems, or more towards fixing practical problems?  Also, you might find that people come to you with their problems as they sense they can trust you with the advice and solutions you offer.  same goes for the more practical applications.  Do people near you with their tangible problems, and are you energized to fix it?  That is significant.The, once you have clarified the area your Restorative is drawn to, focus your time and energy more towards that context.  Surround yourself in the problem-arena.  Give advice, fix, and heal in the way you do best.


A second  important aspect is the skills you align with this talent. Restorative needs to tap into skills and knowledge.  You need to keep in mind that talent is different than skill.  A skill is a "how to".  A talent is the energizing factor surrounding some specific pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving. With Restorative, you might become frustrated if you do not have the skills to fix problems or issues.  You need to acquire those skills!

How?
Once you understand the arena your Restorative are drawn towards, you need to identify the skills you need to fix things in that arena.  If you love fixing broken cars, then skills and knowledge in the mechanical field will be a huge accelerator to your talent.  If it is more in the area of assisting sick people, maybe you should consider a diploma in nursing.  If you are drawn towards the emotional and psychological hurt and problems, you might consider acquiring skills in counseling, therapy or even psychology.  Align skills and knowledge with your Restorative and watch it explode into orbit!

 A third important management principle when it comes to your Restorative, is to manage the fact that you cannot fix everything, or heal everyone.  Your Restorative is not only drawn towards problems, but it also thrives on the results of fixing things or healing people.  And those results is not guaranteed.  It can become extremely frustrating and draining if you are constantly working on a specific problem, with no result and no end in sight.  You need to apply healthy boundaries with this talent, in the same way people with for instance Empathy has to apply boundaries.  The problem or brokenness is NOT yours.  You do not own it.  You can put all you've got into it, but sometimes you need to draw the line and walk away.  John Wayne had a great quote:  "If the horse is dead, dismount".

How?
Learn all you can about healthy boundaries.  You might want to buy and read this book.  It is brilliant and very practical.  You should understand boundaries and practice to apply it.  But also, you should make a point to learn form your experience with the events or people you get involved in. 

A fourth important aspect is to realize that, of all 34 talent Themes, restorative is naturally drawn most towards "weakness fixing".  You should manage that.  It is not wrong to fix a weakness.  But the principle of building on strengths should trump the weakness fixing factor.  In years of experience I have found that from all people I coach or train in Strengths, the Restoratives find it most difficult to celebrate strengths.  They are naturally focused on the problem, and therefor drawn towards weakness fixing by default. (Especially if it is your Core Theme. Read this post.) You should be aware of this so that you understand that what you see as essential in most situations is not necessarily how it should be approached - and this goes for ANY talent theme.  Remember that Restorative is applied in remedial context.  It needs to have an end where someone or something moves over to their natural strengths.

How?
Practice the principles:  "If you understand it, you can command it, and if you know when you need it, you can feed it".  Like any other talent theme, restorative should not be over-used.  You should not try to see problem in every situation, project or person.  Just like I explained in my previous post on Intellection, this talent of yours will need to be intentionally "switched off" in certain contexts. You cannot let it run wild, or overpower your other talents!  Intentionally leverage your other talents to also play towards a balance of sorts.  With this I do NOT mean you should suppress your Restorative or feel guilty for having it! (Read this post.)  You should merely manage it well, and you will know from experience if this is necessary. Every person has a stronger will than their talents.


Your Restorative is there for a reason.  Go ahead and fix, heal and point out the problems as only you can.  Use it often, wisely and well.


- by Dries Lombaard, founder and owner of Africanmosaic and TALENTmosaic.

Important note when reading this: in this series, I simply focus on the specific talent in isolation. I do not take the crucial element of Talent Dynamics (two or more talent themes combining) into consideration. This is very important as any Coach should take that into consideration when coaching people in their talents. But you need to understand the challenges that the talent theme on its own might hold. Therefor the challenges in managing the talent as explained below might not be applicable to everyone, as the dynamics with some of their other talent themes might override the specific challenge and "make up for it". But, knowledge of the most common management challenges in every talent theme still is crucial in talent development and when turning the talent into a strength.

Managing your Talents [8] - Intellection

According to Gallup, the essence of the talent theme of Intellection is the following:

“You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what you are thinking about; it simply describes that you like to think. You are the kind of person who enjoys your time alone because it is your time for musing and reflection. You are introspective. In a sense you are your own best companion, as you pose yourself questions and try out answers on yourself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead you to a slight sense of discontent as you compare what you are actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that your mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that you plan to have later. Wherever it leads you, this mental hum is one of the constants of your life."


But a talent on itself is quite meaningless unless you develop and manage it. That is why we believe that "a well managed talent becomes a strength, but a mismanaged talent becomes a detriment".

How do you manage the talent of Intellection?
  

First, you need to embrace the fact that this, odd as it seems, IS a talent.  Many people with or without this talent, struggles to see how this can be a talent. It is. Intellection forms a recurring pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving....and it can be productively applied.
Of all the so called "Strategic Thinking Talents", Intellection is probably one of the most intense when it comes to the deep thinking aspect.  This "power" is unique in the sense that everyone thinks, and many people think deeply...but those with Intellection gets drawn into their heads in a way that is diffucult to describe if you do not have this talent. You are introspective beyond limits.  You experience reality in your thoughts in such a way that it may even sometimes be difficult to distinguish between the events, experiences and conversations that took place in your head alone, and those that took place for real. This in itself is probably one of the most difficult, and most important aspects to manage when it comes to Intellection.  This is also why people struggle to see this as a talent.  How can something so "personal" and so "individually private" be applied practically as a talent?
Well, think about it this way:  what if we take the introspection, philosophy, intense reasoning etc out of the human equation?  Much of the human development and progress came exactly out of this:  deep thinking. Intellectual exercise.  But, you need to manage the "inward" aspect of this talent.

How?
As soon as you recognize the fact that you have this talent and it is different from those who do not have it, you can celebrate it.  And only then can you manage it.  This aligns with the principle we use at Africanmosaic in coaching and training: "If you know your talent, you can grow your talent."  Then, as you understand the effect this talent has on you - like becoming aloof, or not being "in the present", not hearing people etc, you need to accept that this is a quality of Intellection that needs to be managed. This aligns with our second principle:  "If you understand your talent, you can command your talent."
You ARE in control of your thoughts, and you can control it.  You need to apply healthy boundaries regarding when you give Intellection space and freedom to "take over". A boardroom, when a meeting is taking place, is for instance NOT a good place and time to let your Intellection take over.  the same goes for when you are in conversation with your spouse, or with anyone for that matter.  They can see you "leaving planet earth", and it does not come over well when it happens.  You need to have control and command over the time and place your Intellection kicks in.  This takes practice, but it can be mastered.
When then can you count on Intellection, and let it fly?  This is exactly where our third principle is so practical:  "If you know when you need your talent, you can feed your talent."  Knowing the boundaries of when you can let your Intellection loose, is a skill that you should master.  The best way to do this, is very simple.  Make time for it.  Special thinking time.  I call it "download time".  Your Intellection needs time to download all the facts, conversations, expereinces and hgappenings on a regular basis, because when you download, you process, and when you process, you can apply in practice.  Mostly this special time should be alone..  You can download when driving.  Or when showering.  Or when excercising. Or simply by closing the door, sitting down and ... yes  ... think.

Try it.  You will be amazed how your Intellection will thrive as a supporting talent to your other talents!


A second issue in the management of this talent, is that the Intellection talent can be so "withdrawn", that is has a detrimental effect on relationships.   I have so often heard how spouses or even colleages has a negative experience in this regard. Living or working with a Intellection can be challenging.  You are not in the head of the Intellection person.  You cannot see what they see or hear what they are thinking - even when they think and experience (for real!) that they are talking to you.
This could lead to a lot of frustration later on.  "You never spoke to me about it."  "Of course I did!  Just yesterday while we where driving!"  "You never said a word, the whole way..."  Etc, etc...
Or, it can seem to people that you ignore them when you are in Intellection mode.  Because you honestly often do not hear them.

How?

It is important to manage this aspect of Intellection.  One of the best ways to do this is to inform those around you how this works, and that it is a reality. Then give them permission to help you "snap" out of the Intellection mode.  Something that works very well, is that people simply touch your arm when they see you "dissappearing" into your head.  Give them permission to tell you:  "If you are talking to me, your lips aren't moving." Or simply:  "We need you here now."
Make others more aware of how this talent works.  Also, take responsibility yourself to intentionally focus on your surroundings when you need to.
It also helps to share your thoughts with those near to you.  This can help a lot, as you can then develop a clear boundary between your thoughts and reality.

You have "thinking superpower".  Embrace it.  Engage with it.  Muse. Think. Intellectualize.


- by Dries Lombaard, founder and owner of Africanmosaic and TALENTmosaic.

Important note when reading this: in this series, I simply focus on the specific talent in isolation. I do not take the crucial element of Talent Dynamics (two or more talent themes combining) into consideration. This is very important as any Coach should take that into consideration when coaching people in their talents. But you need to understand the challenges that the talent theme on its own might hold. Therefor the challenges in managing the talent as explained below might not be applicable to everyone, as the dynamics with some of their other talent themes might override the specific challenge and "make up for it". But, knowledge of the most common management challenges in every talent theme still is crucial in talent development and when turning the talent into a strength.

Managing your Talents [7] - Maximizer

According to Gallup, the essence of the talent theme of Maximizer is the following:

“Excellence, not average, is your measure. Taking something from below average to slightly above average takes a great deal of effort and in your opinion is not very rewarding. Transforming something strong into something superb takes just as much effort but is much more thrilling. Strengths, whether yours or someone else’s, fascinate you. Like a diver after pearls, you search them out, watching for the telltale signs of a strength. A glimpse of untutored excellence, rapid learning, a skill mastered without recourse to steps — all these are clues that a strength may be in play. And having found a strength, you feel compelled to nurture it, refine it, and stretch it toward excellence. You polish the pearl until it shines. This natural sorting of strengths means that others see you as discriminating. You choose to spend time with people who appreciate your particular strengths. Likewise, you are attracted to others who seem to have found and cultivated their own strengths. You tend to avoid those who want to fix you and make you well rounded. You don’t want to spend your life bemoaning what you lack. Rather, you want to capitalize on the gifts with which you are blessed. It’s more fun. It’s more productive. And, counter-intuitively, it is more demanding."

But a talent on itself is quite meaningless unless you develop and manage it. That is why we believe that "a well managed talent becomes a strength, but a mismanaged talent becomes a detriment".

How do you manage the talent of Maximizer?


The first  management of the Maximizer talent is that you should understand your need to influence other talent.  Maximizer is an influencing talent theme, which means that part of it's energy is derived from the response it gets from other people.  In the case of Maximizer, it is a very definite response from others' potential, talent and strengths that energizes you. Because you love potential so much, and have a natural gift to sense talent in others, the whole strengths-based approach will not only be absolutely logical to you, it will be your natural way of engaging with others. 
  
How?

You should respond to this need, and get close to potential and talent. You should seek out the strong abilities and driving force in people, and get close to it. It will not only energize you, but you will add to it and make them better. You take the good, and make it great. So this means you should intentionally get close to, and connect with "good". Seek them out. Challenge them. Make them better.


A second issue in the management of this talent, is that the Maximizer Talent usually moves fast, aim high and experience impatience with people not keeping up.   Nearly all Maximizer's I know, including myself, strongly identifies with these qualities.  This means that you need to understand that you should manage the speed, the "height" and the patience levels of your maximizer talent.  Your maximizer wants to move with giant leaps, and is energized by achieving excellence.  You want to get people towards the level of excellence and achievement of their full potential, in as little time as possible, and as fast as possible.  And to top it all, you aim higher than most.   Some people might just not reach your level of excellence.  Others might not keep up with the speed you are moving.  As your maximizer feeds of the influence it has on maximizing others, you need to understand that you should strike a healthy balance between your speed and their, between your level of achievement and theirs, and between you speed, and their.  That does not mean you should suppress the maximizer and always slow down, aim lower and be patient.  This might kill you...  But, you should keep your strength in mind as a maximizer.

How?

Best is to keep your maximizer healthy by positioning it in a place where it will be challenged - by other maximizer's.  You have high standards of excellence, but there are others who aim higher than you. Get next to them.  You want to move fast, but there are others that moves faster.  Keep up with them.  You seem to have little patience, but there are others that might be frustrated with you not moving to their expectation.  Challenge your own maximizer before projecting it on others.  This is a principle that goes for the development and management of any talent theme.  Get next to your peers.

Another important principle in the management of this, is that you focus on the best qualities of those you maximize.  They might be slower, but at the same time have high standards.  Focus on that.  They might frustrate your level of patience, but realize that once they get it, they might just excel past you.  Do not project, judge and label.

Go Maximize! Your are a true impact-player. Aim high(er). Move fast(er). Have grace.


- by Dries Lombaard, founder and owner of Africanmosaic and TALENTmosaic.

Important note when reading this:  in this series, I simply focus on the specific talent in isolation.  I do not take the crucial element of Talent Dynamics (two or more talent themes combining) into consideration.  This  is very important as any Coach should take that into consideration when coaching people in their talents. But you need to understand the challenges that the talent theme on its own might hold.  Therefor the challenges in managing the talent as explained below might not be applicable to everyone, as the dynamics with some of their other talent themes might override the specific challenge and "make up for it".  But, knowledge of the most common management challenges in every talent theme still is crucial in talent development and when turning the talent into a strength.

Managing Your Talents [6] - Individualization

According to Gallup, the essence of the talent theme of Individualization is the following:

“Your Individualization theme leads you to be intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. You are impatient with generalizations or “types” because you don’t want to obscure what is special and distinct about each person. Instead, you focus on the differences between individuals. You instinctively observe each person’s style, each person’s motivation, how each thinks, and how each builds relationships. You hear the one-of-a-kind stories in each person’s life. This theme explains why you pick your friends just the right birthday gift, why you know that one person prefers praise in public and another detests it, and why you tailor your teaching style to accommodate one person’s need to be shown and another’s desire to “figure it out as I go.” Because you are such a keen observer of other people’s strengths, you can draw out the best in each person. This Individualization theme also helps you build productive teams. While some search around for the perfect team “structure” or “process,” you know instinctively that the secret to great teams is casting by individual strengths so that everyone can do a lot of what they do well."

But a talent on itself is quite meaningless unless you develop and manage it. That is why we believe that "a well managed talent becomes a strength, but a mismanaged talent becomes a detriment".

How do you manage the talent of Individualization?


The first  management of the Individualization talent is that you should really accept the fact that you can sense the needs of others.  You have an incredible gift. You can really sense the needs of others. You are tuned to it. This might baffle you, overwhelm you...and even scare you.  But if you accept this gift and talent and react in a healthy way to it, it becomes one of the most beautiful things there are.  People with the Individualization talent respond it different ways to this ability to sense others' needs.  Some overreact to it, and scare people off with it.  Others choose to ignore it, and then they miss out on incredible opportunities to be of blessing and service to others.
It is important to realize that Individualization differs from the talent of Empathy in the manner that Individualization senses NEEDS, while Empathy senses, and actually feels, EMOTIONS of others.  You might have both talents.  But maybe you only sense the needs, and peoples emotions and needs are often aligned in some way.
  
How?

A good way to respond to your talent of Individualization is to respond to it with sensitivity.  People might find your sense of their needs intimidating, and might even feel that you overstep boundaries.  Your relationship to others obviously plays a role in the way they will respond to it.  But most people will appreciate your sense to their needs.

Communicate it to them.  Ask them if you are correct. Ask them if you may respond to what you sense.

A second issue in the management of this talent, is the fact that there is a difference between sensing the need, and being able to provide in the need.  You might find it frustrating that you often sense the unspoken needs of others, and that you know you cannot provide in the specific need.  You cannot always be the provider of a solution or a filler of needs.  You won't always have advice or resources that others need.  This is okay. 

How?
 
There are two important elements to this:  one is that most people simply want acknowledgement of their needs, not someone to fill the gap.  You will mean a lot to them by letting them know that you understand the need.
Another response from your side will be to connect them with people or resources that can be off assistance in the specific need. you might find that your talent often build the bridge between people.  I am for instance a Maximizer.  I love to Maximize people, and my talent of Input always wants to share information.  My wife has the talent of Individualization.  Where I cannot sense the needs of others, even if they really try to focus my attention to it, my wife often connects me with people that has a specific need that I can help them with.  This forms a strong combination.  But, it works the other way round also:  sometimes I simply want to share and maximize, when there is no need.  I overstep boundaries in my passion to maximize.  Her individualization sense can then help me to know that someone really does not need my input at this stage.


Use your Individualization.  The world needs it!


- by Dries Lombaard, founder and owner of Africanmosaic and TALENTmosaic.

Important note when reading this:  in this series, I simply focus on the specific talent in isolation.  I do not take the crucial element of Talent Dynamics (two or more talent themes combining) into consideration.  This  is very important as any Coach should take that into consideration when coaching people in their talents. But you need to understand the challenges that the talent theme on its own might hold.  Therefor the challenges in managing the talent as explained below might not be applicable to everyone, as the dynamics with some of their other talent themes might override the specific challenge and "make up for it".  But, knowledge of the most common management challenges in every talent theme still is crucial in talent development and when turning the talent into a strength.

Managing Your Talents [5] - Adaptability

According to Gallup, the essence of the talent theme of Adaptability is the following:

“You live in the moment. You don’t see the future as a fixed destination. Instead, you see it as a place that you create out of the choices that you make right now. And so you discover your future one choice at a time. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have plans. You probably do. But this theme of Adaptability does enable you to respond willingly to the demands of the moment even if they pull you away from your plans. Unlike some, you don’t resent sudden requests or unforeseen detours. You expect them. They are inevitable. Indeed, on some level you actually look forward to them. You are, at heart, a very flexible person who can stay productive when the demands of work are pulling you in many different directions at once."

But a talent on itself is quite meaningless unless you develop and manage it. That is why we believe that "a well managed talent becomes a strength, but a mismanaged talent becomes a detriment".

How do you manage the talent of Adaptability?
Very few people - even those with this talent - has a firm grip on it's management. Adaptability is misunderstood by many.  The mere description of "Adaptability" and the words "go with the flow" makes most people believe that this talent theme is a bit "without strengths". More of a weakness.  That is SO wrong.
A word that describes Adaptability much better, is the word "Responsiveness". This talent loves to respond - to the moment.  Adaptability responds to the here and now.  Therefor if you have this talent as a signature strength, you will be good at being responsive to challenges that is unplanned and kind of a surprise.
This is also why you most probably love pressure.  Pressure energizes you, as pressure is a "here and now" thing.  This might even be to the extent that you will create pressure for yourself. You do not like preplanned agendas.  You do not prefer structure and predictability.  You seek out the uncertainty of the moment, the chaos of the sudden changes and surprises.  You are most probably very calm under stress and a crises.  because then the pressure is on, you are energized and you can adapt or respond to the moment.
This is what "go with the flow' and "live in the moment" really means.

All of the above needs management.  The first  mismanagement of the Adaptability talent is procrastination.  You are very likely to leave things until the last moment before you respond to it.  This is your need for the moment and the pressure that causes it.  In itself, procrastination need not be seen as a weakness as the world sees it.  If well managed, you can procrastinate very productively and effectively.  But you do create pressure that way - not only on yourself, but especially on those around you.  Most people need to plan and be certain.  The fact that you are more comfortable to leave things until the very end, means that you weaken those around you - especially if they need planning and structure, for instance the Talent of Discipline.  You should keep it in mind.  It is not only about you, it is about the effect of your talent on others.  And if the mismanagement of your talent weakens those around you, you should give it more attention and manage it better for their sake.

How?

Make peace with the fact that planning and structure is mostly the way of the world, and very needed by most.  You should align with it.  If others need you to plan, rather tap into their talents to help you do it.  You will most probably always have trouble working that plan, but just be aware of the fact that, especially when in relationships, a team or a family, your Adaptability needs to keep others in mind and respect them.

Secondly, you must realize that the Adaptability talent may seem pretty "chaotic" to others.  They might perceive you as someone who is not in control, and do not have a plan or purpose at all.  This is not necessarily true at all.  So you need to explain your actions to others.  You should also "plan not to plan".  This means that you should at least prioritize your actions. You should think about what can be left until when, and who needs action from you.  The fact is that you are pretty darn good at "winging" it.  You can make things up in the moment.  But do not over do this strength. Use your other talent themes to make up for this.



How?

By now you should pick up that a recurring management skill of all talents, is that you communicate the essence and the effect of the talent to others.  This will create both appreciation and understanding.  But you should also listen to the needs of others.  Adaptability has a strong outward implication when mismanaged.  It has a definite effect on people and things around you.  Be aware of this and manage around it.

Thirdly, develop the insight and the skill to hold back on Adaptability when needed, but also to give it room to function and be free.  There are areas and roles in which a talent like Adaptability is very much needed and appreciated.  Any role in which change is a constant, or where there is pressure and constant surprises that cannot be planned for or even predicted, is an area where Adaptability will flourish. Create those spaces for yourself.  Your Adaptability will develop, you will be energized and people will benefit from this amazing talent of yours.

Go for it!


- by Dries Lombaard, founder and owner of Africanmosaic and TALENTmosaic.

Important note when reading this:  in this series, I simply focus on the specific talent in isolation.  I do not take the crucial element of Talent Dynamics (two or more talent themes combining) into consideration.  This  is very important as any Coach should take that into consideration when coaching people in their talents. But you need to understand the challenges that the talent theme on its own might hold.  Therefor the challenges in managing the talent as explained below might not be applicable to everyone, as the dynamics with some of their other talent themes might override the specific challenge and "make up for it".  But, knowledge of the most common management challenges in every talent theme still is crucial in talent development and when turning the talent into a strength.

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