Managing your Talents [14] - WOO

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

Woo stands for winning others over. You enjoy the challenge of meeting new people and getting them to like you. Strangers are rarely intimidating to you. On the contrary, strangers can be energizing. You are drawn to them. You want to learn their names, ask them questions, and find some area of common interest so that you can strike up a conversation and build rapport. Some people shy away from starting up conversations because they worry about running out of things to say. You don’t. Not only are you rarely at a loss for words; you actually enjoy initiating with strangers because you derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection. Once that connection is made, you are quite happy to wrap it up and move on. There are new people to meet, new rooms to work, new crowds to mingle in. In your world there are no strangers, only friends you haven’t met yet — lots of them.

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 WOO?
  
First, your WOO talent is energized by your interaction with people, but it goes further than simply that. Your WOO needs to "win them over".  This means that there are always an agenda or goal when you gather people around you, or when you mix with them.  From a personality perspective - when you are extroverted - the interaction alone energizes you. But the talent needs more than interaction. It goes towards interaction with a reason. This reason need not be practical at all....like selling something.  It can be purely for the sake of sharing thoughts, for instance, and winning people over towards your ideas or opinions.  A WOO talent needs to understand their need for winning over, and how they actually naturally think, feel and behave in this manner.  This talent could go into "overdrive" and it can actually be to your detriment if mismanaged, as people might not understand your need or your agenda, and they might misunderstand your intentions, and then  actually even feel used in this manner.  You should manage your WOO well in this matter.

 How?

Openness and honesty are mostly the best way to win people over - and the lack of it always lead to trust being broken.  Manage you need to win others over with the values of being open and honest regarding your intentions.  People will respond with more openness then also.  Also, make sure people understand that if you have a goal tied to connecting with them, it does not de-value your respect for them.  People will always push back when they feel they have been used.

Secondly, aligning with the previous point, your WOO talent can be received as you being shallow, not being able to connect deeply.  This is not necessarily true, but people have different capacities for relationships.  Your WOO talent usually increases your capacity in this regard, and when others - with a smaller capacity in relationships - see this, they simply come to the conclusion that it cannot be real. This is not necessarily the case. Your capacity for having relationships, remembering names, interacting socially and connecting people are all part of your amazing WOO talent. But, you must know that others might not understand this.  Make sure they do.

How?

Again, explain your talent to them.  Knowledge about a talent and what it needs and contributes will also be a great help to those who do not have this unique ability.
 Be proud of your strength in this regard, and share the details about it with others.

Thirdly, a WOO talent demands healthy boundaries.  A miss-managed WOO because of a lack of healthy boundaries can be extremely annoying. You need to work on this, and understand that your WOO talent is by nature "audible and visible".  This demands healthy boundaries so that people do not feel overwhelmed or steamrollered by this talent.

How?

Healthy boundaries goes with respect for other peoples needs and wants.  It gives you the much needed skills to know when to engage and when to back off.  It helps you understand when to accept "No", and when not to.  This is a mature skill, and many people lack this ability.  Your strong WOO talent seriously needs to be balanced with healthy boundaries, as you should not disregard your talent or shut it down, but you need to manage it well.  I can strongly re comment the book "Boundaries" by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. Get it, read it and apply it.

Now go and offer this awesome 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 [13] - Self Assurance

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

Self-Assurance is similar to self-confidence. In the deepest part of you, you have faith in your strengths. You know that you are able — able to take risks, able to meet new challenges, able to stake claims, and, most important, able to deliver. But Self-Assurance is more than just self-confidence. Blessed with the theme of Self-Assurance, you have confidence not only in your abilities but in your judgment. When you look at the world, you know that your perspective is unique and distinct. And because no one sees exactly what you see, you know that no one can make your decisions for you. No one can tell you what to think. They can guide. They can suggest. But you alone have the authority to form conclusions, make decisions, and act. This authority, this final accountability for the living of your life, does not intimidate you. On the contrary, it feels natural to you. No matter what the situation, you seem to know what the right decision is. This theme lends you an aura of certainty. Unlike many, you are not easily swayed by someone else’s arguments, no matter how persuasive they may be. This Self-Assurance may be quiet or loud, depending on your other themes, but it is solid. It is strong. Like the keel of a ship, it withstands many different pressures and keeps you on your course.

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 Self Assurance?
  
First, your Self Assurance talent has the energy to handle high levels of risk. It actually needs risk, and therefor it might often choose to place you right in the path of risky situations.  You should understand that your feeling of confidence within risk is not shared by everyone. This could have a definite effect on your friends, team members or colleagues. You will push the boundaries.  To you part of the success lies in the level of risk you take....not in losing as such.
This need for risk might be the reason that you do not only seek it out, but often create risk.
Be sure to understand this need, but even more important - manage it in terms of those who needs to live and work with you.

 How?

Be intentional in having people next to you who you trust enough to give them the permission to "keep your risk meter in check". You will not like doing this, as your Self Assurance naturally does not like to be told to tone down or back off, but you will have to be wise in this aspect, as your need for risk might very well de-energize those around you, especially those who need certainty and safety more than you do.  If you cannot read your own risk meter, have someone close to you who can.  But they must understand you and your talent well enough not to keep you back. They must just step forward when they see that your risk factor gets up to a level that it works against you, and not for you any longer.

A second important aspect of managing your Self Assurance talent, is having the self-awareness that this talent defaults to "go it alone" with ease.  This characteristic will make the advice above - to have someone next to you as a guide - even more difficult, but such the more important. Your high level of confidence in your own abilities comes very natural, and it may sometimes steer you away from necessary partnerships or teamwork.You need to manage this.

How?

Form strong and trusting collaborative partnerships with people you trust. The fact remains that you are very strong in going it alone, but you should not isolate yourself with this ability. Although you will see that others admire your "lone ranger" approach at times, it may well also have people avoid you.  You are so determined and assured in your ventures that you might miss the strength in partnerships and teams. Seek it out, and stay close to people who understands your Self Assurance well.

Thirdly, see the need for planning further than the "here and now", if not for your own sake, then for the sake of those you care about.     Your Self-Assurance gets energy from takings risks in the present.  You engage with ease even if the outcome is uncertain. The problem with this is that, if miss managed, you can find yourself often in situations where you are okay with failure, and you can bounce back, but those around you are affected by it in a negative way, practically or emotionally.  This needs management.

How?

Have a "Plan Z". Think and plan ahead regarding the impact your risks will have on those around you - family, partners, team members etc.  Then make sure that they are informed not only of the risk, but also of the realities that may play out when things do not work out.  The best way is not only to have a "Plan A, B and C", but also have a "Plan Z".  This means that you contemplate and share the worst possible scenario that will happen if things does not work out.  Then have clear options in how you and those around you will handle that risk.  Let everyone be clear on it.  As long as you are clear and in agreement with this, your Self Assurance can keep on bouncing back between Plan A and Plan Y, and the line is drawn when it comes to Plan Z - so that you and those around you can rest assured that you have a safety net when all else fails.

Now go and offer this awesome 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.

Do not mistake "Self Awareness" for "Self Development"

Self-awareness is, and always has been, the best starting point, and  indispensable step towards self-development.  But it is not the same as self-development.  You cannot self-develop without self-awareness...but you can be self-aware without going the next important step towards self-development.
And most people, unfortunately, fall for this. They stop at self-awareness, and hope that by some miracle having the awareness of self will make all the difference.

It won't.

Over the last 20 years I have come across, participated in and studied dozens...if not hundreds, of self-awareness tools.  Many of them are excellent.  Some are so-so. Many, unfortunately, are absolutely unverified thumb-suck junk. Very few takes you past self-awareness towards self-development.

Working in organizations, companies and teams, I come across many who have done each and every self-awareness toll they could possibly find. As I mentioned, some are very good, and a necessary first step.  Tools like Meyers-Briggs (MBTI), DISC, Keirsey, Jung Typology Test, Enneagram, VIA, and many others are well researched, tried and tested over decades.  They really help in the discovery of your inner self, in many ways.  But, seldom - if not never - have I seen consultants or coaches being able to take these tools and apply them towards real development of a person.  Mostly, it is a "wow" experience, and people honestly finds it very interesting and even liberating to give words to what they know they are.  But, after a while (and not too long, I must say), the feeling subsides and the results fades into a "so what" feeling.

Moving from Discovery towards Development

Moving from a process of discovery to a journey of development, is moving the science towards an art.  Many people can understand and explain the science within an assessment.  Very, very few are true artists who can take those results to a level that changes the way people act and interact in a sustainable manner.

I chose years ago to specialize in the use of the Clifton StrengthsFinder.  I did this for a very specific reason:  the StrengthsFinder was developed as a development tool, and not merely as a tool of awareness and discovery.  Not that it does not do the latter!  I found StrengthsFinder to be one of the most accurate discovery tools out there.  But, it opens the door towards true development - something very few other tools do.

Move from Awareness towards Discovery with the CSF

Taking StrengthsFinder from a tool of awareness and discovery and applying it as a developmental tool for individuals and teams, acquires specific knowledge and skill.  Anyone can read a couple of books and then unpack the content with someone else...calling it "coaching".  Very few has the trained and experiential ability to go beyond the knowledge and help people develop in a meaningful way. Here are a couple of pointers, when it comes to the CSF and sustainable development:

1. The CSF provides two reports:  the Top 5 and the All 34.  The Top 5 report only reveals your first 5 Talent Themes, and not the 29 that follows - for this you need the All 34 report.  You are extremely restricted to do development with the Top 5 report.  It is merely a great assessment towards discovery and awareness.  Think about it:  only seeing the Top 5 out of 34, is like going for a medical checkup and only allowing the doctor to examine your head.  It reveals a lot, but not nearly enough in order to make a meaningful diagnosis. As a human being your are extremely complex in the interaction of your various Talents.  Only seeing the Top 5 menas that you have very little to work with in a development journey.
2. You need to acquire a lot more knowledge that merely the descriptions of each Talent Theme. I cringe when I see so many people selling themselves as "Strengths Coaches" only to read the paragraphs on the report that people can in any case read themselves.  There is so much more towards each of the 34 Talent Themes, that you can spend a lifetime studying them.  Each Talent Theme is so dynamic and rich in personal application, that I can honestly say that I have never found two people who experience a similar Talent Theme in exactly the same way. Understanding how to interpret and unpack this, takes years of ongoing study - not merely reading a couple of books on the subject.
3. You need to understand and practice the art of understanding the dynamic interaction between the 34 Talents.  This is where the CSF leaves all other assessments behind.  No other assessment has so much inter-dynamics and unique combinations as the CSF has. This accentuates the uniqueness of each person, but it also unlocks true development of a person.  Dynamic interaction between the patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving is a place where you can truly start to develop yourself - or someone else for that matter.  Doing this is an artful skill. It goes much further than mere knowledge.  It requires 10'000 hours of practice.
4. Understanding and then managing who you are, is just as important as understanding and managing who you are not.  You cannot simply focus on the Top 5 or 10 Talents, and expect that to make a difference.  Yes, build on your strengths!  But also embrace your weaknesses.  This does not mean that you should try and fix your weaknesses or turn them into strengths.  But you should understand why you are drained and weakened when you are engaged in certain situations where a specific pattern of thinking, feeling or behaving does not align at all with who you are.  This then can lead to taking the needed steps and actions in order to move towards strengths development.
5. A strength is a natural pattern of thinking, feeling and behaving, applied productively in a near perfect activity.  Getting to that level is not achieved by merely being aware of who you are.  Getting to that level is achieved by consistent hard work, focused within your natural energizing talent areas. In other words, it is a journey....sometimes a lifelong journey.  You do not achieve a strengths based career, a strengths based team or a strengths based company by doing a couple of workshops guiding you towards mere knowledge of self and others.  You need to apply this knowledge productively, effectively and above all consistently towards the achievement of a personal, team or organizational application within a specific context.  Most people or organizations are not up to the task...not because it is difficult, but because it requires perseverance - something our current fast-fix culture knows little about. Maybe this is why most motivational and inspirational speakers are so busy, while those sticking to their guns to bring effective and lasting change are few and far between.

Distinguish between Fireworks and Space Shuttles.

My plea to all coaches and consultants out there is simple and clear:  if you provide mere awareness enhancing activities and tools, then at least be honest about your intent and end product. Shoot up the fireworks, but don't promise the moon and stars.

And my plea to the professionals out there (CEO's, HR managers, OD professionals etc):  if you are serious about lasting change, then don't opt for the "next best biggest and greatest tool of excitement".

Look back... How many times have you done this?  What have you really achieved? Sticking to a process of development that builds on accurate and honest self awareness and discovery is the key towards real and sustainable change - that will lead to success and growth.



 - Dries Lombaard
Director: Strategic Engagement at Strengths Institute South Africa

Managing your Talents [12] - Strategic

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

The Strategic theme enables you to sort through the clutter and find the best route. It is not a skill that can be taught. It is a distinct way of thinking, a special perspective on the world at large. This perspective allows you to see patterns where others simply see complexity. Mindful of these patterns, you play out alternative scenarios, always asking, “What if this happened? Okay, well what if this happened?” This recurring question helps you see around the next corner. There you can evaluate accurately the potential obstacles. Guided by where you see each path leading, you start to make selections. You discard the paths that lead nowhere. You discard the paths that lead straight into resistance. You discard the paths that lead into a fog of confusion. You cull and make selections until you arrive at the chosen path — your strategy. Armed with your strategy, you strike forward. This is your Strategic theme at work: “What if?” Select. Strike.

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 Strategic?
  
First, your incredible talent of Strategic could take you "all over the show". You see options not only fast, but you see so many, that it can confuse your colleagues or team, and it can even start to drain you!  Just like any other talent, you see through it, not even being aware of the filter it creates.  It is like glasses.  You get so used to it that you do not notice that you have it on until you take it off and your focus changes.  Your incredible talent to see clear and many options instantly may not have an "off" switch.  This means that you constantly see new options, and better or easier ways to do things.   This surely is an amazing talent to have.  But, if you do not manage it well, it could very easily create confusion, irritation and even disengagement with your colleagues and team members.  They do not necessarily  have this ability.  And your constant surge of new and better ways may be interpreted as uncertainty or even instability.    


 How?

You should manage this talent well by setting boundaries for it.  You cannot simply step on the gas with this one.  It needs brakes from time to time.  Apply it. Create some intentional skills or even pointers to help you manage your constant surge of new options. Your Strategic talent drives you to act on the options you see.  It has an immediate practical consequence.  Obviously when applied at the right time in the right manner, this ability is crucial to any team. So, you need to think before deciding.  You need a "pause" button. Do not think about this as a constraint.  It will make your Strategic all the more effective and respected.  Remember that your team might start to regard your decisions as "only temporary", because you will simply make another call at the next opportunity.  Even when, to you, the new call fits in perfectly with the direction, others might find this very difficult to see or understand.  You need to take them with you.  Remember:  if you understand it (your Strategic), you can command it (control it).

You need to apply focus.  Although you have the capability to do many things at once, be sure you focus in such a way that you engage others, and sustain yourself.

A second important aspect of managing your Strategic, is understanding, that part of this talent's strength is its ability to "make the call".  Not only do you instinctively see many options and possibilities, but you have the ability to act on it by making the call to action. This is a great ability, but, in alignment with the previous point, needs management.  Making the call is crucial, It leads to action and productivity.  Making the call without consulting others, without considering implications, and without aligning your call with the bigger picture, can be detrimental.  It may work well in certain, life threatening situations like war or were safety and survival is at stake. But I have seen so many times how this ability of the Strategic talent, combined with position and power, alienates a team and even destruct cohesion. The best sign of this happening, is taking it seriously when your team gets disengaged from your decisions, and you regularly start loosing team members that simply resign.  You may regard this as a weakness on their side, but it is actually often mismanagement on yours.

How?

Make the call after you gave it time and consideration. Involve others in your call - even if it is simply for them to understand it.  Most important of all, do not let your position or power taps into this talent and cause disengagement with others - obviously except when it is a matter where you need to make a fast call.  But you need to understand that sometimes, waiting a while and involving others, will have more advantages than a fast call being made.


Now go and offer this awesome 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.

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Thanks for your support and interest....

Live strong.


- Dries Lombaard
www.africanmosaic.com

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.