3 tips for 'playing your natural game'

“Play your natural game,” is the instruction often given to footballers when making their debut for the national team. “You have been chosen because of your ability in a certain role, so we want you to continue doing what you do best.” That sounds obvious. But elsewhere in professional life people often put themselves in situations where they fail to play their natural game. Let’s explore how you can continue to do what comes naturally and perform superb work.

* You can clarify your natural game.

When do you feel able to be yourself and use your talents? Everybody has a natural way of learning, creating and working. What is yours?

“It took years for me to fully understand my natural style – even though I knew it intuitively,” said one business leader. “Looking back to my time in school, I now realise that my learning style was about doing things, being with people and getting results. It was not about sitting still and answering questions on a form. I think best when I am moving around. So I left school early, began working in a shop and soon topped the sales-charts. During the next few years I twice won ‘sales person of the year’.

“Swift promotion meant that, when I was 27, the company asked me to take a ‘strategic role’ at head office. This was creeping death. People spent their days in meetings and it felt claustrophobic. The computers, for example, were lined up in ‘chicken rows’, which drove me crazy. The company refused my request for a laptop – they were not common then – so I bought my own. That way I could move around the building – plus visit the shops – and work away from the central office. Fortunately the sales region I led always exceeded their targets. This made it hard for people to criticise my working style, but they still had a few pops. Finally, however, I left to join another company - becoming Sales Director, then Managing Director.

“Now I follow my own working style. This means getting close to people in the field. But hopefully I give them support, rather than interfere. We have an ‘open collar’ culture in the company, but people are smart, rather than scruffy. Personally, I do not fit-in well with pompous ‘older-style’ directors and I don’t go to formal dinners. I am in my element, however, running a business of ‘can do’ people who want to deliver success.”

What is the role or ‘project’ where you play your natural game. You may feel at home building a prototype, doing a ‘turnaround’, conducting research, teaching a class, shooting a film, leading a team or whatever. What are the characteristics of the people – customers and colleagues - with whom you get along? What is your preferred ‘place’ – culture and environment? Try completing the following sentences.

The kind of role or ‘project’ where I feel most able to ‘play my natural game’ is:

*

The characteristics of the people – customers & colleagues – with whom I feel most able to ‘play my natural game’ are:

*

The kind of place – culture and environment – where I feel most able to ‘play my natural game’ is:

*

* You can put yourself in places where you can play your natural game.

This is simple in a game like football – providing you have a manager who capitalises on your talents. They will hopefully play you in your best position. It can be more difficult in other fields. Taking charge of your career, however, calls for putting yourself in places where you can play your natural game. This means creating the opportunity to use your talents. Sounds difficult: but the alternative it to dwell in situations where you feel uneasy. Certainly it is possible to do that for a time – and many of us do – but ultimately we pay a price. Some people still remain institutionalised – expecting organisations to provide them with the right role.

Alison Fulford is somebody who has been proactive in shaping her career. (You can read more about her story in The Strengths Way.) She is an expert at building successful prototypes – often around delivering superb customer service. She has done this for organisations such as Marks & Spencer and the Environmental Agency. She prefers a two year ‘project’ - but within that time frame also builds a self-managing team that sustains the good work. Finding new opportunities calls for staying in touch with her network. She gets alongside key decision makers, clarifies the challenges they face and find ways to help them to deliver better customer service.

“My kicks come from getting my hands dirty, working hard and seeing tangible results, especially in improving customer satisfaction,” says Alison. “Impact is important. I want to build something that works for both the company and the customer. Finally, it is crucial to recruit my successor and ensure the improvements are sustainable. Only then will I move on to the next project.”

Shaping your career calls for thinking like a freelancer. You need to find the projects, people – customers and colleagues – and places where you can do fine work. How can you make this happen? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to keep putting myself in the places where I can play my natural game are:

*

*

*

* You can play your natural game – and keep improving.

You can then flow, focus and finish. Build on the pluses – and minimise the minuses – of your natural game. Some people ‘snatch at opportunities’. They become nervous, try too hard or aim to over-impress. Be true to yourself. Relax, rehearse and then deliver results. Be positive, be professional and deliver peak performances. Commit yourself to constant improvement. Ask yourself: “What went well – and how can I do more of those things in the future? What can I do better next time – and how?” Integrate the learning and keep improving. Looking at the situation in which you work best, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to play my natural game – and keep improving - are:

*

*

*

Looking at the school population, what percentage of students are encouraged to learn in their natural way? Looking at the employed population, what percentage of people are working in their natural way? Which camp do you want to be in? How can you continue putting yourself in the places where you function best? Peak performers keep playing – and improving - their natural game.

You can find more more tools on this theme in the book The Strengths Way, which can be found here:

thestrengthsway

3 tips for putting yourself in the place where you can use your instinct

Where do things ‘come naturally’ for you? It’s vital to put yourself in places where you can use your instinct – but you will also go much further in these situations. You will use you insight and intelligence to make a positive impact. Let’s explore these steps.

* You can use your instinct.

“Everything seemed to come naturally when I began teaching so-called difficult children,” said one person. “I tuned into the way they thought – but was also very tough. Later they gave feedback along the lines of: ‘You understood our background, but also raised our sights. For the first time we believed it was possible to do something with our lives.’ There are some jobs that you have a feeling for – and for me that was working with troubled children.”

Where do you able to use your instinct and make a positive impact? You may be gardening, teaching, building, selling to certain customers, fixing engines, solving certain problems, leading teams or whatever. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific situation where I feel able to use my instinct – and make a positive impact – is:

*

* You can use your insight.

Insight is the ability: a) To sum-up the situation quickly and get to the heart of the matter by seeing patterns: b) To go ‘A, B ---- then leap to --- Z’ and see the desired destination: c) To clarify the strategy for achieving the picture of perfection. Sometimes this insight happens in an instant. Great goal scorers in football, for example, seem to know instinctively where the ball is going to drop in the penalty area. Partly this stems from naturally ability but, as they grow older, they increase their ability to ‘read’ the game. Let’s return to the situation where feel ‘at home’. How do you use your insight? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I do to use my insight in the situation are:

*

*

*

* You can use your intelligence.

During the past twenty years it has become recognised that there are many different kinds of ‘intelligence’. (One of the best books on this subject is Thomas Armstrong’s Seven Kinds of Smart.) One common factor links the multiple intelligences – be these physical, linguistic, logical, musical, spatial, interpersonal or whatever. This is the ability to apply the intelligence to achieve success. This calls for being able: a) To draw on your natural talent; c) To draw on your knowledge and experience; c) To then have the ability to apply your chosen strategy successfully.

Let’s return to the situation where you build on your instinct and insight. How do you then use your intelligence to achieve success? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I do to apply my intelligence to achieve success in the situation are:

*

*

*

Peak performers put themselves into places where they use their instinct – plus their insight and intelligence. How can you do this in your own way? This will increase the opportunities to make a positive impact. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to keep putting myself into the places where I can use my instinct – and make a positive impact - are:

*

*

*

You can find-out more about Thomas Armstrong's excellent work at:

http://www.thomasarmstrong.com/

3 tips for being of 'high value & hard to replace'

The world of work is constantly changing - so how can you continue to make yourself employable? “Build on your strengths, find sponsors who will pay you and deliver success,” is the mantra. Sounds okay - but how can you stay ahead of the game? Here are 3 tips for maintaining your employability.

* You can recognise where you are on the employability scale.

Take a look at The Employability Model. This plots your ‘Value’ to an employer against your ‘Replaceability’. (Nobody is irreplaceable, but some are more replaceable than others.)

Looking through the eyes of a potential employer, where do you fit on the model? Is your contribution:

* High value/Easy to replace.

For example, some older-style marketing departments fall into this category. Some marketers are great - because they align their efforts to the business strategy. Some do their own thing - whether or not this supports the business. Those who fall into the latter category may well become candidates for outsourcing.

* Low value/Easy to replace.

For example, cleaners and consultants. “When in doubt, keep the cleaners,” we are told. “They are cheaper and get more visible results.” Joking aside, it is vital for people to move out of this quadrant, otherwise they become cannon fodder.

* Low value/Try to make themselves hard to replace.

For example, departments that attempt to make themselves hard to replace by obscuring their work in the ‘black arts’. IT, Business Intelligence and Finance may soon be on this danger list.

* High value/Hard to replace.

For example, brilliant niche providers who perform outstanding work, but are also willing to pass on their wisdom. Paradoxically, they make themselves valuable by giving away their knowledge, rather than by hoarding trade secrets.

* You can make yourself of ‘high value & hard to replace’.

Try tackling the exercise at the end of this piece called Employability. Start by describing where you rate yourself now on the scale of value and replaceability. Then move onto the next stage. Describe the specific things you can do to make yourself of ‘high value & hard to replace’. Here is how one person tackled the challenge.

“Ten years ago I was one of the few people running creativity workshops in this country,” they explained. “Five years ago the market suddenly became flooded with people offering courses in this field. What to do? Certainly it was a test of my creativity!”

“Going back to basics, I visited at least four customers every week, but this time focused on ‘applied creativity’. When setting-up the visit, I offered to meet any person or team interested in using creative techniques to tackle specific business challenges. The sessions were fun and produced many practical solutions. Since then I have run literally hundreds of sessions in ‘applied creativity’. People are happy to pay because the approach delivers tangible business results.”

* You can continue to make yourself employable in the future.

How can you stay in the top right corner? Some of the eternal rules apply: a) Stay close to your customers; b) Encourage them talk about their present and future challenges; c) Do whatever you can to help them tackle the challenges and achieve success.

Spend a lot of time with your ‘pacesetting’ customers. Pacesetters take the lead, maintain the lead and extend the lead. They make the new rules for the game. Staying close to such customers provides an advantage. They are tackling challenges today that others will tackle tomorrow. Working with pacesetters helps you to stay ahead of the game. You will then be in a better position to provide services that are of high value & hard to replace.

You can find many more tools on this theme at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for focusing on drive, detail & delivery

There are many ways to build on your strengths. One approach is to identify the activities in which you score highly on drive, detail and delivery. “I score at least 8/10 in all three areas when I am running workshops,” said one person. “I love sharing knowledge; enjoy designing and facilitating the workshop; and get good feedback from delegates. It feels like I have discovered what I do best.” Where does this happen for you?

Start by brainstorming all the activities in which you score highly on the 3 D’s. Then focus on one activity in which you want to specialise.

The 3 D’s. The specific activities in which I score highly on drive, detail & delivery are:

*

The specific activity in which I would like to specialise is:

*

Looking at this activity, let’s explore how you rate yourself on the 3 D’s.

* Drive.

Motivation is crucial – so make sure your motivation to do this activity is at least 9/10. Sometimes we find our desire to do some jobs begins to diminish. One customer service director said: “People say I am great at running customer service initiatives, but my drive to lead yet another project is only 3/10. Now I want to take on an MD role and run a complete business. Yes, I must develop the knowledge required to lead a company. But I am prepared to do everything possible to produce at least a 9/10 in delivering success.” Looking at your chosen activity, try completing the following sentences.

Drive. The extent to which I have a strong drive to do this activity is: ___ / 10

The things I can do to improve - or maintain - this rating are:

*

* Detail.

Peak performers have great attention to detail in the activities where they excel. One marketing director told me: “I get bored with the detail.” When preparing for a TV interview, however, he kept rehearsing until he had an answer for every possible question. “But that is different,” he said. “I love doing television interviews and want to make sure I have covered every angle.” What he meant in his original statement was: “I get bored with the detail in those areas that don’t interest me.” Looking at the activity in which you do superb work, rate your attention to detail. Make sure it is at least 8/10. Try completing the following sentences.

Detail. The extent to which I have a attention to detail when doing this activity is: ___ / 10

The things I can do to improve - or maintain - this rating are:

*

* Delivery.

How good are you at finishing? People buy what you complete - so rate yourself on delivery. “Exploring this aspect was illuminating and changed the direction of my career,” said one environmental journalist. “Looking back at the magazine articles I wrote, there were differences in their quality. They all got published - but some were more satisfying and made more impact. Looking at the best, they highlighted practical initiatives taken to improve the environment, rather than spreading more ‘doom and gloom’. Now I concentrate on writing articles that provide people with practical hope.” Looking at the activity in which you do superb work, rate your delivery. Try completing the following sentences.

Delivery. The extent to which I deliver the goods when doing this activity is: ___ / 10

The things I can do to improve - or maintain - this rating are:

*

Great performers excel at the 3 D’s. So keep putting yourself into the situations where you score highly on drive, detail and delivery.

You can find many more exercises on this theme in the free download The Strengths Pack, which is available from:

http://thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for recognising where you go 'a, b ... then leap to ... z'

Peak performers see the destination quickly. The architect walks onto a site and visualises the finished house. The footballer sees the defence-splitting pass that will create a goal. The counsellor greets the troubled child and knows how they want the child to be feeling after their conversation. When entering the situation in which they excel, peak performers quickly see the picture of perfection. They go ‘a, b…….then leap to…..z’. Let’s explore where you have this ability.

* You can clarify where you quickly go ‘a, b......z’.

Everybody has a place where they think strategically and quickly see the solution. The MD of a High Street chain explained: “I love retail. Put me in any shop anywhere in the world and I will show how it can make better profits. My wife thinks I am crazy, because on Sundays I want to take her shopping. My parents owned several restaurants, so I grew up with traders. Every Saturday morning I went shopping with my mother. I remember gazing at the fishmonger’s shop and, in my minds-eye, imagining how it could be rearranged. Now I do that for a living.” Where does this happen for you? Depending on your natural talent, you may quickly see the destination when fixing a car engine, solving a financial problem, designing a workshop or whatever. Try tackling the exercise on this theme and complete the following sentence.

The specific situation in which I go ‘a, b…….and leap to z’ is:

*

* You can clarify what you do right to actually deliver ‘z’.

Peak performers are often intuitive. Asked to explain their technique, they may reply: “I just do it.” But there is much more to the story. A gifted sales person, for example, may start by imagining what they want the customer to be saying, thinking and feeling when leaving the shop. For instance: “The sales person really listened to me. They found out what I wanted and offered several options. Nothing was too much trouble. I got what I wanted and will recommend the shop to my friends.” The sales person will approach the customer, quickly try several different strategies and see which works. They will then do whatever is required to ensure the customer is satisfied when leaving the shop. Every achiever has their individual approach to delivering ‘z’. Going beyond the “I just do it,” explanation, however, many go through the following phases:

a) Preparation.

Because they are fascinated by the subject, they rehearse many potential scenarios. They have what Arie De Geus called ‘a memory of the future’. When preparing for a particular assignment, they ‘practice until they can forget’. Before entering the ‘arena’, they relax, re-centre and refocus.

b) Professionalism.

Going into the situation, they feel alive and alert. Using their ‘antennae’, they scan what is happening and look for patterns. Seeing the desired goal, they clarify their strategy. Putting their plan into action, they keep doing the right things in the right way until they reach the goal.

c) Peak performance.

“Sometimes I win games by producing 8/10,” said one tennis player. “Other times I must play to my full potential and produce 10/10.” Achievers sometimes also add that ‘touch of class’ and do something extraordinary to deliver the goods. How do you reach the goal? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I do to actually deliver ‘z’ are:

*

* You can put yourself into more situations where you quickly see ‘z’.

Wayne Gretzky, the greatest ice-hockey goal scorer in North American history, was once asked: “What is the secret behind why you score so many goals?” His reply was: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” Gretzky aimed: ‘to skate to the part of the rink where the puck will appear.’ Geniuses have this sixth sense: they know what is going to happen before it happens. Keep putting yourself into situations where this happens for you, because this is where you have natural genius. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to put myself into more situations where I quickly see ‘z’ are

*

You can find many more ideas for discovering your talent in the free download The Strengths Pack, that can be found at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for getting a perfect ten

Peter Vidmar won a gymnastics Gold Medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Looking back at how his event was scored in those days, he describes the steps people took to score the ‘perfect10’, which was first achieved by Nadia Comaneci in Montreal. Firstly, they must achieve the Olympic standard of technical competence. This often took years of dedication and would give them the 9.4. They could then add 0.2 by taking a risk; 0.2 by demonstrating originality - something that had never been done before; and 0.2 by showing virtuosity - flair. Such a brilliant performance would produce the Perfect 10 and, hopefully, the Olympic Gold.

Peter is a ‘class act’ who now makes his living as an inspiring speaker. Many people leave his sessions fired up. Some say: "We can now believe in our dreams. All we have to do is to be original, take risks and demonstrate virtuosity." They only forget one thing. Peter's most important message is that people must first achieve the 9.4. That is the first step towards winning an Olympic Gold. Here are three tips for following these steps in your own way.

* You can start by choosing an activity in which you stand a chance of achieving the 9.4.

You will obviously start by playing to your strengths. Focus on a specific activity in which: a) You get positive energy; b) You stand a chance of delivering peak performance. What is your professional version of the Olympics? Which is the ‘event’ in which you can win a ‘gold medal’? On the other hand, you may not be interested in ‘competition’. You may be a pioneer who ‘invents’ a new event. Great performers are, by definition, extremists. They are extremely good at what they do. In the business world, for example, they are often brilliant niche suppliers. So focus on the activity in which you are in your element. You are at ease and yet excel. There is no point in going into an event where, at best, you can only get a 6/10. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific activity in which I stand a chance of achieving the 9.4 is:

*

* You can work hard to achieve the 9.4.

Class acts build on their strengths. They are also prepared to sweat. They pursue the right strategy, find solutions to problems and work hard to achieve success. How can you pursue this path in your own way? Clarify your picture of perfection – the ‘What’ – then clarify the ‘How’. Focus on: “The 3 key things I can do to give myself the greatest chance of success are: 1) ____ 2) ____ 3) ____” Settle on your road map – complete with milestones – then break it down into specific actions. Develop a daily disciplines. Start each day with an early success, encourage yourself on the journey and practice. ‘Practice until you can forget’. Keep doing the right things in the right way until they become second nature. Do everything possible to reach your equivalent of the 9.4. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to work hard and reach my equivalent of the 9.4 are:

*

* You can add the risk, originality and virtuosity to achieve the perfect 10.

Class acts deliver the goods at vital moments. Providing the foundation is in place, they may take what appears to be a risk. But in their minds – or in their muscle memory - they have done it a thousand times. One person said: “People say that I take risks, but I have already rehearsed all the scenarios, explored the possible strategies and settled on the way forward. I feel comfortable with what I am doing. In fact, it would be a greater risk not to take what appears to be a risk.” Great performers also do something that appears original. But it is the result spending hours, days or months finding creative solutions to challenges. Then comes the final piece – virtuosity, flair or showmanship. Class acts add that ‘touch of class’. They do something magical that stays in people’s minds forever. How can you follow these steps in you own way? How can you build on the 9.4 and try to produce your equivalent of the ‘perfect 10’? Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to build on the 9.4 and try to produce my equivalent of the ‘perfect 10’ are:

*

Peter Vidmar’s approach is well worth exploring and you can read more about it in his book called Risk, Originality & Virtuosity.

You can also find many tools for building on your strengths at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tip for finding, accepting & forgetting yourself

“You are most yourself when you forget yourself,” we are told. People often reveal their true talents when completely immersing themselves in an activity. Writing in his book Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explains that during such times people: “find their concern for self disappears, but paradoxically their sense of self emerges stronger.” Embarking on this adventure often involves taking three steps: finding yourself, accepting yourself and forgetting yourself. Let’s explore these stages.

* Finding yourself.

Individuals continue to ask the eternal questions: “Who am I? Where am I going? How can I get there?” Different people embark on different journeys towards finding their answers.

“The first 25 years of my life were spent gathering experiences,” explained one person. “Fortunately my parents encouraged me to pursue my own path, providing I learned from my mistakes. My ‘gap year’ turned into 3 years. After travelling the world, I spent two years working in refugee camps in Asia. Returning to the UK, I decided to work for human rights. The world may be unfair - but I want to help as many people as possible to get a fair start in life. This sense of mission gets me up each morning.”

So how do you ‘find yourself’? “Go out into the world”, is the mantra. Live, learn and find your labour of love. Then clarify your legacy - the things you want to give to the world. Try many experiences. Sometimes you will say: “This feels right - this is what I was meant to do.” Continue adventuring and, when you are ready, clarify the patterns. What are your passions? Where do you feel at ease yet excel? Clarify your strengths and translate these into specific goals. See if you enjoy the sweat—the hard work required to achieve success. If so, you may have found your vocation. You can express this vocation through many different vehicles on the way towards doing valuable work.

* Accepting yourself.

“During my 20s and 30s I attended many workshops where the tone seemed to be: ‘What do you want to change about yourself?’ said one person. “So I focused on ‘Who I’m not’, rather than ‘Who I am’. One day I just get fed-up and said: ‘I am going to be myself.’ Since then I have felt more at peace. I try to do the work I like, dress the way I like - within limits - and spend time with the people I like. Certainly I can keep improving but, if I fail, I am going to fail doing what I believe-in.”

People reach a point where they accept their strengths. They build their ‘As’ and manage the consequences of their ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’. Setting specific goals, they go onto the next stage.

* Forgetting yourself.

“The coaching session is all about the other person—it is not about you,” explained the course leader, as we each prepared to do a practice session watched by the whole group. “Concentrate on the person in front of you. Give them 100% attention. Be calm, clarify their goals and help them to get concrete results. The temptation will be to ‘show off’ by using clever techniques, but that is not the point. Success depends on what the person gets from the session - not whether you impress your watching colleagues.”

Try tackling the exercise on this theme called Forgetting myself. Describe the activity in which you lose your self but emerge feeling fulfilled. Perhaps it is when you are painting, solving a problem, climbing a mountain, teaching, gardening, giving to another person or whatever. What do you do right then? You may feel as if you are simply channelling energy towards achieving a specific goal. For example, giving 100% attention, you may have done the hard work required to achieve 8/10. Then you begin flowing to fulfilment. How can you follow these principles again in the future – both in that and other situations?

The specific activity in which I 'forget myself' is when I am:

*

The things I do right then are:

*

The things I can do to follow these principles more in the future are:

*

“Life is full of paradoxes,” we are told. Perhaps, but the paradoxes may simply be part of a circle - such as finding yourself, accepting yourself and forgetting yourself. You are then more likely to be your real self and give what you can to the world.

You can find more tools on this theme at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for giving somebody the opportunity to succeed

People want to develop. But sometimes they need the chance to use their talents. Looking back on your life, can you think of somebody who gave you a realistic but stretching opportunity to succeed? Perhaps it was a teacher at school, a coach in sports or a manager at work. How did they give you this opportunity? What did you do right to grasp it? Looking to the future, how can you give somebody the chance to succeed? Let’s explore three tips for making this happen.

* You can spot where somebody has the opportunity to succeed.

Everybody has talents. The art lies in seeing what these talents are - then spotting the opportunity where somebody can succeed. Recently I witnessed the power of giving and grasping such possibilities.

Isak Berglind, a 15 year-old Swedish boy, spent a fortnight staying at our home. He travelled with ‘the tools of his trade’ - equipment for ‘fire juggling’ - more of which later. His visit coincided with our neighbour holding their November 5th fireworks display to which around 50 people are invited. Berit, my wife, arranged for Isak to give a ‘fire juggling’ performance to the gathering. He proved sensational. Lighting balls of fire, he whirled them around in hypnotic patterns, whilst incorporating moves from capoeira, the Brazilian martial art. The crowd loved it. In their eyes, this shy boy turned into a budding star. But for me one event stood out. Before the performance, Isak spent one hour practicing in the garden to make sure he got it right on the night. He has the talent and discipline to do what he wants - to entertain people in life.

Everybody has gifts - but these may not be recognised by the educational or work system. Their strengths may fall outside the boxes drawn by conventional views of exam subjects or competencies. Can you think of somebody who has the talent - and the discipline - required to succeed in a specific activity? Try completing the following sentences.

The person who has the talent to succeed in a specific activity is:

*

The specific activity in which I think they can succeed is:

*

* You can create the opportunity for somebody to succeed.

“The best way to learn is to teach,” said Tony Manocchio, one of my mentors. “Next month I am holding a workshop for professionals working with young people. You run a therapeutic community for teenagers and I would like you to lead a session for the psychiatrists from Scandinavia.”

Tony gave me the opportunity to teach at the age of 28 - quite old for a starting teacher - but much younger than the psychiatrists. Fortunately the session worked and produced invitations to teach in Scandinavia, which eventually turned into a full-time career for 10 years. I am not sure what Tony spotted, but he provided the practical opportunity to succeed. This opened the door to massive possibilities.

Let’s return to the person whom you believe has talent. Can you think of a suitable opportunity they can grasp? It can be one that exists already or one you can create. The opportunity should be stretching but - providing they work hard - they should also have a realistic chance of succeeding. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific opportunity that exists – or that I can create –
where the person could have the chance to succeed is:

*

* You can provide support – but allow them to take responsibility for succeeding.

This is the crucial part. Great educators, for example, focus on encouragement, enterprise and excellence. They provide an encouraging environment and look for when the person shows enterprise. They then work with the learner to help them achieve excellence.

Let’s return to the person you want to support. You can provide appropriate encouragement - but it is vital they take responsibility. Some well-intentioned people may be tempted to be over-supportive and smother the learner. The person must be allowed to plan, work hard and achieve their own success. Describe how you can provide the right support - but also know how step out of the way. The person can then work hard, reach their goal and grow as a result. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to provide support - but
allow the person to take responsibility for succeeding are:

*

You can find more tools for encouraging people at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com/

3 tips for finding, accepting and forgetting yourself

“You are most yourself when you forget yourself,” we are told. People often reveal their true talents when completely immersing themselves in an activity. Writing in his book Flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi explains that during such times people: “find their concern for self disappears, but paradoxically their sense of self emerges stronger.” Embarking on this adventure often involves taking three steps: finding yourself, accepting yourself and forgetting yourself. Let’s explore these stages.

* Finding yourself.

Individuals continue to ask the eternal questions: “Who am I? Where am I going? How can I get there?” Different people embark on different journeys towards finding their answers.

“The first 25 years of my life were spent gathering experiences,” explained one person. “Fortunately my parents encouraged me to pursue my own path, providing I learned from my mistakes. My ‘gap year’ turned into 3 years. After travelling the world, I spent two years working in refugee camps in Asia. Returning to the UK, I decided to work for human rights. The world may be unfair - but I want to help as many people as possible to get a fair start in life. This sense of mission gets me up each morning.”

So how do you ‘find yourself’? “Go out into the world”, is the mantra. Live, learn and find your labour of love. Then clarify your legacy - the things you want to give to the world. Try many experiences. Sometimes you will say: “This feels right - this is what I was meant to do.” Continue adventuring and, when you are ready, clarify the patterns. What are your passions? Where do you feel at ease yet excel? Clarify your strengths and translate these into specific goals. See if you enjoy the sweat—the hard work required to achieve success. If so, you may have found your vocation. You can express this vocation through many different vehicles on the way towards doing valuable work.

* Accepting yourself.

“During my 20s and 30s I attended many workshops where the tone seemed to be: ‘What do you want to change about yourself?’ said one person. “So I focused on ‘Who I’m not’, rather than ‘Who I am’. One day I just get fed-up and said: ‘I am going to be myself.’ Since then I have felt more at peace. I try to do the work I like, dress the way I like - within limits - and spend time with the people I like. Certainly I can keep improving but, if I fail, I am going to fail doing what I believe-in.”

People reach a point where they accept their strengths. They build their ‘As’ and manage the consequences of their ‘Bs’ and ‘Cs’. Setting specific goals, they go onto the next stage.

* Forgetting yourself.

“The coaching session is all about the other person—it is not about you,” explained the course leader, as we each prepared to do a practice session watched by the whole group. “Concentrate on the person in front of you. Give them 100% attention. Be calm, clarify their goals and help them to get concrete results. The temptation will be to ‘show off’ by using clever techniques, but that is not the point. Success depends on what the person gets from the session - not whether you impress your watching colleagues.”

So when do you 'forget yourself'? Perhaps it is when you are painting, solving a problem, climbing a mountain, teaching, gardening, giving to another person or whatever. What do you do right then? You may feel as if you are simply channelling energy towards achieving a specific goal. Far from this being ‘new age’, it is because you have respected the task. Giving 100% attention, you have done the hard work required to achieve 8/10. Then you begin flowing to fulfilment. How can you follow these principles again in the future – both in that and other situations?

“Life is full of paradoxes,” we are told. Perhaps, but the paradoxes may simply be part of a circle - such as finding yourself, accepting yourself and forgetting yourself. You are then more likely to be your real self and give what you can to the world.

You can find more tools on this theme at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for making good use of the fallow times

“I often experience a sense of flow in my work, such as when doing a rewarding project,” said one person. “But after completing the job I sometimes go into the doldrums. It’s obviously because I have lost the sense of purpose I had when doing the task. Wanting to fill the vacuum, I am tempted to jump into the next project, even though it may not be too stimulating. How can I recapture that sense of purpose?”

Peak performers learn how to use the ‘fallow’ times. These are the hours, days and months that come between feeling frustrated and enjoying a sense of flow. Making good use of these times can help to shape your creative future. Let’s explore three steps for making this happen.


* You can recognise the importance of the fallow times.

People love to experience what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called ‘a sense of flow’. When you are doing something stimulating, you feel stretched and ‘time seems to go away’. Reaching your goal is satisfying – but afterwards you may feel frustrated. You want to climb the next mountain, pursue the next adventure or whatever. It is then useful to remember the agricultural tradition of allowing a field to lie fallow. The pasture can rest, recover and become revitalised. Creative artists also know the value of ‘giving themselves permission’ to be fallow. Providing these are used properly, fallow times can be fruitful times. The first step is to recognise and capitalise on these periods. How can this work for you? Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to recognise the fallow times
and then give myself permission to be fallow are:

*

* You can make good use of the fallow times.

“During the fallow times I surround myself with positive things,” said one person. “Getting up in the morning, I play my favourite music. This provides a stimulating start to the day, rather than listening to politicians arguing on the radio. I spend time with friends who give me energy, rather than negative people. ‘Everything is food’, say the Zen Buddhists, so I control what I allow into my body. Because I am in a vacuum, I must set the agenda - even if it means choosing to ‘do nothing’ - rather than allow others to set the agenda. Surrounding myself with positive influences means I am eventually more likely to find a meaningful purpose.”

How can you make good use of such times? You do not need to put everything ‘on-hold’. One approach is to continue working at the ‘day job’ - whilst also gathering information about possible future challenges. At the same time, however, it is vital to surround yourself with positive influences. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to make good use of the fallow times are:

*

* You can recognise when it is time to move on from being fallow and go into flow.

Providing you do the right things, eventually a stimulating ‘project’ will emerge. How will you know it if it right to move? Ask yourself: “Does this contribute to achieving my personal or professional goals? Does thinking about it give me positive energy? Will pursuing it give me a sense of fulfilment?” If the answers are “Yes,” seize the opportunity. If you are not absolutely sure, but feel tempted to spring back into action, make sure it is a challenge you respect. Otherwise, like a mountaineer who does not respect the mountain, you may suffer a catastrophe. Making good use of the fallow times means you are more likely to choose the right project. Embarking on the adventure, you can then flow, focus and finish. Try completing the following sentence.

The things I can do to recognise when it is time to
move on from being fallow and go into flow are:

*


You can find more tools for being creative in the free download The Strengths Pack - which can be found at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for surfing the sigmoid curve

“My greatest challenge has been judging how long to stay in a particular role,” said one person. “Looking back at my career, sometimes I kept growing - but other times I stayed too long. The danger has been lapsing into cruise control, when really I should have taken the next step in my career.”

How can you decide when to stay or when to move? One approach is to ‘surf the sigmoid curves’. (Originally a mathematical term, Charles Handy popularised the ‘sigmoid curve’ in his book The Age of Paradox. It is now used to chart the life-cycle of a person’s development, an organisation, a product or even a civilisation.) As one curve reaches its zenith, you surf onto the next one, rather than sink into decline. Let’s explore how to make this happen.

* You can recognise where you are on the sigmoid curve.

Imagine you are climbing the curve in your professional life. Where are you now? (You may find it useful to focus on a specific aspect of your professional life.) Perhaps you are halfway up the curve. Feeling hungry, you may believe there is lots of scope for development. On the other hand, you may have hit a ceiling or believe the ‘product’ or service you offer is deteriorating. Looking at your professional life – or a particular aspect of it - chart where you are on the curve. Try completing the following sentence.

The place where I feel I am now on the sigmoid curve is:

*

* You can go to the top of the sigmoid curve – but be aware of the warning signs.

How can you keep developing? How can you stay close to your customers? How can you help them to succeed? How can you keep improving your offering? How can you keep developing your ‘A’ talent? Let’s look at the total picture. Do you feel at the top of the sigmoid curve? Can you see further growth ahead? Or are you beginning to get warning signs? If so, what are the symptoms? Keep going until you feel at the top of the curve. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to keep developing and go to the top of the sigmoid curve are:


*

* You can surf onto the next sigmoid curve.

Where is your own energy going? What do find exciting? How can you do more of these things? Looking at your chosen field, what will be happening in the next 5 years? What will be the key challenges your customers will be facing? How can you help them to succeed? How can you stay ahead of the game? How can you surf onto the next sigmoid curve? Perhaps you can even create one. Try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to surf onto the next sigmoid curve are:

*

You can find more ideas on this theme at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com

3 tips for choosing to dream, do & deliver

Everybody has dreams - and some translate these into reality. People who fulfil their dreams consider the full implications of the task and, if they choose to go forward, commit themselves fully. Embarking on the journey, they have the dedication required to reach their destination. They are ‘committed to the commitment’.

Such people demonstrate the qualities that TE Lawrence described when he wrote: “All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.” Peak performers choose to take the following steps - so let’s explore how to make these happen.

* You can dream.

“I start by writing down my goals,” said one person, “then list these in order of priority. Exploring my top goal, I consider the pluses and minuses involved in making it a reality. For example, saying ‘Yes,’ to one dream may mean saying ‘No,’ to others. Bearing in mind the rewards and risks, I decide whether or not to go for it. After all, sometimes it would be more painful not to pursue the dream. Then I make my action plan.”

Dreamers of the day do what they say they will do. At the outset they consider all the consequences - both the pluses and minuses - then ask: “Am I really serious?” If so, they go for their dream. Many people fail to go through this process and do ‘due diligence’. They may experience ‘Ah yes,’ moments, make New Year resolutions or write action plans at the end of workshops - but never consider the consequences. The first setback sees them revert to old habits. Dreamers of the day make realistic plans, then swing into action.

Try tackling the following exercise. First, describe a specific dream you want to follow. Second, describe the pluses and minuses involved in following the dream. Third, on a scale 0 – 10, rate to what extent you are really serious. You are looking for 8+, otherwise forget it.

The specific dream I want to follow is:

*

The pluses of following and achieving this dream will be:

*

The potential minuses will be:

*

The extent to which I am serious about following this dream is ___ / 10

* You can do.

“Do something quickly towards achieving your dream,” we are told. “Get an early win to create momentum - even if it is simply gathering more information. Then do something that puts ‘scores on the board’. Get a tangible success.”

Dreamers of the day start by deciding on their destination. They make a road map for reaching their goals and break-down the journey into manageable chunks. Swinging into action, they develop daily disciplines. The athlete rises at 4.30 am to train on a winter morning; the painter starts work at a set time in their studio; the pilot follows a particular pattern to prepare for their flight. They work hard, overcome setbacks and continue until they reach the final stage. Bearing in mind the goal you want to achieve, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to seriously pursue my dream are:

*

* You can deliver.

Peak performers demonstrate the dedication and discipline required to deliver. Looking back at your life, think about the things you have finished successfully. What did you do right then? How can you follow those principles again in the future? How can you encourage yourself on the journey? How can you continue until you finish? Bearing in mind the goal you want to achieve, try completing the following sentence.

The specific things I can do to ensure that I deliver are:

*

Dreamers of the day are ‘dangerous’. They are the people who make things happen. They dream, do and deliver.

You can find more tools on this theme at:

http://www.thestrengthsway.com