How to find your own

Toolbox magazine 3/2010

REACHING THE TOP of your game means understanding those things you are truly good at. This takes some soul searching.

Talent?

1KnowyourselfAkio Morita, the founder of Sony Corporation, was expected from childhood to take over the family business, but decided to run an electronics start-up. This was no easy decision at the time, as he was the oldest son of a family whose enterprise dates back to 1665 and heavily expected to take over the business from his father. But, instead, Morita found his true calling in mathematics and physics.What is your calling? What are your strengths?

2Putting comparative advantage to work

*) Countries should not try to be self-sufficient, but should specialize in the things they do best and trade for the rest – everyone wins in the process.

While you’ve likely heard of comparative advantage in the context of international trade the same theory also applies to your natural talents. Figure out what is worth concentrating your time and leave the rest to someone else.

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WITH AGE COMES WISDOM

3When you think of new talent, chances are the face of someone young and fresh to the company appears in your mind.

When it comes to talent, senior employees are probably where you should look first. Seniors are not easily dazzled by smoke-and-mirrors and understand substance from fiction, which comes in handy when important decisions are made. While younger staff members may have more enthusiasm, with age comes patience – and the wisdom to carefully ponder the consequences of actions.

4Demystifying social networksIf you want a practical guide on how to use social media to find talent within your company, look to a book called The Social Factor (IBM Press, 2009) by Maria Azua, vice president of Cloud Computing for IBM Enterprise Initiatives. The book gives loads of real-life examples on how you can use blogs, wikis and employee profiles inside companies and what they can do for your business.

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5Are you a people person?Social intelligence is incredibly important. People who are people-savvy just get it. Find out more in the book Social Intelligence (Random House, 2007) by Daniel Goleman.

Emotional intelligence includes having the confidence to hire people who are smarter than you are. Read more at Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (TalentSmart, 2009) by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves. The book includes a test that lets you score your EQ.

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6More books to read...

Harvard Business Review on Managing Yourself(Harvard Business School Press, 2005)

Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success(Little, Brown & Co, 2008)

Geoff Colvin, Talent Is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else(Portfolio Trade, 2010)

magazine 3/2010

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