In their 1999 book, First Break All the Rules, Marcus Buckingham and Curt Hoffman studied data collected by the Gallup organization to find out what differentiated great
managers from mediocre ones. They suggested that the triad of talent, knowledge and skill constitutes the "base nature" of
human performance potential, and that recognizing and liberating talent is critical to empowering and keeping the right people
for the right work.
As a frontline leader, are you identifying the true talents of your team members? Do you fully understand what talent is and
do you recognize it? Are you finding ways to enable talented people to funnel their skills through their talents to maximize
creative and highly effective work performance?
The nature of talent
Talent, unlike skill, is innate. Either you have it or you don't. It reveals itself naturally when a person is challenged
with certain tasks. Some people have a talent for staying calm under pressure, others can create excitement immediately, others
can motivate people under almost any situation, and others have a talent for simplifying complex situations. A great frontline
leader can recognize the talents of his or her team members by understanding the difference between talent and skill. Skills
are desired and learned, whereas talent is innate and needs to be expressed. Almost anyone can learn to create a good PowerPoint
presentation, but very few people have the talent to make the presentation come to life. Almost anyone can develop the skills
to listen well, but very few people have the talent to listen and envision viable new possibilities. Seeing in the shadows
Buckingham suggests that talents can be distilled to three areas: striving (the why), thinking (the how) and relating (the
who) and that these talents must be matched within the greater picture of work culture, performance expectations and colleague
interactions expected. It is, therefore, crucial that you clearly understand these areas of your business environment if you
want to channel talented people toward the successful use of their talents. This means you must be willing to thoroughly study
your business culture, understand the factors that contribute to successful performance, and develop a solid handle on the
personalities and habits of your team members. This requires analysis beyond the obvious, and a little time and effort looking
in the "shadows."
Some suggestions for identifying talents
First, understanding the talents of your existing team members should be a high priority, and then selecting new hires based
on desired talents becomes vital. Much of this lies in keen observations, strategic querying and proper interviewing.
1. Be a keen observer: Talent tends to show itself spontaneously. Watch the reflexive behaviors of your direct reports at POAs, during team meetings,
during performance evaluations, on ride-alongs and during selling sessions. You may notice that some of your team members
have a talent for remembering fine details, others the talent of social grace and yet others seem to get the ear of anyone
in a group. Consistent patterns like these provide insights into the overt and hidden talents of your team members. As a frontline
manager, you have to compare and contrast the various talents of your people. Note them, and discuss them with your team members
during coaching sessions and performance reviews.
2. Remember the three talent categories: Based on Buckingham's argument, talents fall in three categories: striving, thinking and relating. Look out for all three,
both during interviews for new hires and during the daily routines of managing your existing team. Striving talents include
things like: a need for expertise or mastery, a drive to be of service to others and a drive to put your beliefs into action.
Thinking talents include things like: an ability to orchestrate, a need to see order and accuracy and an ability to think
through things even with incomplete data. Relating talents include: a need to gain the approval of others, a need to build
bonds that last and an ability to take charge. Look for talent constantly as it may be latent, misunderstood or even suppressed,
acknowledge it during coaching sessions and work with your representative to channel it to effectively benefit both the individual
and your team.
