If you’re reading this article, you probably read Part 1 where I provide the setup for some follow-up examples below (click HERE to read Part 1).
Have you always been great at puzzles and games? Have you always been a great problem solver? If so, every organization in the world needs people that have Problem Solving, as their “underlying Top Natural Talent.” What I mean is, you may not think of certain careers as people that are great problem solvers, but that’s exactly what they are, underneath their title, position and career.
As an example, doctors need to be great problem solvers. In fact, I believe that problem solving is the natural taken that’s most critical for a doctor to naturally possess. Don’t you? Don’t we all want our doctor to be able to efficiently and effectively solve our problem? A bedside manner would be great to have too, but if they can’t solve my problem efficiently and effectively, then I’m finding another doctor!
But you shouldn’t go to medical school and then figure out that you’re a horrible problem solver. First figure out if you’re a great problem solver, and then figure out what you’d most love to put that talent to work on!
If you’re a great problem solver, but you’ve always be fascinated by fire and how oxygen and other elements effect it, then maybe you’d be a far better firefighter! After all, firefighters need to be great problem solvers too don’t they? If not, fires around your house and community are going to take a lot longer to put out!
Or maybe you’re great at solving problems, but you’ve always been far more curious about the law and injustice. That means you’d probably be a much better lawyer or defense attorney, don’t you think?
Okay, so maybe you’re not a great problem solver, consider these:
- Have you always been great at managing projects at school with your classmates, or at home with family or friends, or at work with your colleagues and/pr for customers? If so, every organization needs a talented project manager. So then the questions become; what kinds of projects would you most love to manage and who could most benefit from your talent, love and commitment?
- Have you always been been great at planning and/or organizing things at school or around the house? What about your bedroom when you were a little kid, or how bout now; has everything always had it’s place? Have you always organized things in a very details and structured way? What about planning or organizing events for family, friends, classmates or colleagues? If so, every organization needs people that are great at, and love planning and organizing things! Because we all know there are some people that are horrible at it and hate it! So then what you have to ask yourself is; what kinds of things do I most love to plan and/or organize, and who could most benefit from my talent and what I love to do?
- Have you always been complemented on your writing? If so, there are countless jobs and careers around the world that could benefit from your talent! Then what you have to ask yourself is; what would you most love to write about for the rest of you life, and who would most benefit from your talent and perspective?
- Have you always been incredibly creative and/or imaginative? Are you always coming up with new ways to see or do things? There are countless careers and organizations that need this underlying talent; from designers of fashion, cars and houses, to chefs and new restaurant concepts, to product development in every industry, to marketing and advertising in every industry. Again, what you have to ask yourself is; what “kinds of ideas” do you find yourself most coming up with? Are they people related or product related, and if so what kinds? Where does your mind most naturally like to go? What kinds of better mousetraps are you always building in your mind? And, who could most benefit from your creativity and imagination? Where could you make the greatest impact?
- Have people always said you’d be a great Teacher, Coach, Counselor or Salesperson? That might mean that you’re very persuasive, and you should consider a career that takes full advantage of that talent.
You might not think that a teacher needs to be persuasive more than anything else, but I believe they should be! Persuasion is about getting people to think, act, feel and/or believe differently. Isn’t that what we want teachers to do for their student? Heck, teachers need to be incredibly persuasive these days, just to be able to get students to listen, let alone learn!
Sadly, persuasion is not the underlying top natural talent that most teachers have. How many truly talented teachers did you have growing up? How “convincing” were most of your teachers? How many of them truly changed the way you thought, acted, behaved or believed? How many of them truly made an impact on you as a result?
But again, if you’re a great Teacher, that doesn’t mean you should automatically think about teaching in K-12 or college; every industry and organization in the world needs great teachers and trainers. So, what kinds of things would you most live to teach people about, for the rest of your life? What kinds of things do you most love learning about yourself, and talking about? Who do you most love talking about it to, and who could most benefit from your love and talent?
- Are you great at speaking and presenting to groups of people? Again, there are countless careers, positions and organization that desperately rely in that underlying natural talent. Is that what you’re best at? If so, what kinds of things would you most love to speak or present on, and who could most benefit from your talent and your topics?
- Have you always been great at coordinating things; whether it’s around the house, with your friends, family or at work? What kinds of things do you most love to Coordinate, and who could most benefit from your talent and your love for it?
- Have you always been a great leader, even among your friends and family? Have people always looked at you as a leader with the groups or teams you’re part of? Clearly, every organization in the world needs a great leader, so where would you best lead? Who, what and where would you most love to lead? Who needs you most – who could most benefit from your talent and passion? Where could you make the greatest impact?
- Are you great at serving others? Most immediately think about technical support or some kind of telephone support when we think about “Customer Service”, but the natural talent of serving others and customer service is about exceeding and/or meeting a customer’s needs. And, there are literally countless careers and positions that truly need that underlying talent, that you may or may not think about.
As an example, we all know what a phenomenally talented waiter, waitress or bartender, looks like:
- They naturally know how to take care of people – it’s just like breasting for them
- They don’t have to think about it, they just do it! And we all know what it looks like when they don’t naturally have it don’t we?
But, what about a Gate Agent at the airport; shouldn’t they also be phenomenally talented at serving others?
What about a Nurse? More than anything else, I want a nurse that exceeds my expectations!
What about a Human Resource professional or manager; shouldn’t they also be best at serving/taking care of others? Shouldn’t they be best at taking care of both the organization’s needs and the employees’?
I could go on and on and on. The key is, figure out what your best at first – what your top natural talent is, then figure out what you’d love to put your talent to work on, and who could most benefit from it.
I’m happy to help if you need it!
