The Power in Talking About Talent

Isn’t it funny that some elements that are so personal and perhaps define you most specifically can be so hard to talk about? Why is it almost taboo to admit these specific traits that, although shared by many, manifest so uniquely in each person?? I’m talking about talent – your unique talent.??

Think about it – How often do you get the chance to talk about your talent? Sadly, not very often. And often, our talent does not scream out like Michael Jackson moonwalking across a stage. Many times, it sits quietly behind a spreadsheet or a press release, with few people ever appreciating the brilliance it took to create. But what if we changed that? Companies would benefit from employees talking openly about how they contribute their best work. Other employees would harness each other’s strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses. The synergy of team members bringing their best to the table could lead to groundbreaking solutions and stronger, more connected teams.?

Imagine a sports team that doesn’t have the freedom to reminisce about the great plays of the game and the athleticism that led to the highlight reel. Those teams live in their talent, and they allow each other to do it as well. It’s expected. It’s needed to drive inspiration for the next great moment. How does that look at work? Nobody is standing around the water cooler (that’s on a hybrid on the day) giving dap (cool handshakes) for getting the spreadsheet to calculate thousands of lines of data. The talent needed to do it might be as deep as the talent that led the dunked basketball.? One gets cheers. The other goes unseen.? What if we started giving equal respect and excitement to the amazing spreadsheet or the killer social media post as we do to the sports wins?? After all, for a business, the perfect spreadsheet can be as crucial as the last 2 points in a basketball game. When we don’t acknowledge their talent, we fail to create space for our employees to connect with their excellence and inspire more.? We have left the conversation and the possibilities on the table for too long.?

What would it look or feel like if team members were looking forward to seeing the fancy spreadsheet or the cleverly written post in the same way the team looked forward to seeing MJ take off from the foul line, igniting everyone’s energy to win? It would be an infectious feeling of support and appreciation paired with the expectation of winning. Who could resist that!? Better yet, who would want to? If given the chance, I would join a team like that and do my part to cheer my colleagues on for their daily wins.? Organizations are losing out on this outcome, but they don’t have to.

The truth is, when each team member is clear about their special role and the team acknowledges the power of its combined talents, it can reach heights only possible for a strong and united group. It’s time we shifted the focus from the latest sporting event to celebrating the latest win in our workplace. It’s time to start talking about the talent that’s in our orbit every day. Let’s make the invisible visible and celebrate the talents that keep our teams, companies, and world moving forward.

?And with that, we will actualize the power of talking about talent.