All my life I have been a "dreamer." My mind is constantly thinking about how things could be. Growing up, I'd often get into trouble at school, and at the dinner table, because I was day-dreaming.
Back then, I thought it was a problem...a weakness. Then I took the Team Dimensions Profile, another of Inscape Publishing's valuable learning instruments, which showed me that I have a talent for possibilities. I don't just see things as they are - I see them as they could be! This profile also identified that I have a secondary talent for interaction...I get on well with people and enjoy building relationships.
The two things I was criticized for most in school - day- dreaming and talking too much to the other kids - turned out to be my greatest strengths that have enabled me to build a 30 year career as a consultant.
These are Team Talents
These talents for possibilities and interaction are "team talents", not individual talents. In other words, I need to be working with others to capitalize on these talents. I have never had a problem coming up with ideas on how we can meet our client's needs and how we can better market our services. Some of my ideas have not worked because I needed the talents of other people to turn my ideas into workable plans, and then execute them.
What are your team talents? And are there any missing talents on your team?
The Team Dimensions Profile, unlike DiSCŪ, Myers-Briggs or other personality tests, does not measure behavioral style or personality; rather, it measures team-based behavior - how you think and behave when working with others to accomplish a specific purpose.
The four primary team talents it measures are:
- A talent for possibilities: team members with this talent thrive on creativity, looking beyond the obvious to come up with innovative or unique solutions. They want to talk about a project's potential rather than its limitations.
- A talent for realities: team members with this talent are focused on what "is". They may get frustrated with the "brain-storming" process because they want a plan of action to implement. Their strength is execution - ensuring plans are implemented and followed through to completion.
- A talent for interaction: team members with this talent are quite aware of their own feelings and sensitive to the needs of others. They recognize good ideas when they see them and are skillful at persuading others to embrace them.
- A talent for analysis: team members with this talent look at the world in a logical and questioning way. They see the "holes" in ideas and play an important role in turning ideas into action plans.
Understanding Team Conflicts
Potential team conflicts occur between the opposite ends of each dimension. Those with a talent for possibilities are conceptual thinkers, imaginative, and good at seeing the master plan. Contrast that with team members who have a talent for realities, who are more practical and systematic, have a structured approach to things, and are more focused on the details than the master plan. They may see people with a talent for possibilities as unrealistic, impractical people who are off with the fairies! And vice versa, be seen by those with a talent for possibilities as rigid, unimaginative people who are stuck in the mud!
Likewise, there is a potential for conflict between team members with a talent for interaction and those with a talent for analysis.
Awareness is crucial here, not just to minimize unproductive conflict, but also to ensure that you capitalize on the strengths of each team member to avoid the pitfalls associated with a lack of any one of the team talents.
Putting Round Pegs in Round Holes
As I mentioned in my last update, you are more likely to get the best performance out of each team member if their job role is designed around their talents, rather than trying to fit people to roles. Look at the following activities that are a good fit for each of the four team talents:
- A talent for possibilities: developing and testing untried theories; working with unclear goals; and designing a big-picture vision.
- A talent for realities: keeping track of important details; sticking to a strict schedule; and following detailed procedures.
- A talent for interaction: performing in front of groups; networking with strangers; and promoting new ideas.
- A talent for analysis: doing research and analyzing data; performing in-depth evaluations; and maintaining quality control.
Now, imagine putting a team member who has a talent for possibilities into a role which requires a talent for realities. Or someone with a talent for analysis into a job that requires a talent for interaction! It is happening every day, and as a result, you end up with team members who are highly stressed, disengaged, and perhaps looking elsewhere for a job that is a better fit for their talents.
When you know what the team talents are for each member of your team, it may make sense to reassign tasks and responsibilities so that the team members who are strongest in each area perform those activities.
Regards, Keith Ayers
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To take a free trial of the Team Dimensions Profile and learn more about how it can help you to capitalize on the talents in your team, courtesy of Leadership Strategies International, email engage@leadership-strategies.com. For a free copy of a case study called "Team Innovations" offered by Laura Hauser click here.
To learn more about a ready to use half-day seminar on Capitalizing on Team Talents, complete with the Team Dimensions Profile for each team member, personalized participant workbooks, leader's guide, PowerPoint slides with built-in video, click here. And to take a look at a sample Leader's Guide, Participant Workbook and Program Overview, click here.
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