talent management

What are my talents?

September 28, 2019 By // by Rachel Brushfield

Many people, especially women, find it really hard to say ‘I am really good at’…

Are you one of them?

It is really important to know yourself well so that you can maximise your potential or ‘liberate all of your talent’. This is especially important for flexible working and portfolio careers.

In future, according to Lynda Gratton, author of ‘The 100 year life’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/100-Year-Life-Living-working-longevity/dp/1472930150

and

‘The Shift – the future of work is already here’: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=the+shift+lynda+gratton&hvadid=80676697514840&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvqmt=e&tag=mh0a9-21&ref=pd_sl_60k0s27bxu_e

making sure that your skills are fit for purpose for what is needed in tomorrow’s world of work as well as today’s, is really important. She talks about having a mastery area and 5 different talent areas that you can flex.

Q) So how do you know what your talents are?

A) It is a mixture of insights from internal and external sources.

Internal insights

Ask yourself these self-reflective questions:

· What tasks gives me energy?

· What can I not stop myself from doing?

· What am I really good at? (many people find it really hard to answer this one and/or feel boastful!)

People can get so close to themselves that they find it hard to see their talents. If this is you, try this:

· Put a chair in front of you and imagine that the person sitting in it is you. What talents do you see in the person in the chair?

External insights

· Do some personality and/or psychometric tests for new insights

· Ask for feedback from people who know you well

· Reflect on this question: “What activity is it that I am doing when people say ‘thank you’/show me appreciation?”

· Answer this question: “If I was a ‘consultant to myself’, what would I notice?”

A portfolio career is a bit like cooking. The more ingredients (talents) you have, the more recipes you can create over time for a fulfilling future-proof portfolio career. This is why it is so important to invest in your Continual Personal and Professional Development (CPD).

My portfolio career is changing all the time.

Reflection and percolation is important to give yourself time and space to allow insights to emerge. Coaching is a great way to achieve this, so is attending an event.

More

Interested in a portfolio career? Get in touch for a free no-obligation chat:

https://www.inspiringportfoliocareers.com/portfolio/connect/

Want a career with more flexibility and a better work life balance? Our joint event with Attune Jobs sponsored by Slater and Gordon is for you.Book your ticket now, limited availability.

6-8pm Wednesday 16 October London. ‘Flex your work and future proof your career:’ https://www.eventbrite.com/e/flex-your-work-and-future-proof-your-career-book-now-limited-spaces-tickets-69627260009

Wasted at work

November 30, 2014 By // by DigitalJenIPC

My eyes opened more widely recently, more than usual, and I am not talking mascara.

It was a discussion in a workshop of high growth microbusinesses about waste.

Waste is everywhere, sometimes obvious, sometimes hidden until you shine a light on it.

Common waste includes:

• Having a gym membership and not using it
• Buying too much food and throwing it away
• Meetings with no agenda where nothing is decided
• Houses where nobody lives when many are homeless
• Procrastination because of fear and worry
• Lack of focus when spreading yourself thinly
• Queuing – for anything
• Cars on the move with one passenger stuck in a traffic jam
• Energy worrying about things you can’t influence

A lot of the time, waste in many situations is preventable or reducible.

What is your biggest waste?

What is it costing you? Time, money, potential?

Waste of talent in business and in careers is scarily common too:

• Talented mothers leaving careers because of inflexible working practices
• Employees feeling disengaged because their skills are being underutilised or promotion prospects blocked
• Graduates doing a menial job because there can’t get one of a higher level
• Cruising in a dead end job because of lack of confidence or fear of change
What would you add?

No wonder self-employment and portfolio careers are growing!

Research recently got my brain ticking over faster than a lawnmower’s first outing in Spring. Employee churn is reducing, employee engagement reducing, stress increasing, trust in management declining.

So where are the policies for job redesign, where do portfolio careers fit in workforce planning? Where are the career conversations around an individual’s values? From the outside looking in, hasn’t the world of work as we know it passed its sell-by date?

Do you feel your talent is being wasted, for whatever reason?

If so, isn’t it time we talked? My job is a talent liberator; I do what it says on the tin. Get in touch. rachel@liberateyourtalent.com

For more insights and tips, follow us on twitter:
https://twitter.com/talentliberator

“It isn’t where you came from; it’s where you’re going that counts.”
Ella Fitzgerald

Have You Got Talent?

August 11, 2010 By // by DigitalJenIPC

Yesterday, my friend Angela said I should get rid of the ‘liberate your talent’ part of my Energise branding because it reminds people of ‘Has Britain got talent’ and the ‘X factor’. Talent is also the term used by companies for the key people they want to attract and keep, but the term has been hijacked by TV’s wannabes! Having built up my brand over thirteen years, I don’t really want to throw the baby out with the bathwater and re-experience labour pains; one lot of stitches is quite enough thank you!

Employee ‘Talent’ or human capital is a contentious debate provoking topic because everyone has talent, but many people think they don’t or it’s immodest to think/say that they do, different companies define it in different ways and we are all biased because of our own perception. Complex! Some companies define all employees as talent and others specific ‘high performers’ or ‘business critical skills’ vital for success or skills ‘in short supply.’

In our belt tightening times, a narrower definition of talent makes sense for financial reasons, but isn’t exactly carroty to engage all employees grafting doing 2 people’s jobs. After all, isn’t a class system a little outdated in 2010, and for people to perceive they are ‘not good enough’ when they are more than likely in my experience to create that conclusion themselves? So a good question to ask perhaps – are you talent, if not how could you be, or where could you work where you feel that you are? Tip – emotional resilience and a positive attitude are two things that employers are looking for, so grit those teeth and smile!

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