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With the recent passing of several beloved musicians, the words “legendary,” “iconic” and “genius” have become buzzwords. These famous people of extraordinary talent are known throughout the world; their passing has sparked grief, memorials and resurgence in listening to their music.
While it is an honor to be appreciated for talent, the reality is most of us will never see worldwide adulation. Often it’s a good day when there are minimal crises, clients and coworkers are mostly happy and you get to go home at a reasonable hour.
But what if you do find work opportunities that play to your talents? I don’t mean your skill set. I mean what if you considered what you do in the workplace as a talent instead of a paycheck?
Talent can be an elusive element. It can be intangible and sometimes evolutionary. Daniel Coyle, author of “The Talent Code,” says greatness isn’t born, it’s grown: “When you start thinking about talent as a process – life changes.”
If you have a predisposition to help others, it may be your talent. How you discover and foster that can determine if it is truly a talent. Musical greats, like Prince, are obsessive about their craft. To say they eat, breathe and live music is an understatement. That level of passion is not seen everyday, but that doesn’t lessen the importance of what you bring to the table. Passion is what makes the best employees.
Dr. Travis Bradberry’s “9 Things That Make Good Employees Quit” is a brilliant blog about maintaining employees. It’s a wake-up call to managers on how to keep quality employees, including the importance of encouraging passion. Bradberry’s sixth bullet point is about the importance of managers encouraging their talented employees’ passions: “Providing opportunities for them to pursue their passions improves their productivity and job satisfaction. But many managers want people to work within a little box. These managers fear that productivity will decline if they let people expand their focus and pursue their passions. This fear is unfounded. Studies show that people who are able to pursue their passions at work experience flow, a euphoric state of mind that is five times more productive than the norm.”
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Melissa Hardin Baysinger
