Core Strength
A highly successful independent technical specialist recently contacted me for help. His dilemma — he was bored and this left him anxious. My first question to him was: “If you were to hit the lottery, what would you be doing?” The answer to that question often reveals a person’s core signature strength. That strength is activated when the challenge you face matches your personal skills.
Greatest Skill
My client revealed that the most fulfilling time in his life was when he was a sales manager for a regional distributor. His ability to coach salespeople to high levels of achievement was his most rewarding challenge. That skill brought him the greatest career satisfaction and is, to this day. his signature strength.
Utilizing Strength
While my client is successful as a technical specialist, that work does not utilize his greatest strength. As the matrix above shows, he is challenged by the application of his technological skills, but his signature strength of coaching a sales team is not engaged. This leads to his boredom.
Syncing Challenge and Skill
As a youth, I discovered I was gifted in mathematics. This led me to study engineering. As a welding engineer, however, I wasn’t happy at a desk working on projects. While I was good at engineering, the job left me anxious. Fortunately, I met a man who recognized my greatest skill was in working with people. I took a position as a sales engineer with his company and, in short order, became a sales manager. Soon, I was promoted to vice president of sales. In that position, I used my signature strength of working with people. When my challenge and skill were in sync I found job fulfillment.
The Merger
Using programs I have developed, I am now teaching my technical client how to regain job fulfillment by employing his signature strength of coaching young sales leaders. There is no greater satisfaction in life, than using your signature strength to find a good challenge and merge it with your greatest skill.
Get tips and tricks like the above in The Art of Sales books. Or subscribe to the FREE monthly articles here.