Hate Your Job?

More than 500,000 people have taken Gallup's StrengthsFinder assessment to identify and begin exploring their talents and strengths. But what comes next? Once people have discovered their greatest areas of talent -- their Signature Themes -- how can they use that knowledge to trade miserable, unproductive jobs for flourishing, fulfilling careers? And how can managers help their employees grow rather than stagnate? We asked Kenneth A. Tucker, Gallup consultant, speaker, writer, and expert on talents and strengths, to give us his thoughts.

GMJ: How do you define a talent, and how is it different from a strength?

Kenneth A. Tucker: A talent is a recurring pattern of thought, feeling, and behavior that can be productively applied. A strength, on the other hand, is the ability to provide consistent, near-perfect performance in a given activity. To build a talent into a strength, you must take your talents -- your innate abilities -- and refine them with knowledge and skills.

GMJ: Can you illustrate this?

Tucker: Sure. Think for a moment about someone you know who is a good public speaker. Many talents may contribute to her success. She may be highly Analytical, always asking why or thinking about what she will say in a given situation or how she will answer possible questions. If Communication is among her Signature Themes, she will likely translate her great discoveries into word pictures that will vividly communicate her thoughts to her audience. By starting with her innate talents, learning her craft, and practicing, practicing, practicing until she can consistently deliver flawless presentations, she can build her speaking talent into a true strength.

GMJ: What if I hate the job I'm in right now?

Tucker: Ask yourself, "Why do I stay in this job?" Often, the answer is that we lack the courage to change our lives. Even when we're in roles that initially challenged, fulfilled, or satisfied us, as our talents develop, they will push us to stretch and grow in new ways. So when our roles no longer suit our talents or strengths, the question to ask is not "What I should do?" or "How should I use my strengths?" Instead, the question is "Am I ready to risk moving on so my talents may grow?"

GMJ: How do I know what role is right for me? Maybe I'm in the right role, but I'm just ready for new challenges.

Tucker: When you think about your talents or when you're doing an activity that you are good at and enjoy, what thoughts pop into your mind? Take note of those thoughts, because they hint at what the next level, the next step, or even the next role may be for you. When you find yourself using your talents, look for clues about what new tasks or roles you could undertake that would fully express who you are.

Long before I realized I had a talent for speaking, I'd sit in an audience, thinking, "Why is this person intentionally boring me? He should have said it this way, or she could have said it that way." I'd think of all kinds of ways to present the material more effectively. But I was not a speaker then; I was 17 years old. By the time I was 17 ½, the urge became so pressing that I started to speak publicly myself. Why? Because for years as I listened to speakers and edited and refashioned their words into a more effective delivery, I was preparing myself for the next step. Our strengths tell us what our next step should be.

GMJ: OK, what's my next step?

Tucker: Ask yourself, "What are the talents that help me to be most successful?" We can start by thinking about the talents that people see in us, perhaps long before we recognize them ourselves. Other people notice things about us -- they remember that he's a funny guy or that she's dependable. They remember that this person has incredible intuition or that another person makes sound decisions after careful deliberation. These clues should help us consider roles that allow us to express our talents -- roles that will give us great satisfaction.

Don Clifton, one of Gallup's greatest authorities on strengths, often says, "Talents develop in direct relationship to other people." When people get to know us, they learn about our talents, and they rely on and value them. And as people come to know and appreciate our talents, those talents become integral to our relationship with them.

GMJ: Give me an example.

Tucker: Think about your circle of friends. When you have a particular need, you find yourself calling one of those friends before all the others. Why is that? Because you depend on a talent that she has. For example, you know whom to call when you have a problem to solve. Why? Because you know this friend will have great ideas -- springing from her Ideation talents -- and she can always see the best route to solving your problem -- a result of her Strategic talents.

Now, turn that around. Think about why others turn to you. What special qualities do you possess that are most valuable to others? What outstanding characteristics do your friends know about who you are? Are you particularly talented in Individualization -- the ability to understand the unique qualities in each person you meet? Are you a talented Developer who sees the potential in others? Perhaps you are an exceptional Activator who inspires action. The answers will give you clues to your talents. Looking at yourself through the eyes of those who know you best can help you discover your strengths.

GMJ: How can managers encourage their employees to grow in their roles?

Tucker: Great managers hold up the mirror for their employees. Every day, they make it their mission to catch their employees doing what they do best. In that crucial moment, a manager will hold up a mirror so an employee can see himself, then say, "Look at your face when you do this! What do you feel? Is it a sense of contentment, a sense of fulfillment, a sense that this is why you were placed here on earth?" Or they can hold up a mirror and ask, "Look at the faces of your coworkers. What expressions do you see on their faces as they watch you do this? They're saying, 'What a great example -- I wish I could do that.' They're saying, 'You're so valuable when you do that.'"

GMJ: How do managers confront employees who are miserable -- who are in the wrong roles?

Tucker: They will hold up the mirror again, this time to help that employee understand he may not want to continue in his role. Why? Because when he looks in the mirror, he can see that he isn't enjoying himself; he can see that his role aggravates and irritates him. Likewise, when he looks at the faces of the people he interacts with, their faces reveal disappointment. He'll see that they're unsure about him -- that he's ill fitted for his role and that he frustrates them.

Managers must also hold up a mirror when an employee is convinced that she's doing great, when in actuality, she's not. This can be the most effective and least confrontational way to help her understand that this role is not a good fit for her.

Too often when people keep struggling in roles that don't fit them, it's because they don't know it or won't admit it. Often, it's because they've been taught that they should keep working on their weaknesses, even though their persistence frustrates them and irritates others. Great managers give employees a chance to admit that they are miserable -- that they are in a role they don't enjoy or do well. They can help their employees stop struggling and help them move on.

-- Interviewed by Barb Sanford