Maximising Performance
Recently, I walked into an electronics store and marvelled at all the new technology that has flooded our sense. One of the things that amazes me is the quality of images our televisions have these days. Instead of just HD TVs, we now have Ultra HD TVs, not to mention the LED, OLED, Plasma, and even Curved TVs. All of these new technologies promising us the next level of cinematic experience.
But the television, though fully capable of providing awesome images, wouldn’t be able to provide you the full cinematic experience on its own. For that to happen, we need to look at the whole value-chain to achieve the level of performance we expect.
Some of the things that we need to look at are:
- The Data Source – Blu-Ray Discs would give very different quality images from our classic VCDs, or even cassette tapes (remember those?)
- The Cables – If the cables are faulty, or connected wrongly, we will never get that fantastic movie up on that ultra clear TV!
- Audio System – Most TVs come with some speakers, but if you want that full experience, you may be looking at a surround sound system, or at least a sound bar that attempts to create the same effect.
What’s the point of the story here? For maximum performance, we need to ensure that every part of the value-chain is fully engaged, and as the idiom goes, we need to be firing on all cylinders.
Strengths Application
How does this relate to application of strengths?
Imagine if there is a piston that wasn’t firing, or a critical component of a system (such as the cables for our television system) that wasn’t working at fully, what would happen to performance?
What if each of your talent theme is equivalent to an engine piston, or a critical system component? How is your performance affected if just one of your talent theme isn’t engage?
We can maximise our performance when we find ways to fully engage as many talent themes as possible. Often times, we may be content to use just one or two talent themes, but there is a danger. There is a high chance if some of your talent themes are underused, that other themes are being overused. And that isn’t going to really maximise performance.
If you were playing out of a VCD, no amount of tweaking on the television controls is going to give you HD Quality images.
Here are some simple steps that you can take right now to make things even better:
- Think about a particular situation/task at home or at work.
- Look through your StrengthsFinder Report and identify which talent themes are being used, and which are not
- Brainstorm and come up with 1-2 things you could do to leverage on the talents which are not being used
- Commit to taking these steps, and share the plan with someone so you are accountable
Share your thoughts below, and the action steps you are committing to take. You may just find the support you need on this community here.
Take Strengths Application Even Further!
The StrengthsFinder Reports are an excellent starting point for self-awarenes and understanding strengths, but it is really only the start of the journey. If you would like to maximise your performance, click here to find out how coaching can help you!
Get more information about StrengthsFinder by visiting http://gallupstrengthscenter.com
