Finding Your 10 Talent Area
A while back we discussed the danger of wearing too many hats in your business. Doing so will ultimately hurt your business, not help it. This is because some of those hats (areas of your business) are not your favorite, so your heart’s not fully in it when working at them. And let’s face it, chances are you’re probably not the best at doing them either.
Give those hats to someone else more suited to the task. Then you’ll be free to pursue those areas in business you like, the ones you’re really good at…UNLESS YOU’RE NOT SURE WHAT THEY ARE.
It is important for us to be motivated in our business, to like what we do…and be good at it! That’s a necessary quality of every successful business owner. But do you know what you’re good at? Really good at?
A good friend of mine recently wrote a book on business that explores that very topic. He refers to it as Finding Your Ten Talent Area…ten being best. He says that your Ten Talent Area is that God-given ability that has been with you all your life. You use it constantly without realizing it, and you are better at it than anybody you know…or will know. There may be some that are as good in the general talent area where you shine, he says, but in your specific Ten Talent Area, you’re Michael Jordan.
Once you find out what your Ten Talent Area is, you can confidently begin to use it more often, more focused, and in even more areas of your business, increasing productivity and your chances for success.
Here are some highlights from the book that you will find helpful in finding your “10.”
• Your Ten Talent Area is not what you have been trained to do. It can get better through use, but it just comes naturally.
• You have been able to do this all your life. It is second nature to you.
• You use some form of this in overcoming challenges at work, home, or school.
• You even used this as a youth to help get you out of trouble with teachers and parents.
• You may not even realize you have this talent…but others do. Ask them.
• Your Ten Talent Area may not always seem practical (at least on the surface), but you find a way to use it in many situations.
• When you find your “10” don’t get a big head because EVERYONE HAS ONE and it’s personalized.
TIPS TO FINDING YOUR TEN TALENT AREA: What can you do that most others around you can’t, or that takes them 4x longer to do? What talents did you use that helped you achieve your previous two successes? Your answers will at least get you into the ballpark where your “10” is. Now for some thinking, dreaming, praying, the light will soon come on. You can thank me later.
What is my Ten Talent Area? Well, my friend says it’s my ability to clearly visualize the goal, product, or end result I want to achieve, and then organize all the tasks it takes to make it happen. This comes in pretty handy when I’m looking at an empty warehouse I need to convert to another fully operational Landscape Warehouse location. Now if I could only get someone like Michael Jordan to help me install these high shelves, then I can move on to my next business goal.
– José Robles, owner, Landscape Warehouse