Discover and nurture hidden talent

Is success in formal education a talent for all? Are excellent National Examinations Certificates and professions in prestigious fields like law, medicine and engineering the only talents among achievers? NO. I recently had a conversation that blew my mind with two friends. One of them, currently a very successful web designer and computer savvy, said that he graduated with a Bachelors in Business Administration which he had to ditch to make a career in the ICT field. His love for computers dragged him into the ICT world. He has never attended a web design school but he is among the finest web developers. The second friend of mine did Electronics Engineering which earned him his first job after graduation. He found it boring and resigned to pursue his childhood passion- drawing. He is among the best graphic designers in Kigali city now. Whether or not our education systems have failed to identify and develop hidden talents is not my interest today. My interest is how people can identify and take advantage of their hidden talents. When people choose careers in life, the decision is based less on their talents than on immediate need for income. The earlier the talents are discovered and nurtured, the better the outcomes. Tom Rath suggests very simple procedures of discovering hidden talents as follows; First, think back to early successes and times of great enjoyment. Don’t be afraid to dredge up memories that go far back in the past. The standing ovation from your classmates for that solo you sang in your high school choir, for instance, might be the last time that you used your musical talent before it languished in a career that didn’t require that aptitude. Or how about that heroic moment when you caught a pass in the end zone and won the game for your college football team? Too bad your talent in sports wasn’t needed later in life. Or in your first job, you may have wowed the boss with your ability to speak French to a group of visiting clients — only to spend the rest of your career in areas where language talents weren’t necessary. Write a list of the talents that you haven’t used for many years. As you write the list, some will come to mind that you haven’t even thought of in quite a long time. Ask close friends and relatives about your talents. Others often see our strengths more clearly than we do. If you have any doubts about this, just think about your own friends and the talents that they fail to take advantage of. Friends who knew you early in life can be especially helpful. Finally, try things that you’ve never done before but perhaps always wanted to; for example, working on a political campaign, doing volunteer work or writing for a newsletter. New activities often reveal talents and interests that have remained dormant for a long time. Nurturing Talents Take lessons. In doing volunteer work, for example, you may discover a talent for leadership. In that case, classes at a local business school could be a way to hone your aptitude. Once nurtured, leadership ability could lead to starting your own volunteer organization or even a profitable consulting business. Get expert input. No matter which talent you want to nurture, you probably know people with the same interest who can offer advice. Mentoring by experts can help you to sharpen and refine your talents even more. If you were once talented in sports, for example, talk with friends who have been involved in sports, such as amateur or professional athletes, high school coaches or employees at a local gym. They’ll almost certainly have advice on how to get back into the game — perhaps as a player on a senior circuit or as a coach to an amateur team. Make a smart move. Consider the experts who advise you as potential partners in a business. If you want to nurture a talent for gardening, for example, your friends might recommend that you speak with a local nurseryman. If the two of you hit it off, you might suggest teaming up to start a landscaping business. Professionals in careers along their talents are always the best. Identifying and nurturing talents is turning the world. znyamosi@yahoo.com