A guide to working with talent development through leadership.
Here you have a guide on how to work with talent development through leadership.
Ric Jakobsen
28. March 2023
What can I use a talent test for?
Are you in doubt as to whether you are getting the desired benefit of your potential, then read along here. It gives you a language so that you can explain to others what your competencies are best used for.
By Per Bergfors
Per has 20 years of experience within management, sales and marketing in companies. I also work as Assistant Professor at CBS, and therefore have solid experience as educator and communicator.
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What can a talent test do?
7 min. reading time
Are you certain, that you are using your talents and competencies in the right way? If you are in doubt, as to whether or not you are using your potential appropriately, then read along here about the talent test, that gives you a language for where you are most effective, engaged and motivated.
A TalentIndicator test is a personality test, that uncovers what thought patterns you have preferences for. We uncover your neurological patterns, and on the basis of them, we describe your expected behaviour. Many psychological tests do it the opposite way, you describe your behaviour, and then they describe the reasonings behind it. The TalentIndicator test is ipsative in structure, it uncovers your potential by always giving you equal dilemmas to take into account. This also means that every test is unique and shows the special talent profile specifically for you. You shouldn’t be measured in relation to others. You are your very own talent.
Know your talents
Many people don’t know, what their talents are. Or maybe they know some of their talents. Actually, studies show that it is less than 1/3 of us, that know our talents. This means that we aren’t exactly sure about what tasks we are the best at solving.
The consequence is that we often end up spending a large amount of our time on completing work, that does not motivate us and that could just as well be done by somebody else. It does not create the best results. Neither for our own satisfaction, nor for the workplace. A talent test is an effective shortcut to getting to the core of your potential and showing how you reach work satisfaction.
At TalentInsights we work with the TalentIndicator test when when we are coaching to create self insight, self worth and putting words on how you get into flow. We find what brings you meaning and what is important to you. When we put words on your thought patterns, we make it easier to find the areas where your self worth will blossom the most.
Are you using the crucial 20% of your potential?
Do you know yourself well? Most people will answer yes, because we know our name, age, joys and sorrows. But what about your potential? If you know yourself well, you might have access to 80% of your potential and have success with that. It is just the last 20%, that will make the difference for you.
It is the hidden talents, that will give you deeper meaning and real success. It is the 20% that will get you to be understood clearly and it is this part of you, that the world wants to see more of. And it is often in the middle of life that the last 20% begin to press on. It is here, we get the feeling of emptiness and experience that we are missing something. We long for being whole.
When we advise leaders, consultants, coaches and self employed, it is therefore always bout becoming knowledgable of your talents first. This is why we start with a talent test. When you know your talents, then you know who you are.
What is a talent test
The talent test is a comprehensive scientific and well documented tool based on Gallup International and Marcus Birmingham 25 + years of research in talents. The talents are an expression for potential – which means the areas, where you will be able to develop yourself quicker.
The talents are an expression for, how your brain is put together and works. In the brain there is something called synapses. The synaps is the point of overlap between two nerve cells (neurons), where in one neuron communicates with the next neuron. The talent is created where you have the strongest synapses connected. Do we get assignments where we can use these areas, then we find them easy, fun and exciting. If we get assignments that fall outside of these areas, it becomes hard work, that for the most part demotivates us. But the ability to use your talents appropriately develops itself your entire life.
This is why within strength based coaching we work with developing and strengthening your specific talent package. We all have plenty of talents, the question is whether we manage them appropriately and if we even know about them.
Why is it so important to know your talents?
To create success and happiness in your everyday life, your ability to use your talents will be important. Research shows that, when we have our talents in play, we experience that our work is meaningful while at the same time creating the best results.
The lates global satisfaction measuremenets that Gallup does, shows that only 17% of the workforce goes to work and feel that they use at least 2 of their talents to solve their work assignments. The number has been decreasing the last year and shows that many people are having a hard time finding happiness and satisfaction in the workplace.
That is the most important reasoning for you knowing your talents. It gives you insight into finding a meaningful job.
You can get to know your talents through a talent test.
The talent test shows you where you are strong, motivated and engaged. You get a personal description of what characterizes your talents. Your unique combination of talents shows where you have something special to contribute with and what assignments you will find easy to work with. A talent test gives you a language as to what you are best at and what you cannot stop doing.
Most people tell us this after a talent test: I knew intuitively, that this is where I am best – I just couldn’t find the words for it. We have completed many talent tests where we afterwards have helped formulate the sum of the top talents. As people we are not only one talent, we combine them in relation to what gives the most meaning.
In connection with job searching we worked with these 2 examples:
A person with the talents: connecting, innovative, targeted, charming, responsible and inclusive as top 6, chose to describe themselves as
“With me, you get a very social employee who finds joy in including. I’m good at coming up with new opportunities and good innovative ideas, because I think alot of the best solution to a given problem, but also wish to learn new things constantly. Personally I am very targeted and focused, I know where I want to go, and I gladly take responsibility for things underway. I enjoy responsibility”
A person with the talents: trouble-shooting, positive, researching, inquiring, targeted and analyzing as their top 6, chose to describe themselves as
“It is natural for me to quickly get an overview. I do this by asking questions to understand – This makes it easier for me to make decisions on solutions, that are based on a more secure foundation”.
The wish to describe your talents in order for a stranger to quickly get an overview of who you are, not professionally, but in the way you manage and use your subject knowledge. Then it will become easier to decide whether there is a fit between the person and job role.
A TalentIndicator with feedback of a certified coach gives you...
Overview of your specific talent package – You get all 34 talenter sorted, prioritized and categorized in a reader friendly and understandable way.
Basic understanding of where you use your talents optimally and in what development directions are in front of you. How do you create the best balance between the use of your talents, being used as labor and at the same time making you more and more valuable.
Your strengths and blindspots – What and how can you use your combination of talents to developing strengths that are unique for you, how will you differentiate yourself in relation to others on the job market or how you otherwise use your talents. Blindspots, what is easiest for you to overlook, when will you make decisions on too lose of a foundation, when should you look for help, what assignments can you not say no to. All aspects that help you with creating satisfaction and minimizing stress and frustration.
Understanding of your hidden talents, and where you have development potential – What talents are in your package, just waiting on being used but haven’t had the ability yet. How can you supplement your active talents with these new possibilities? In what situations and connections will they be able to help you? Everyone wishes for development, here you get insight into what, how and where you will have the most benefit. This is development of you as a resource person in balance.
Larger self insight into how you manage yourself best – the most valuable insight is self insight. On the basis of the TalentIndicator report, you can put words on yourself, you can form a development plan if you wish, you can set the framework for what you want and what you want to develop towards.
Are you ready to understand your potential on a new level?
We work with advising ambitious people to understand, who they are, so that they can recreate the strength and satisfaction. You are always welcome to contact us and our certified partners and hear bout, how we can advise you to create a meaningful career and get success in the work life.
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