What’s the most important ability?
As I spend time talking with executives on strategic talent initiatives, conversations range from “what’s essential for someone in this role?” to “how do we develop this person’s ability to…?”
One of the models we use in Predictive Index is that the whole person shows up at work, which includes what’s inside (values/character), what’s in our minds (drives/cognitive capacity), and what we can do (skills/experience). It’s this third component where we look do develop one’s abilities through training, mentoring, challenging assignments and the like.
I was listening to sports radio (again) this week and what caught my attention was this discussion on ability, specifically…
Reliability
Dependability
Availability
Responsibility
etc.
It was in the context that an athlete’s ability to perform on the field is one thing, but how they carry themselves off the field is another. Do they show up? Are they engaged? Are they knuckleheads out on their own time? How these other “abilities” emerge matters a great deal to the value of their ability to play their sport.
I’d argue these same abilities matter to everyday folk like you and me as well. Our knowledge, skills, and experience matter little if we can’t consistently bring it to our organizations, teammates, partners, and customers.
Do you believe that? How do you recognize that in your own people? What value gets placed on that in your culture? How do you look for that in people that you want to join your team?
(Sounds like another “ability”…)