Last week I asked the question – What are you Truly Capable of?
Don’t worry if you still haven’t answered it, help is at hand.
In this episode a little patience might be needed. It’s so important to keep away from thinking about roles at this stage. The focus should be on what you can offer and how you can develop. Just focusing on a particular role and potentially limiting your development is summed up in the picture.
During the last few years, I’ve asked this question many times to different individuals and groups – Business owners and employees. I’ve asked it many times to myself. Not easy to answer off the top of your head!
A common answer to, What are you truly capable of is, that you’re more capable than you actually think. For many others, they think about a future state where their capabilities could be used and valued. A state where they can thrive, influence, share leadership, encourage others to carry the baton. Where their satisfaction and sense of achievements are much more than any title or even financial reward. At this point they align their capabilities – current and to be developed – to a state or environment. This highlights a gap and then the process of belief, motivation, challenge and planning starts.
So how have people been answering this question? Thinking of that future state, where they could thrive and utilise their capabilities, they generally answer the question in the following way:
I want to be someone who:
- is an integral part of bringing real, tangible and necessary change.
- Is always connected to the purpose I work for and close to the people it benefits.
- an organisation will look to when it needs to overcome the hardest of challenges.
- Is trusted to develop the future, deliver change and help people to overcome their fears.
- teams and individuals want to engage with because of the way I bring objectivity, positivity and facilitate open & honest discussions.
- is seen as an educator and who people want to learn from. I’m seen as someone who shares knowledge and simplifies complexity.
- Is seen as someone who always raises the bar, whether it’s creating strategy or helping to improve the way we operate.
- has the courage and freedom to challenge what’s not working and offer myself as part of any solution.
- people want to invest in. It’s not only what I deliver, but how I deliver it.
- creates an environment where anyone can learn, develop and feel valued.
Do some of the answers resonate with you?
How far away are you from bringing these into your working life?
A slightly different question to a SME Business owner or leader:
What is the Business really capable of?
How do your current capabilities match with the answer to this question?
Once you’ve being through this exercise you can start to see a gap between this future state and where you currently are.
The next episode will focus on planning a transition for yourself. How do you draw a baseline, utilise the skills you have and developing capabilities to help you get to that future state? A practical advice episode, where you will have the chance to hear my warm Yorkshire accent.
The Metamorphosis series is aimed at helping people working in organisations covering first time roles to mid-career employees. It also designed to help Business owners continuously develop their skills to deliver personal and business growth.
Thanks for reading.
Gary