Assisting Discovery

I believe everyone has a gift - a unique contribution that only they can make and I think as leaders it’s our responsibility to create environments that help people discover those gifts.

When people can see themselves in their work — when they’re in their sweet spot, everybody benefits.

People get a space to do their best work which makes their experience more fulfilling.

Enthusiastic, engaged employees pass on that energy to other employees, customers, and guests.

It’s not hard to see why this is great for the organization.

So it’s in everyone's best interests if we, employers, can help identify what moves someone's soul. Again, I believe it’s our responsibility. It’s one of the most important things we will do.

It’s also our responsibility to recognize when a person's gifts and highest contribution don’t align with the Mission, Vision, or Values of our organization.

Cultural fit is important to the health of an organization. Bad cultural fits will become toxic, and ultimately unhappy and frustrated at work.

Discouraged employees pass on that negativity to other employees, customers, and guests.

It’s not hard to see why this is problematic for the organization.

It’s important to note that identifying a bad cultural fit is not the same as identifying a bad person. It doesn’t mean you don’t like them, it’s not a mark on their character, and it doesn’t mean you don’t care about their well being.

It’s actually the opposite. It means you value them enough to be open and honest with them so they can find a place where they truly shine. Keeping people in a place where they can’t use their gifts or do their best work is selfish.

We avoid these conversations because they make us feel uncomfortable. We feel scared, ill-equipped, or even guilty because maybe this person has been struggling for a while and we’ve never brought it up before.

But these conversations are important - for the individual, for your team, for you. We don’t all fit in everywhere and that’s ok. It works both ways. Not only are they a bad fit for your organization but your organization is a bad fit for them.

This is written from the perspective of a business owner but this applies to friends and family as well. Get to know the people around you. Be a source of honesty for them. It might feel uncomfortable but sometimes the most important conversations are the ones we don’t want to have.