Need a solution to a problem?
Find someone on your team with the talent theme of Restorative™. The short definition of this theme is:
People especially talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.*
Not only are they adept at solving problems – they can get energy from it!
The talent theme of Restorative ranks #9 of the 34 themes, occurring in 18% of the population. It most commonly occurs with Responsibility® and rarely is found with Maximizer®. How wonderful for our world that there are so many with a feeling of responsibility to find solutions to our problems!
The trouble with all talents is…
The trouble starts when Restorative is not recognized as a talent. Heck, that is the trouble with all talents.
- We don’t appreciate them:
“What? A talent? That was easy to do.”
- We can’t see them:
“Doesn’t everyone see or do it this way?”
- We don’t own or develop them:
“Sigh…there is always something to be fixed.”
Are you a natural problem solver – in leadership and in life?
This last part is where Restorative, unidentified, begins to get a bad rap. Known as a “Negative Nellie”, a person strong in Restorative may be tagged as:
- Always focused on weaknesses
- Critical
- Punitive
If your natural tendency is to solve problems, what do you think you look for? Problems! See number 2 above.
Put your natural problem-solving talents to work for your team!
Now before you go all Negative Nellie on me, remember that Restorative as a strength, known and cultivated, sounds like this:
- Problem solver
- Troubleshooter
- Finds improvements and solutions
Aware that Restorative is a natural talent, you can actively put it to work and share it with others.
What happens when you contrast Restorative with Maximizer? Maximizer is defined as:
People especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
Think about what an incredible team Restorative and Maximizer could make, with Maximizer benefitting from the troubleshooting side of Restorative. Yet, a lack of awareness of either of these natural talents is certain to lead to clashes at the table!
Capitalize on everyone’s natural talents and watch the magic happen.
Or Strategic™:
People especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
“Quickly” might result in Strategic moving a little too fast and overlooking potential problems. Restorative might also have an improvement for the path forward.
It always comes back to an awareness and appreciation of natural talents. Each of us experiences the world through a unique lens determined primarily by our top 5 talent themes. What could knowing your top 5 reveal for you?
What if your team knew the talents that were gathered around the table? Then, the clashes would transform into the magic of increased productivity, innovative problem-solving, creative new ideas…and so much more!
Check out the presentation or workshop on Talent at the Table: Real World Strategies that Accelerate Your Performance.
*The Clifton Strengths® Assessment and references to each of the 34 theme names are trademarks of Gallup, Inc.