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Most types of sports equipment—a golf club, a tennis racket, a baseball bat—have a certain spot that, if the ball hits it, will give the player the optimal result. Hitting this sweet spot yields a long drive down the fairway, a swift crosscourt return, or a home-run swing.
If you have experienced it, you know that when you hit the sweet spot, you barely feel it. The ball goes exactly where you want it to go—even farther and faster than you’d imagined. Doesn’t get any better than that!
As a healthy leader, you have a huge opportunity to help your employees find their professional sweet spots. This ensures the “highest and best use” of their talents.
Wouldn’t you love having every team member working in his or her sweet spot and being perfectly fitted to their jobs? They would more often get into “the zone,” and work would feel like play. Coach your team members to find their sweet spots by asking two simple questions:
- What are you passionate about?
(e.g., company culture, your industry, community service, new technology, connecting people, solving problems, the environment, generating wealth, family, sports, arts, product design, consumer psychology, etc.) - Which tasks are very easy and natural for you to perform?
(e.g., analyzing data, managing people, coordinating projects, improving processes, creative design, serving clients, selling, team building, delivering presentations, etc.)
Most of us vividly remember the moment we found our professional sweet spot. Was there an instance when someone told you that you made it look easy, that you really excelled, that you looked like you were having a blast? Think of a time when you were at your best and others made comments like these. What were you doing?
Help your team members find the intersection between their answers to these questions and the roles and tasks at hand—that’s their sweet spot. Discuss these questions with your employees to help them find a place of mastery that will serve them and your team well.
