Bookmark Website  | Free Registration  | The Team
The Lounge  | Champions  | The Wire |  Schedule |  Audio  |  Arcade  |  The Top Ten  |  Historical  |  Email  |  Video

Maximizing Your Potential by Definition


Someone once pointed out to me that in many of my presentations focusing on my theme, Maximizing Your Potential, I did not define potential specifically. Allow me to do so now.

Whenever I refer to potential and how to make the best of it, I'm referring to the God-given abilities, skills, and talents we have. Specifically, our skills fall into three categories, and only three. There are those we use with people, those we use with things, and those we use with information.

A. Borrowing from Mr. Richard Nelson Bolles' book, What Color Is Your Parachute?, here are 13 basic skills we use with people:

· Speaking or listening to others so as to convey or receive information. (Communicating)

· Influencing others by our words or actions. (Persuading)

· Showing sensitivity to the feelings of others. (Sensing)

· Favoring the implicit or explicit needs of others. (Serving)

· Caring for others by using specified techniques or approaches to improve their physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual problem. (Treating)

· Giving expert advice or recommendations based on our own area of expertise. (Advising)

· Paying attention to instructions and then carrying out the prescribed action. (Taking instructions)

· Monitoring behavior and coordinating it in order to achieve organizational objectives. (Managing/Supervising)

· Recognizing and utilizing the skills of others. (Leading)

· Arriving at an individual or jointly agreed-upon decision usually through discussion and compromise. (Negotiating/deciding)

· Exhibiting showmanship for fun, laughter, or entertainment. (Entertaining/Amusing)

· Dealing with the problems of others in the context of their total self while helping them to identify and resolve them through self-directed action. (Counseling)

· Giving new information or ideas to people through lecture, demonstration, or practice. (Training)

B. When it comes to dealing with information, we use our skills 15 different ways. Here they are:

We investigate, detect, compile, and classify information by means of research. (Researching)

· We examine two or more people or objects in order to learn about and react to their similarities and dissimilarities. (Comparing)

· We study the behavior of people, animals, or things, or the details of a particular phenomenon or place. (Observing)

· We perceive and define cause-and-effect relations. (Analyzing)

· We deal with numbers in performing simple or complex arithmetic. (Computing)

· We give a definite structure and working order to things. (Organizing)

· We inspect, diagnose, test, and evaluate information, people, or things. (Evaluating)

· We take what others have developed and apply it to new situations often in a new form. (Improving/adapting)

· We transform apparently unrelated things or ideas by forming them into a new cohesive whole. (Creating)

· We fashion or shape things. (Designing)

· We conceive shapes or sounds by perceiving their patterns and structures and we enable others to see them, too. (Visualizing)

· We record, memorize, or reproduce on paper or in the mind. (Copying, Storing, Retrieving)

· We determine the sequence of tasks after reviewing pertinent data or requirements. (Planning, Developing)

· We systematically accomplish tasks in a manner that causes objectives to be attained or surpassed. (Achieving)

· We speed up the accomplishment of a task or series of tasks so as to reach an organizational objective on or ahead of time. (Expediting)

C. Finally, let's look at the skills we use with things. We do so by:

· using our body as an instrument of accomplishment. (Being athletic)

· using our hands or body to identify or move an object. (Handling)

· manipulating hand tools. (Using Tools)

· monitoring, adjusting, and servicing automatic machines. (Minding Machines)

· performing some or all operations upon an office, shop, or other machine or equipment. (Operating Machine or Equipment)

· performing some or all operations upon a vehicle. (Operating a Vehicle)

· putting materials into or taking them out of machines. (Feeding, Emptying Machines)

· using earth as an instrument of accomplishment. (Working with Earth and Nature)

· preparing, building, installing, and displaying machinery or equipment. (Setting Up Displays, Machinery, or Equipment)

· attaining precise set of limits, tolerance, or standards. (Precision Working)

· putting an object back into good working condition or similar to its original condition. (Preparing)

I encourage you to inventory the skills that have brought you success and satisfaction. Then look for creative ways to emphasize them. When you do, you'll be maximizing your potential.

Remember: When you maximize your potential, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in ezines, newsletters, and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Although advance permission is not required, please notify us at eagibbs@ureach.com when you use this article.

Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Management Consultant and Trainer, conducts seminars, lectures, and writes articles on his theme: ... helping you maximize your potential. He offers management, marketing, and parenting resources at http://www.MaximizingYourPotential.blogspot.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Chiefs suffer from lack of respect, not motivation
Kansas City Star, MO - 20 hours ago
It means the Chiefs don’t have to look far for motivation this season. Herm Edwards won’t have to spend much time preparing his pregame speeches. ...


Motivation, Mockery and the Power Business Ballad
Workforce Management, Ca - 4 hours ago
As far back as 1915, businesses used corporate songs as team-building and motivational tools. Today, the tradition continues, sometimes spontaneous and on ...


Times Online

Djokovic Feels Fine, and That's Motivation Enough Against Roddick
Washington Post, United States - Sep 4, 2008
By Liz Clarke Whether real or imagined, Novak Djokovic's list of ailments was so long just two days ago that Andy Roddick couldn't help but poke fun. ...
Angry Djokovic exacts revenge on Roddick CNN International
Novak Djokovic defeats Andy Roddick to set up semi-final showdown ... Telegraph.co.uk
Djokovic, angered by Roddick, beats him at US Open The Associated Press
Sports betting previews - Tennis-X.com
all 2,858 news articles


Motivation freeze gets extensions
The Gazette (Montreal), Canada - Sep 6, 2008
... 22 a 90-day freeze order against Productions Action Motivation Inc. at the request of provincial securities watchdog Autorité des marchés financiers. ...


New York Daily News

Ex-Publicist: 'Money Was Heather Mills Motivation For Marrying Sir ...
Gigwise, UK - 14 hours ago
by Jason Gregory Heather Mills former publicist Michele Elyzabeth has claimed that money was behind her client’s marriage to Sir Paul McCartney. ...
Heather Mills former publicist calls Mills 'a liar and a gold digger' Melbourne Herald Sun
Heather Mills' ex-publicist calls her 'gold-digging witch' who ... Daily Mail
Heather Mills' former publicist: 'She's a gold-digger' New York Daily News
Fametastic - News of the World
all 36 news articles


Vancouver Sun

Giant upset puts motivation’s at Pats’ fingertips
Boston Herald, United States - Sep 4, 2008
By Gerry Callahan The ball stayed there on the side of David Tyree’s helmet like it was attached with Velcro, a play so strange and fluky that it still ...
These guys are only motivated not to look back Boston Globe
Colts, Chargers set to dominate in Week One Desert Valley Times
We’re just saying…kicking off the Patriots' season KeepMEcurrent.com
Colts.com - Boston Globe
all 178 news articles


Theatre, the latest motivational tool
Economic Times, India - Sep 6, 2008
Theatre serves many purposes, one of the primary ones being motivation. A recent theatre workshop showed the medium is fast becoming a potent motivation ...


Find motivation in these pages
Pasadena Star-News, CA - Sep 6, 2008
By Michelle J. Mills, Staff Writer Need some motivation? You might want to pick up "Utmost Living: Creating and Savoring Your Best Life Now" (Harmony Books, ...


Blind ignorance ties judo champ in knots
The Australian, Australia - 12 hours ago
THERE will be extra motivation behind the 90kg frame of Australia's sole judo representative Anthony Clarke, when he takes to the mats tomorrow. ...


ABC News

Hillary Clinton’s New Motivation
Forbes, NY - Aug 31, 2008
Now, she will have added personal motivation. Look to see Hillary pounding the campaign trail, hoping to fend off Palin’s bid to take what she views as ...
Palin's power boost Denver Post
Palin power energizes Colorado Springs Rocky Mountain News
No, No Sexism at All National Review Online Blogs
all 905 news articles

Motivation - Google News


Advertisement



Section Site Map - Submit News - Feedback - Comments - Advertise with Us

Copyright © 2006 Luminati Inc. All rights reserved.