One of my greatest talents is recognizing talent in others and giving them the forum to shine.—Tory Burch
Last week we asked if the happy factor was part of your magic dust. Was this hard to answer? Did you think about your general disposition and how you view life? Perhaps you considered whether you think more about the negatives in your world than the positives?
How you view the world is likely to be impacted by your magic dust. (For those that missed it, we suggested thinking of magic dust in terms of what you’re good at, what comes easy to you, your unique skills and abilities, and what you enjoy doing.)
Remember the Johari Window? It consists of four window panes:
OPEN: This is our conscious self – our attitudes, behaviors, motivation, values, way of life – not only are we are aware of them, but they are also known to others.
HIDDEN: Our hidden areas are not known to others unless we choose to share them.
BLIND: There are things about ourselves which we do not know, but that others see. (This is when feedback is invaluable).
UNKNOWN: We and others are not aware of what falls in this quadrant. Sometimes something new reveals itself. Ex. Art, sports, or other new talents and skills are discovered.
Give thought to the 4 window panes:
- What magic dust is known to both you and others?
- Do you have a talent/skill that is only known by you? Is there a reason to not share it?
- Have you ever received feedback or been told you have a special skill or add value in a way that was a surprise to you?
- For those that have gone through the 363 feedback process, are your “self ratings” aligned with the ratings provided by others? Were there any surprises?
Now think about colleagues and your immediate boss – can you identify their magic dust? What makes them stand out? Take a few minutes to think about what you view as their special skills and talents.
If you’re comfortable doing so, share your thoughts with them. You may have the ability to enlighten them and expand their “open” window!
It’s good to test yourself and develop your talents and ambitions as fully as you can and achieve greater success; but I think success is the feeling you get from a job well done, and the key thing is to do the work.—Peter Thiel