New research highlights how important the idea of “talent” has become in the business world.  It is no longer a concern of the more progressive HR departments; trends indicate that it has become a key business issue that executives are paying close attention to. 

An annual survey of executives by the Aberdeen Group shows that over the past year talent planning has risen from tenth to second on the list of top ten business issues that companies are facing today.  This is really striking to me.  What I’ve encountered, however, is that executives can’t agree on what “talent”  really mean (beyond a superficial synonym for “our people”).

What do you think-why do we have trouble defining talent?

Simple question:  Which is most important to success, talent or hard work?

There is a classic debate about muscle and perspiration vs. brilliance and natural intelligence.  Natural ability is certainly a tremendous help, at least it is an advantage.  Yet I’ve seen quite a few examples of really gifted people who didn’t have the right opportunities, or they didn’t apply themselves, or they squandered what they had through bad choices.

Hard work to me seems indispensable.  You cannot do without it, unless you are riding a mighty wave that is carrying you along.  The problem is what do you do when the wave plays out before you’ve reached your desired destination?  Without hard work, your wave riding is done!  So, success really is a lot about hard work and not quitting until you reach your goal. 

It’s really a false choice to try and decide which is more important.  If you have little talent, you’re going to need a lot of hard work and heart.  If you have a lot of talent, you’re going to need at least a little hard work in order to get a shot at success.  The more hard work you put in, the better rewards you’ll reap.

Let’s avoid the false choice.  The real key to success is an appropriate mix of talent AND hard work.

Today I saw a great example of someone who at peace and very effective in his selling.  It started with a visit to the Taos Pueblo in northern New Mexico on New Year’s Day. 

Walking among the snow and slush and enjoying the crisp, clear day, my family and I were there to witness the once a year Turtle Dance.  After waiting a while with no dance in progress, my wife saw a small adobe building with an open sign, so we went to check it out.  Inside they were selling crafts and what appeared to be souvenirs.  There were many people in this front room and a welcoming fire in the corner. 

Farther back in another room there were large handmade drums.  Not a typical tourist souvenir, but the product of obvious craftsmanship.  Still further back in a an obscure back room was a man seated at a table making hand-crafted silver jewelry.  Two dogs rested on the dirt floor, and two narrow skylights let in natural light from above.  Jerry was deftly making silver necklaces and in an easy manner explained what he was doing and what made it unique. 

After noting all of this we thought of leaving but were drawn to stay and watch and learn a little more.  Jerry obliged by describing what he was doing but wasn’t too talkative.  As soon as he finished the necklace and put it on a black velvet drop, someone bought it and took it away.

Jerry obviously worked for the love of it and every time someone new peeked in the doorway, he would casually invite them in and share a line or two about what he was doing.  There was no “come on”, no sales pitch and no great effort expended to persuade.  This artisan was clearly doing something he enjoyed and he was comfortable sharing it with people without juding their interest level.

Jerry taught me a lot about selling, not by his technique but by his ease, purposefulness and his lack of striving.  Of course I bought the next necklace he made, leaving him without any wares to display and soon he was on to the next piece even before we left.  Jerry’s sister from the front room twice came in to change money with him, and in the conversation it was clear that Jerry could easily make and sell 15 necklaces a day.  He showed care in selecting pendants, materials and making things with heart, and his craft was attractive to people.  He was not stuck with a lot of unsold merchandise.  In fact, it was amazing to think he was this successful working in an obscure back room. 

Who would have thought that on this holiday I would find such a great living example of someone who was so comfortable with sharing his craft and selling it with ease.  Thanks Jerry-may your spirit soar.

I notice that we too often equate learning with schooling or good teaching.  This is unfortunate, because it limits us to thinking about learning during the few years that we spend in school when we’re mostly young.  In the business world, we sometimes think of training and development as what happens in the training classroom, and we miss all the opportunities for development that happen other places and in fact is going on all the time around us.

I’ve noticed that we often learn the most by doing, not be being taught or instructed.  I see it in the aikido dojo where I practice and in the classes for kids that I help instruct.  When I’m telling kids how to practice a technique, the results aren’t usually great, but it’s a necessary start.  Real learning happens by doing, and it’s exciting to watch those aha moments when someone sees for themself what the lesson is. 

Here’s the takeaway:  if you want to learn something, plunge in and learn by doing.  It will get you going, it will make the learning real, and it will usually feed your motivation.  I have found that learning and development arise out of practice, discipline and consistency over time.