| Most types of sports equipment like a golf club, a | | | | afterward, however, the letter was lost and |
| tennis racquet or a baseball bat have a certain | | | | forgotten. Meanwhile, the car-crazy Gilles |
| spot that, if the ball hits it, will give the player the | | | | completed high school and enrolled in college to |
| optimal result. Hitting this sweet spot yields a long | | | | study engineering, but dropped out quickly. His |
| drive down the fairway, a swift crosscourt return | | | | reason: "I was in a funk and was really not sure I |
| or home run swing. Every sport has a sweet spot | | | | wanted to be an engineer."As he continued his |
| of some type. If you have experienced it, you | | | | granola, "Dukes of Hazard" routine down in the |
| know when you hit the sweet spot, you barely | | | | basement, Ralph's older brother, Max, recalled the |
| feel it. The ball goes where you want it to go - | | | | letter from Chrysler. He remembered that one of |
| even further and faster. Doesn't get any better | | | | the recommended schools was Detroit's College |
| than that!But what about the sport of leadership? | | | | for Creative Studies. Upset to see Ralph wasting |
| Aren't we professional athletes in our own | | | | his time and talent, Max pushed his brother to |
| right?Those in professional sports practice 90+ | | | | apply to the local school although the application |
| percent of the time and actually "play for keeps" | | | | deadline was only a week away and would require |
| less than 10 percent of the time. As professional | | | | 10 sketches.At that point, the whole family |
| leaders, we are almost always "playing for keeps." | | | | became involved, making Ralph coffee so he |
| So it's particularly important that we take time to | | | | could complete his sketches, cheering him on and |
| plan and ensure that we are optimizing our sweet | | | | helping wherever they could. By the end of the |
| spot.Did you know the average person possesses | | | | week, Ralph was covered in pencil lead, but the |
| between 500 and 700 different skills and abilities? | | | | sketches were complete, so his mother sent the |
| A common defining moment for people is finding | | | | packet to the school by overnight delivery.Today, |
| that skill or ability that's right in their sweet spot. | | | | Ralph V. Gilles is recognized as the innovator of |
| As leaders, we have a huge opportunity to help | | | | the Chrysler 300 sedan and the Dodge Magnum |
| our employees find their sweet spots, too.The | | | | Wagon I in addition to being responsible for the |
| first step is ensuring a good fit between an | | | | 2002 Jeep Liberty, 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 and |
| employee's natural abilities and interests and the | | | | several concept cars. Dubbed as the Chrysler |
| requirements of the job. This would ensure the | | | | Group's newest darling, Gilles has earned |
| "highest and best use" of their talents toward the | | | | numerous national and international accolades. He |
| realization of our high-definition vision. Wouldn't we | | | | has since been promoted to Design Director for |
| just love having every single team member | | | | Chrysler.If we consistently misidentify sweet |
| working in their sweet spot? We would always be | | | | spots, we will find our team stuck in a funk, like |
| in "the zone" and work would feel like play.Our | | | | Gilles.If we correctly match employee's sweet |
| ability to match sweet spots to job requirements | | | | spots to the job requirements, we will all be living |
| is the best predictor of job success and, | | | | the sweet life!Today's fast-paced, |
| ultimately, of excellent performance. It all starts | | | | efficiency-minded organizations make it especially |
| with a moment to plan for the use of talent on | | | | challenging for leaders to always ensure a good fit. |
| our team.Let's not forget about ourselves in this | | | | It's common to find employees picking up the |
| matching process. Gaining insights into our own | | | | slack for positions that have been eliminated. If |
| sweet spot as leaders helps us better determine | | | | personnel reductions aren't executed carefully, the |
| how to design roles and deploy the talent on our | | | | remaining employees can find themselves |
| team. For example, if my sweet spot is | | | | underemployed and consumed by "leftover" tasks |
| conceptually designing complex deals, I better | | | | that drain their time but don't tap their |
| ensure I have a strong analyst on my team. If | | | | minds.These situations start a cycle of "lowest |
| my sweet spot is analyzing lots of details and | | | | and worst use" of talent, resulting in a downward |
| numbers, I want some conceptual, big picture | | | | spiral of self-doubt, anxiety and frustration. If |
| thinkers on my team.Want to know an easy way | | | | you've ever experienced this, you know it feels |
| to find your sweet spot? Look at the intersection | | | | more like a sour patch than a sweet spot.To |
| of these two questions:1. What am I absolutely | | | | prevent this cycle and the resulting decline in team |
| passionate about?2. Which tasks are very easy | | | | performance, we can plan the work for our |
| and natural for me to perform?Most of us vividly | | | | teams to optimize sweet spots by:- Combining |
| remember the moment we found our | | | | tasks that require similar skill levels, so we can |
| professional sweet spot. Others told us we made | | | | more easily match an employee's sweet spot |
| it look easy, that we really excelled and we | | | | with the position's requirements.- Automating |
| looked like we were having a ball. Think of the last | | | | repetitive tasks.- Streamlining inefficient processes |
| time when others made these comments to you. | | | | and eliminate redundant tasks that rob us from |
| What were you doing? Like finding any sweet | | | | getting the highest and best use of our talent.- |
| spot, it's worth hitting these questions around for | | | | Outsourcing tasks that require a high level of |
| awhile and practicing our answers before we can | | | | people power but have little impact on our |
| serve up a winner.Ralph V. Gilles understands this | | | | organizations. Stay within our own sweet spots |
| process. He dropped out of college and was | | | | and let other vendors use their sweet spot to |
| spending most of his time, by his own admission, | | | | serve us.Take a moment to optimize the sweet |
| slacking in his parents' basement, eating granola, | | | | spots on your team - including your own. It's a |
| watching "Dukes of Hazard" reruns and lamenting | | | | defining moment for most people when they can |
| the sorry state of automobiles being made in | | | | arrive at work on Monday morning and say, "How |
| America.Growing up, Gilles was typical of most | | | | sweet it is!"Author Lee J. Colan is a highly |
| boys who played with Hot Wheels and Formula 1 | | | | sought-after executive advisor and leadership |
| model cars. But, as a teenager, he also was | | | | expert.He has published seven books including the |
| extremely talented in sketching vehicles. In fact, | | | | best sellers Sticking to It: The Art of Adherence |
| his aunt wrote a letter to then Chrysler Chairman | | | | and Passionate Performance.Learn more by |
| Lee Iacocca, saying he should hire her 14-year-old | | | | visiting |
| nephew.A Chrysler executive responded, | | | | or calling 972-250-9989. |
| recommending three design schools. Soon | | | | |