Optimize Your Sweet Spot

Most types of sports equipment like a golf club, aafterward, however, the letter was lost and
tennis racquet or a baseball bat have a certainforgotten. Meanwhile, the car-crazy Gilles
spot that, if the ball hits it, will give the player thecompleted high school and enrolled in college to
optimal result. Hitting this sweet spot yields a longstudy engineering, but dropped out quickly. His
drive down the fairway, a swift crosscourt returnreason: "I was in a funk and was really not sure I
or home run swing. Every sport has a sweet spotwanted to be an engineer."As he continued his
of some type. If you have experienced it, yougranola, "Dukes of Hazard" routine down in the
know when you hit the sweet spot, you barelybasement, 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 betterthe 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 ownhis 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 professional10 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 tocould complete his sketches, cheering him on and
plan and ensure that we are optimizing our sweethelping wherever they could. By the end of the
spot.Did you know the average person possessesweek, 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 findingpacket 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 helpthe Chrysler 300 sedan and the Dodge Magnum
our employees find their sweet spots, too.TheWagon I in addition to being responsible for the
first step is ensuring a good fit between an2002 Jeep Liberty, 2003 Dodge Viper SRT-10 and
employee's natural abilities and interests and theseveral concept cars. Dubbed as the Chrysler
requirements of the job. This would ensure theGroup's newest darling, Gilles has earned
"highest and best use" of their talents toward thenumerous national and international accolades. He
realization of our high-definition vision. Wouldn't wehas since been promoted to Design Director for
just love having every single team memberChrysler.If we consistently misidentify sweet
working in their sweet spot? We would always bespots, we will find our team stuck in a funk, like
in "the zone" and work would feel like play.OurGilles.If we correctly match employee's sweet
ability to match sweet spots to job requirementsspots 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 startsefficiency-minded organizations make it especially
with a moment to plan for the use of talent onchallenging for leaders to always ensure a good fit.
our team.Let's not forget about ourselves in thisIt's common to find employees picking up the
matching process. Gaining insights into our ownslack for positions that have been eliminated. If
sweet spot as leaders helps us better determinepersonnel reductions aren't executed carefully, the
how to design roles and deploy the talent on ourremaining employees can find themselves
team. For example, if my sweet spot isunderemployed and consumed by "leftover" tasks
conceptually designing complex deals, I betterthat drain their time but don't tap their
ensure I have a strong analyst on my team. Ifminds.These situations start a cycle of "lowest
my sweet spot is analyzing lots of details andand worst use" of talent, resulting in a downward
numbers, I want some conceptual, big picturespiral of self-doubt, anxiety and frustration. If
thinkers on my team.Want to know an easy wayyou've ever experienced this, you know it feels
to find your sweet spot? Look at the intersectionmore like a sour patch than a sweet spot.To
of these two questions:1. What am I absolutelyprevent this cycle and the resulting decline in team
passionate about?2. Which tasks are very easyperformance, we can plan the work for our
and natural for me to perform?Most of us vividlyteams to optimize sweet spots by:- Combining
remember the moment we found ourtasks that require similar skill levels, so we can
professional sweet spot. Others told us we mademore easily match an employee's sweet spot
it look easy, that we really excelled and wewith the position's requirements.- Automating
looked like we were having a ball. Think of the lastrepetitive 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 sweetgetting the highest and best use of our talent.-
spot, it's worth hitting these questions around forOutsourcing tasks that require a high level of
awhile and practicing our answers before we canpeople power but have little impact on our
serve up a winner.Ralph V. Gilles understands thisorganizations. Stay within our own sweet spots
process. He dropped out of college and wasand 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 lamentingdefining moment for most people when they can
the sorry state of automobiles being made inarrive at work on Monday morning and say, "How
America.Growing up, Gilles was typical of mostsweet it is!"Author Lee J. Colan is a highly
boys who played with Hot Wheels and Formula 1sought-after executive advisor and leadership
model cars. But, as a teenager, he also wasexpert.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 Chairmanand Passionate Performance.Learn more by
Lee Iacocca, saying he should hire her 14-year-oldvisiting
nephew.A Chrysler executive responded,or calling 972-250-9989.
recommending three design schools. Soon