Do you have a skills people aren’t aware of? Is there something you’re passionate about that you could turn into a superpower that people – bosses, colleagues, peers – admire you for as a professional?
I’ll share how I did just that and how it helped me recognise strengths in others that they often didn’t see themselves.
Back in 2007 I joined the competition regulator in New Zealand as a part-time team support officer while I was studying at university. My job involved a lot of document management and I loved being part of a diverse and very international team of professionals.
Around that time, about a year into my degree, I also became more aware of the perception people have of Germans. History and wars aside, we were thought to be diligent to the point of being pedantic, and while that’s not necessarily a compliment, something about being pedantic really resonated with me. I’m a perfectionist and I didn’t like doing things half-arsed. I wanted to do good work.
On with the story: In 2009 the team I worked in published a big policy decision and months of work went into it. I will never forget when the team lead asked me: Eva, as a German you’re the only person here [among native speakers] who ever learned English grammar properly. Would you be interested in helping us with proof-reading?
I was over the moon! Not only did I get to do something I secretly quite enjoyed, I was even appreciated for something that previously felt like criticism: being diligent to the point of being pedantic. Paying attention to really small details.
That was a pivotal moment in my career (which I only recognised years later). You can have skills that seem completely unspectacular and ordinary, but for some people around you, they stand out.
And there I was, a student in her mid-20s, proof-reading documents in a foreign language. Documents written by senior policy advisors. I didn’t understand all the content, but I could certainly catch those errors.
My lesson for you?
You probably underestimate some of your own skills. They seem ordinary to you, but can be game-changing to others. You don’t always get as clear a signal from the outside world as I received, but you can still turn those skills into superpowers.
Ever since those days I’ve taken pride in delivering high-quality work, paying attention to those details. It’s part of the impression I want to leave and of the expectations I have of myself.
To figure out what some of your potential superpowers are, I recommend you reflect on your career so far:
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What are some memorable, positive moments? Who did they involve, what work were you doing at the time?
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What skills and strengths do you receive compliments for from your colleagues? What’s the trend, what topics come up again and again?
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What are some tasks and projects you look back on with pride? What is it about them that you did really well?
Those are your starting points. Then you have to find ways to use these skills at work and beyond.
I genuinely believe that all of us have more potential to do great things than we currently realise. I love helping people recognise this for themselves so they can pick a path that makes the best use of their own superpowers.
Have a great week!
Eva
P.S.: My coaching waitlist for September is now open. If you’re interested in having an initial chat, please fill in this form and I’ll get back to your with a calendar invite: https://forms.gle/m6sSqoHM9zNoNBAC6