Use Your Strengths, Principle #3 in the Shine Manifesto.
Last fall I responded to an open invitation, extended to members of the Grapevine community, requesting participation in the Grapevine-Colleyeville Independent School District (GCISD) Strategic Planning Action Team. The future of public education is certainly an interest of mine and years spent studying how students learn, could certainly be considered one of my strengths.
No question, I was well suited - and excited - about the experience which was scheduled to last seven weeks.
More than a hundred people showed up to the first meeting, the majority of which were teachers and administrators. The group was rounded out with a small collection of parents and a few high school students. After listening to an overview of the project, facilitators wasted no time dividing volunteers into one of seven Action Teams.
My strengths were best suited to work on Action Team #2, but I was assigned to work on Action Team #3. Our team immediately set to work and developed a long list of topics to be researched before our meeting the following week.
More than 40 topics were brainstormed in my group. I had especially pertinent information to share with my team regarding topics #6 and #11, but I was assigned to #3 and #17.
I attended the next meeting prepared, though uncertain about the quality of information on this topic that I knew so little about. It seems I wasn't the only one unsure about my work, because that week attendance for Action Team #3 dropped from 22 to 14 participants.
In weeks three and four the forty topics were consolidated into six large themes. The next step required more research on an even more specific topic. I crossed my fingers for topic #2, but I was assigned to topic #5. I wasn't the only one disappointed, because by week five the 14 participants dwindled to 9.
In week six, sub-groups were supposed to present a cost analysis of the topic they were assigned to study. Totally out of my element, I asked my husband Richard to lend his expertise and then emailed my contribution to another team member so she could bring it to the meeting for me. I had another meeting that night and decided not to reschedule for another day.
I wish I could tell you about meeting #7, but I can't. I didn't go.
Something happens the further and further a person gets from using his strengths. Slowly he will lose interest in your experience and it will become less and less meaningful or interesting. He will disengage until, eventually, he will trade in your experience for one that knows how to harness the very thing that drew him in to begin with - his strengths.
Mother, father, teacher, community leader, volunteer, coach, or business owner...the principle is the same. People are most invested and best able to shine when they are using their strengths.
Shining off until tomorrow...