When you try to do everything, you're hiding what you're good at.

Why are you hiding your true talents?

You know you are pretty amazing at some things. But you also know you are not amazing at every thing.

And when you try to do everything, not all of it matches the quality of the things you are amazing at.

Rest assured that you aren’t the only one like that. We all have our strengths. Our passions. Our expertise. Sure, some people are amazing at a variety of things, while others are amazing at a few very specific things.

But no one is good at everything.

When you try to do everything, what you’re really doing is hiding what you’re good at. You aren’t showing off how good you are at some things, because you’re spending all of your time trying to be just okay at everything else.

What you really need to do instead, is show off your true talents.

But what if you don’t know your true talents?

It could be that you aren’t sure what you are amazing at. Everyone says you’re creative. You always have ideas, and are always trying new things. But you also have a lot to do at work, every day, so you mostly keep your head down and plow through each project. You get things done.

Along the way some of it turns out better than others – probably because you are good at it. You enjoy some types of work more. You feel good when actively doing the work, and you feel good about the end results.

Push a little harder, building on what works, and you will build both your confidence and your passion. Your true talents will become more and more obvious to you, and others will likely start to notice as well.

What if your boss still doesn’t recognize your true talents?

Almost all CEOs understand that different people have different expertise, and that different expertise is needed to solve different problems. But they often think of that expertise in very broad terms. That’s why they usually hire numbers people for accounting, data people for IT, friendly people for people-facing jobs, and creative people for marketing. They fill empty slots, then walk away, expecting each employee to simply handle everything that comes their way.

Plus, if your CU is small, there’s also a very good chance your boss is used to wearing so many hats that she expects everyone else to do the same. Even when Marketing is a one-person department they expect a Marketer to do it all: concept ideas and write copy, design ad campaigns and loan promotions, build graphics and update the website, handle social media and create videos, take pictures at events, send out press releases, etc., etc., etc. So you tuck your head down, and start cranking through everything because you don’t have the time to focus on what you are good at.

If the above situation sounds way too familiar, then…

You may need to market yourself to your boss.

Marketing tends to be one of those areas where CEOs aren’t really sure what goes on there. So they often think of it as an expense rather than an investment, and typically underfund it – at least until more loans are needed or the website starts smelling like 2013.

Now I know it may be hard to believe, but bosses are human, too. And it’s human nature to pull back from things you don’t understand. That’s why you need to help them understand what you do.

By demonstrating how your strengths bring in the results that are needed, you become an asset instead of an expense. The more results they see, the more opportunities they will give you to focus on your true talents.

Give your boss more reasons to help you succeed.

By continuing to prove what you can do, chances are your boss will start to see you as someone worth building around, not simply as another staff member. They will also start to recognize your true talents – both differences and strengths – and want to give you the opportunity to accomplish even more.

And in the process, it will become obvious that you need more resources to get everything done at the same high level. You need something or someone to fill in the gaps. That could mean hiring additional co-workers, or hiring an experienced agency with a variety of talents that can be accessed as needed without paying salaries or benefits. Either way, you gain the resources you need to be amazing at what you do best.

And your true talents won’t have to be hidden anymore.

Kent Dicken
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