Latest / The Strategic Pause / What’s Your Unique Ability (top of the scope)?
Transcript
- Katrina: Hello my friends, welcome to episode three of the strategic pause. Today, season two, lest we forget, yes. Jill: Season two. Season two. Lest we forget. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Katrina: Today we are pausing to talk Jill: We are. Katrina: about your unique ability. What is your top of the scope? Hmm. Jill: Top of the scope. I love this topic. This is one of my favorites. Katrina: I know you love this topic. I know you do. I know you do. I'm not sure that I do, but Jill: So I have to I have what, thirty minutes to convince you basically. Okay, okay. Katrina: Well it's not a convincing. It's a different it's a different reality. Jill: Okay. Okay. I love it. Katrina: So let's just let's just let's just dive in, Jill. What what is your unique ability? Jill: Okay. Well, let me back the truck up for one minute. Katrina: Yeah. Jill: And just share that the the concept of unique ability, those two words, are from this book ten times as easier than two times. And the book is has some good things, some difficult things. It is what it is. I mean, it has a lot of good things, but it it, you know, it's like every other book. There's some annoying things. But this concept Katrina: What every other book Annoying Things Jill: Not your book. Not your book. There's no annoying things in your book. But the rest of the books, sometimes, you know, they might have a line or something and you're like, Katrina: Yeah. Jill: that doesn't make sense, but not your book. Yours is the one. Yeah. No, nothing. It is literal Katrina: Yeah, yeah, there's there is not a typo, there is not a line out of place. Jill: perfection in paper. So yeah, we're we're not talking about your book. Katrina: So so I I guess we could just say that like there are some books that you'd agree with everything, but not or some things, but not everything. Like yeah. Yeah. 'Cause Jill: Yes, okay. Okay. But not everything, right? Some other books, yeah. Katrina: because you're human. Jill: Right, turns out. So this concept of unique ability is in this book. The context is like, what is the thing that you can do better? You know, the hyperbole is what can you do better than anybody else? What can you do the best? What is the one thing That you're phenomenal at that only you should do. That's sort of that unique ability. Now, when I I'm gonna link that to a past profession, when I worked in healthcare, there is this concept in healthcare called top of the scope. And what that means in healthcare is, you know, everything is very licensed in healthcare. So your medical assistants can only do certain things, but your RNs can do a little bit more. And your family nurse practitioners can do just a little bit more than that, and then your MDs can do a little bit more than that. And so the theory is when you're in a healthcare setting, you only want the people to be doing the thing that it's the very top of their scope. So, for example, anybody can take blood pressure, medical assistant, the monkey outside, whatever. Anybody can take blood pressure. So you don't want the physician taking blood pressure because it's not a good use of the physician's time. Only the physician can diagnose, right? So that's the concept of top of the scope. I'm gonna bring them back together in the sense that in the in the book they talk about unique ability. as you making sure you're doing only the thing you can do. So it's kind of like this connection to tap up the scope. Like what could you only do, Katrina, that I shouldn't be doing because you're really phenomenal at it. Did that make any sense at all? Because it did in my head, but maybe it didn't to like actually people that are listening. Katrina: I think it did. I think it did. Jill: Okay, good, good. Katrina: yeah, yeah. So what is it that you can do better than anybody else? And what is, to put it in another way, at your pay grade and not below it? Jill: Yeah. Yes. There you go. At your pay grade and not below it. so I'm gonna tell you what I think my unique ability is, and then I wanna hear what your unique ability is. So you have about 30 seconds to figure out what your unique ability is. Katrina: No pressure. Jill: no pressure. my unique ability is my I have a a really strong, I'm trying to think of another word besides ability to define this, but I can't, so I'm just gonna go for it. a really strong ability to connect with others. I can connect quickly, I can build trust very quickly. I'm very good at building relationships with very little effort. I genuinely like people and I like learning about people. And so that is my unique ability. I can do that better than most people I know. Probably my dad might be the one that can do it better than me. So apple and tree. What do you think? Katrina: I think you're accurate. Jill: thank you. Okay. Katrina: Yes, I think that is yours. Without a doubt. Fr the person who asked me in the first five minutes that we met to tell me your life story, I have an hour, go. Jill: And you did you did. Katrina: I did. Well, because and this goes to your connection, and and we could just talk easily for the next half an hour on connection because Jill: Yeah. Katrina: you didn't just ask the question. It's easy to ask the question, but you listened to my response. And you didn't do that thing. This thing, that thing, where I shared something, and then you were like, me too. And now let me. Forget that I asked you a question and take the next forty-five minutes and answer it. Yeah. Yeah. So Jill: I tell you all the things. Except for when you said I have a son named Connor. I actually did say, I also have a son named Connor. So I kind of did, but that was weird. That was a weird thing. Katrina: Well, that was a moment that like, you know, that is a connection. That wasn't like, ooh, let me one up your story. That was Jill: Yeah, that's true. Katrina: like, we've found this way. And I think that's one of the things that may gives you that ability is that you find those things. You find those Jill: Hmm. Katrina: true connections. So now we always have something to come back to, which then makes it easier to add Jill: Yeah. Katrina: more things to what we have st what what our initial connection was. Jill: I like how you worded that. Katrina: How is that for avoiding your question? Jill: I actually really just liked how you synthesized that though. I don't think I've ever heard anybody put it in those words. I mean, I sound great. So that's that's amazing. Thank you. Okay. Katrina: You're welcome. Well and and that actually leads me to what I think my unique ability is. Jill: What's your unique ability? Katrina: I believe that I have the unique ability to take complex things and simplify them. Jill: Yeah, that's absolutely accurate. Yeah. And Katrina: Thank you. Jill: you get excited about that. Like you seem to genuinely enjoy that. So it's not like one of those things that you're just sort of good at that you wish you weren't good at. Katrina: Right, right, definitely. Like, yeah, I I I really do enjoy it. I really love those opportunities. Kind of whether it's explaining or writing or Jill: Mm-hmm. Katrina: clarifying, you know, and and I I I have been known to overhear conversations when people are trying to figure something out and I'm like, no, here, let help. Jill: Let me give you all the answers. Okay, let me ask you something. Did Katrina: Can I please Yeah. Jill: you know your unique ability and go into facilitation, or did you go into facilitation and realize that was sort of your unique ability or how it was connected? Katrina: So I went into facilitation because my manager looked at me and said, You can talk. Jill: Okay. Okay. S okay. Katrina: So it wasn't like there was no like choice. There was no thought. It was just like somebody going, I pick you. Jill: Ye okay, okay. So you came about that from that experience? Okay, okay. Katrina: Yeah. Yeah. but you know, i as as we've discussed before, like I'm a collector of information and ideas. Jill: Mm-hmm. Katrina: Not a hoarder. Well, except of information and ideas. Jill: Like in your brain a little bit, maybe, but not in your house. Yeah, yeah. Katrina: Yeah. It's a little bit in my house. You've seen my bookcase. Jill: That's true, it's so organized though. Yeah good point. Katrina: This is only one of them. so that you know, that collection, like that getting bring getting all the ideas Jill: Mm-hmm. Katrina: is just something I think I've always liked. I've always been just really found joy in that. And then really, I know it sounds totally cheesy, but the profession kind of found me. And Jill: Mm. Katrina: then once I realized like there's this thing I can do where I help people understand complex ideas and support them in their work, then I was like, well, I'm gonna do this forever. Like, I want to do this. and you know, way back 30 years ago, I was like, I wanna help I wanna help trainers do this because I think they can't Jill: Speaking. Katrina: I don't think they necessarily know how to take all of these things and put Jill: Yeah. Katrina: it into a pl a a a package that that helps people learn. and And I, you know, it took me a while, it took me about fifteen years to get to a place where that's what I was doing exclusively. but that's where I am now. So what about you? How did Jill: Yeah. Katrina: you when did you know that like connection was your thing Jill: Mm. Katrina: and you could use your powers for good? Jill: You know, I it was something that I sort of think I knew out here, sort of, but I didn't really have words around it. when I started at Adventist Health, I reported to, I know I've talked about Loretta in this podcast, but I reported to Loretta Sloan, who was my manager there and who is one of probably the smartest person on the planet. In my first evaluation, I mean, I think it was like 92. days in, it was, it was very close to starting. She sh in my evaluation, she put that she was impressed that I could connect with physicians, because I was in physician leadership development, without seemingly any hesitation. That she was impressed that the that I could connect with people at a level of employment that was significantly higher than mine where I started from the organization without hesitation. And I could connect with them in a real way, in a way that that sort of made them trust me or or allowed me to to be able to move that relationship further. And I had never seen it written before, I don't think. And I was like, yeah, I can do that. Like that is, and not only I can do that, but that takes me no effort. And I like to do that. So that's the first time I think I saw it in writing. and there's this makes me think also of the Clifton Strengths Finder. which also is it's an assessment. And so you kind of the whole premise behind the strengths finder is you do the things that you're already pretty naturally good at rather than most of the other tests or whatever are like, hey, let's figure out what you kind of suck at and try to get a little bit better at that. The strengths finder is all about essentially your unique ability. And so once I took the strength finder, There is one of the strengths, one of the 34, is this thing called significance. And it's actually pretty rare. There's not that many people that have it. and the the significance is really kind of you have this confidence, I guess, to connect with other people in a way that helps move you up and move them up. Like it was really sort of written in my strengths finder. And so that was another. piece where I'm like, yeah, here's another thing that it's telling me I do that thing. That's where I I don't know. I guess that's that's where all of those things that kind of came together maybe within the same year or two. Katrina: I I think it's interesting that for both of us, we didn't necessarily name it ourselves, that someone else pointed it out. Jill: Yes. Yes. Katrina: And and so I wonder if that's common for most people. So managers and leaders have this opportunity Jill: Yes. Katrina: to see it in others and name it so that people can Jill: Yes. Katrina: then do their unique ability. They can live with their unique ability. Jill: Yes. This is what gets me so excited about leader development, Katrina. It is really kind of this thing because you have Katrina: Ha ha ha ha. Jill: so much power as a leader. You have so much power, and the amount of people who will say, I didn't even know I could do this thing until this person told me, until this person gave me the opportunity, until this person named that for me. That is literally life-changing. I mean, as a leader, you have the opportunity to change other people's lives. And I truly think Loretta, she did not even pay me to say this. She changed my life by naming that for me. And, anyways, I think you're right. I think a lot of times these things that are a unique ability, others can see that we might not see for ourselves. Katrina: Absolutely, absolutely. So I have these questions today. Yeah, and we don't all I don't always, right? I have these questions and I'm Jill: Okay. That's true. Katrina: reading them and I'm like, Okay, that's dumb. That's dumb. Jill: I love your questions. I love your questions. Katrina: So okay, I d I don't wanna ask this one because you're gonna turn it on me, but I'm gonna ask it anyway. Jill: You know it's coming. Okay. Katrina: So for you in your business, connections huge, right? And Jill: Yeah. Katrina: and that means that you if you're working top of the scope, Jill: Yeah. Katrina: you have some very unique roles that are and tasks that you're responsible Jill: Yeah. Katrina: for. So what did you have to stop doing? Jill: Mm. Yeah. Katrina: To to make room for for connection. Jill: well, first of all, you're the person who has basically told me all the things I need to stop doing because they're not my unique ability. So thank you, I guess. Katrina: Ha ha ha. Jill: I don't know. So the thing that in this book they talk about, and I found this personally, that's tricky, is because it doesn't mean you're not good at other things or You don't like other things, right? Like there are a lot of things I really like and I enjoy and I think I'm pretty good at that aren't necessarily my unique ability. And the context in this book, they basically say maybe not all your time, but a good portion of your time is on that unique ability. And so I know one of the things I've tried to scale back on a little bit is developing courses because I think I'm pretty good at it. I do. But there are other people in the organization that could do it. And while I think I'm pretty good at it, it's definitely not my unique ability, right? I I'm probably as good as a lot of other people at it. I mean, I know I am. So that's one of the things. And sometimes actually you're in my brain. I th I've told you this I think in the past. But when I'm doing things, I hear Katrina saying stop doing that. That's not a good use of your time because I know it's not my unique ability. and so I've tried to move away from that, but it's not always easy. Katrina: It's it's not always easy at all. And and and and I think roles are complex and organizations Jill: Yeah. Katrina: are complex. So I'm I'm I'm wondering like how often do leaders in organizations Jill: Mm. Katrina: do things they they may like to do, they may be energized by, they Jill: Mm-hmm. Katrina: may be really good at, but they should be letting go. Jill: Yeah. Yeah. it's very common. I think I I maybe talked about this in this podcast already, maybe even episode one this season. One of the most difficult things I think for a leader is to have the job that your manager used to have. that is very difficult because your manager did that job, probably thought they did it pretty well. probably felt some sort of ownership around that job and then they most likely moved up and got promoted and now you're in that role and to their point or to the point, that is no longer what they should be doing, right? They should be they probably got promoted because their unique ability is needed somewhere else. But the thing that they're comfortable with is your job. And so it's very difficult to navigate that when you end up taking your manager's job. I think there's a lot of people. Well, I mean, Gallup has studies around how many people are actually working in their strengths. So there is some solid research around that. I think very few people in our typical organization are really working in their unique ability, are really at the top of their scope, are really doing the thing that only they can do. And I think sometimes people are scared of their unique ability a little bit. Like I think it it makes them almost nervous, so they shy away from it on some level. Katrina: Why d why do you think it makes it makes makes people nervous? Jill: Well, I mean, it's anecdotal, right? So I don't know if there's actually there probably is research around this. Anecdotal anecdot anecdotally? Tell me, how am I pronouncing that? Anecdotally From my experience Katrina: And anecdotally. Anecd an anec anic anecdotally. And wow. Wow. Wow. Like. Yeah, I I think we need to stop trying to say it because it's just getting worse. Jill: Maybe, maybe we just created a new word because we can't pronounce that one. Yeah, yeah. It's just actually getting worse. Webster is actually banging their head in shame. I think that there is definitely a fear of failure. And there is a fear of failure around the thing that you want to be good at. And so For example, you know, I want to be good at connecting with people, I want to be good at building relationships. The deeper I get into that and the more that is my full-time job, the more likely I'm gonna mess that up somewhere, right? I'm gonna, Katrina: Mm-hmm. Jill: I'm gonna not show up for somebody, I'm gonna be a jerk because I'm tired or whatever. And so I'm gonna that day potentially fail. I think there's a pretty great amount of people who are afraid of failing at that thing that they want to be good at and so subconsciously they shy away from it. Katrina: could I could see that. I think there's also on the opposite side, there's a stigma if you are only doing one thing and you're leaving Jill: Hmm. there you go. Katrina: the things to other people. You know, Jill: Yeah. Katrina: I I think that you know I I I know that in in my business I've often done all the things. I still do all the things. I do all the things. Jill: Mm-hmm. You definitely do all the things. You sure do. Katrina: And and there's you know, there's definitely I have felt pressure on two sides. Pressure from you to stop doing all the things. Jill: Mm. Yes. Katrina: But then but then this kind of pushback condescension, if Jill: Mm. Katrina: I'm hiring someone to do some of the things, it's a really weird, it's a really Jill: Interesting. Katrina: weird spot. And I think I think managers end up land in that same place that Jill: Yeah. Katrina: and and it's you know there's lots of nuance to it. I wanna give a a shout out to my friend Matt Gertzen for his new book that comes out tomorrow. Which Jill: Hi Matt Gertsen. Yay! Matt Gertsen's book comes out tomorrow. That's fun. Katrina: Which will be it'll already be out when this yeah, yeah. So so just ignore the tomorrow right now it's right now it's out. Jill: that's a good point. So you're if you're listening right now it's out. Right, right. Katrina: so it's it's called Minimum Viable Manager, which I just love and we could get into that at another time. Yeah, and and it's perfect Jill: That is a hilarious title, yes. Yeah, yeah. Katrina: and he makes good you know it and he's focusing on leading technical teams specifically. Jill: Okay. Katrina: But but he has this great line in it that I I keep highlighting that the best managers focus on people, not problems, and no Jill: Yeah. Katrina: one ever tells us to make that switch. Jill: Hundred percent. Hundred percent. Katrina: So you have these really great these people living their unique ability. And Jill: Yes. Katrina: the way for them to move up in their organization, the way for them to move forward is to promote into a managerial position. And now we're asking them to step away from that unique ability. Their top Jill: Yes, yes. Katrina: of scope changes, but it's not necessarily Jill: yeah. Katrina: congruent with their unique ability. Jill: And we give them no skill building around what their new top of scope is. There's very few organizations, even the best organizations, do any type of leader onboarding or actually education before somebody is in that role. So yes, we're taking them out of their unique ability and also we're like, yeah, and we're actually not gonna tell you how to do the new one. Right. Yeah, yeah. Katrina: Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. We're we're we're we're going to assume it's it's kind of like becoming a mom. We're just gonna assume Jill: Ha ha. Katrina: it naturally happens and you have all the skills and knowledge. Jill: Which is also wild and another podcast in itself. Right? Keep Katrina: Ha ha ha ha ha. Please take this human and sign this document that you know what you're doing. Jill: it alive, go. And by the way, in eighteen Katrina: Hmm. Jill: years it's gonna leave. So just prepare yourself for that now. Anyways. Don't Katrina: Don't get too attached. Jill: get too attached. That's that's another podcast. Yeah. I mean Katrina: Entirely. Jill: I think you're you're absolutely right. There's and for for many people, if they don't want to go into management, there's actually not a path for advancement. and so Katrina: Right. Jill: if they're really phenomenal engineers, for example, and they want to grow in their organization, which many people do, the only way to grow is to become a manager of engineers or a manager of project managers, which So your point might not be their unique ability. Katrina: Right, right. And then we and this is a whole other podcast episode that you the organizations that do try to create those tracks for it for technical advancement, then you end up with the potential of income disparities between the manager Jill: yeah, yeah. Katrina: and the the the the employee. And so now Jill: Yeah. Katrina: we have a whole other set of of issues we're dealing with. Yeah. Jill: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's it's hard because there's not really a one size fits all answer. I mean, there's not with anything around people. Katrina: Right. Jill: If there was, we weren't wouldn't have jobs, you and I. so Katrina: Right. Jill: it is difficult, but I think that there's a lot more that most organizations could do to try to work with folks to make sure they are in their unique ability. One of my favorite things to do is is to work with an intact team on the Clifton strengths because when you have a team that actually works together and shares this pool of work and they figure out what their strengths are and they they have the willingness or the ability to move the work around, it is amazing to watch how they can kind of blossom and that team becomes more high performing. The people become happier, their metrics are met, and it's really just that switch between assigning work based on job title to assigning work based on what is somebody actually good at. and the other wild thing is the things that you hate. There's almost always somebody who likes them, which is wild. Yes. Katrina: Right, right. I think that comes up when we talk about delegation. I think it comes up when we talk about teams. And you set a really Jill: Yes. Katrina: critical piece that in the teams, in the in tech teams that are able to move the work around. Jill: Yes, yes, yes, yeah. Go ahead, sorry. Katrina: Yeah, when when that flexibility is not there, then what can someone do when their unique ability doesn't match what Jill: Yeah. Katrina: the job is? Jill: Yeah. I think that's one of the saddest things. that's where I have feelings maybe. My feelings might come out. I f I feel very sad for people who feel who are in a job and for whatever reason feel like they are trapped in this job and they don't like the job or they don't like the manager or or whatever, they don't like the organization. I talk about a lot about Covey's circle of influence. So at some point you have to figure out what do I have control over? And if you're like, man, I love to to play in spreadsheets, but my whole job is public speaking. At some point you have to figure out, well, am I going to leave a job, leave this job that maybe has a really great pension, maybe has great benefits, maybe I've been here forever. Doing this thing that I hate to try to go do this thing that I like. Or am I going to at some point just let it go and accept it? Because there's a lot of people that that just push constantly and are miserable and feel like it's out of their control. And that's really hard. I mean, I will say though, I also think people underestimate those conversations with their manager and with the people that are around them. a lot of people actually put themselves in that box when sometimes when you ask is there anything else I can do, there are other things. But that takes courage Katrina: Yeah. Jill: too. Katrina: It takes courage. It takes a level of trust that I think sometimes Jill: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Katrina: I think I I think sometimes it may not be there. I think it takes overcoming some of the stories we write in our heads about other Jill: yeah. Yeah. Katrina: people and and our relationships and just the workplace. You know, Jill: Yeah. Katrina: it's I think it's always interesting to watch young people talk about and and by young people I mean like the eighteen year old crowd that's in their first jobs. Jill: Yeah. Katrina: that talk about their managers and Jill: Mm. Katrina: and you can hear the culture of the organization coming out in how they talk about their manager. so just Jill: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This is why I love like the fact that you love pencils. I love when people I know that's a s like a silly little thing, but I love when people find something that brings them joy and excitement and energy because there's so many people out there who just don't know. They just don't know. They haven't found the thing. Not to say that your love of pencils is your like life defining thing. But you know, when people have their thing, you can tell and it it drives them and you can see it in the way they move and the way they show up. And that is very rewarding to watch. Katrina: Well, and you can go from the pencil to what you do with the pencil and you s you you unlock something. Jill: Yes. that's good. That's good. Yeah. Yeah. Interested. Okay. Katrina: Okay, so we talked top of the scope. So I'm going to ask you one last question. Are you ready? Are you ready? Jill: Okay, okay, I'm ready. no, I'm ready. I'm ready. Katrina: What is the thing that you need to give up so that you can use more of your unique ability and work closer to top of the scope? Jill: I'm literally looking at my to-do list right now. probably proposals. That's the first thing that probably popped in my head. I actually love proposals. I love responding to RFPs, and I'm really good at it, so that's tricky, but I know it's not my unique ability. And they take Katrina: Yeah. Jill: a lot of my time. So that's probably the thing that And the worst thing or the better thing is I have somebody else on my team who's also really good at them. Like Sachiko is very good at proposals. So it's not even like I'm like, I don't know who I would give that to. yeah, it's probably that. Okay, but now I'm gonna ask you the same question. You knew I was gonna turn, I know, and now I am. What should you give up? Katrina: I know, I know I knew you were gonna do that and I and I'm just gonna say accounting. Just accounting. Right there, accounting. I didn't even have to think about it. Jill: Ha ha ha Katrina: I didn't have to look at my to do list. Just accounting. Jill: And you also have somebody in your circle who could take that on for you. So you know, you know, I'm just saying there are things too. So basically what we've both figured out is we should probably work on giving up the thing that we're talking about so we can do more of our unique ability. Katrina: Well and if we had more time, we could explore the idea that sometimes the non unique ability activity is just really good for your brain. Jill: True. It's true. It's true. There there is something more to that too. And sometimes you need the repetition. So yeah. Katrina: No easy answers today. No easy answers. Jill: No easy answers. No easy answers. Until then we'll just assume that everything's our unique ability, right? We're just really good at everything. Or we're not, but we're doing it anyways, I guess. That's probably what it's coming down to. Katrina: And suddenly I'm b we're back to the the the discussion about being a mom. Jill: See, he came right back around there. That's an interesting Katrina: Full circle. Jill: thought. What's your unique ability as a mom? goodness. Okay, that's a whole nother thought. Katrina: ooh. Jill: it's definitely not cooking dinner. Yeah. Katrina: it's more like what are what's your anxiety as a mom? Jill: What's your unique anxiety as a mom? There's a whole nother concept, Katrina. What's your unique anxiety? that's a different podcast. Katrina: And and here I thought this was gonna be this very serious, focused Jill: I know. We were so good. Yeah. We were Katrina: Yeah. Jill: so good for thirty-two minutes. So we probably should end now because we're going off the rails Katrina: That's all we've got. Jill: at this point. But I love this topic, Katrina: All right. Jill: so thank you for bringing this topic up. I'm I would talk about this all day long. Katrina: You are welcome, you are welcome. And I would love for people to share their unique ability in the comments over Jill: Yes. Katrina: on YouTube if if you if you know if you know where to find it Jill: If your unique ability happens to be navigating websites, yes. Katrina: If exactly head on over, share with us your unique ability. Let us know. I think it's I th and and your and your thoughts on your unique ability. Thanks for being Jill: I love it. Katrina: here with me, Jill, and thanks to everybody for Jill: Thank you. Katrina: listening again to the strategic pause. I was like the and this is called Yeah. Yeah, maybe remembering things, not my unique ability. Jill: The strategic pause. What are we doing here? And that's where we log off. Not unique ability. Right, right, right. Alright, thanks everybody. Bye. Katrina: All right. Thank you.