Monday, March 18, 2024

‘Take charge of your talent and start making things happen for your career’

Enterprising People Business Radio Talk presents
A BUSINESS CONVERSATION WITH DON MARUSKA

‘Take charge of your talent and start making things happen for your career’

BY KIMBERLY BAILEY-TUREAUD

Take Charge of Your Talent: Three Keys to Thriving in Your Career, Organization, and Life

Don Maruska founded and served as CEO of three Silicon Valley companies. Today, he inspires leaders and teams around the world to be their best in their work and careers. The author of “How Great Decisions Get Made” and co-author of Take Charge of Your Talent: Three Keys to Thriving in Your Career, Organization, and Life” spoke to Las Vegas Black Image about some of the essential lessons imparted to his readers and students.

Tell us about “Take Charge of Your Talent.”

Co-author Jay Perry and I wrote the book for anyone, anytime and anywhere to take charge of their talent and have fun doing it. We did a lot of research, and found that 30-40 percent of workers’ talent is untapped in great organizations. And the unemployed and underemployed are faced with the worst circumstances, because their talent is sitting idle as it relates to their professional careers. We wrote the book so that people would have the keys to make something positive happen for themselves. Our book shows you how to take charge of your talent and start making things happen for your career.

Should someone follow their passion in business and life?

What we write about in the book is to power up your talent, focus on whatever your hopes are, and put your talent to use. If we pick up someone else’s goal, for us that is really not your own. We are not going to give it the energy and sustaining interest to reach success. We are going to be working at the job rather than having the job work for us. The key thing to getting to that frame of mind is to really have a talent catalyst conversation with a friend or family member. In our book, there is a guide showing you how to have this conversation in 10 steps that take 45 minutes. So often, people in their conversations with friends and family members really keep us in a victim role. For example, a person might say, “I am having a hard time finding a job or the job is tough and my boss is hard to deal with.” Some people just commiserate with each other and respond with, “Oh yeah, I know what you mean,” or “I am lucky to have a job.” These conversations will leave you feeling like a victim rather than a hero of your talent stories and moving forward.

How does one leverage talent to produce economic returns?

The thing that happens is that people get great ideas and are enthused — and then they hit some obstacles such as, “Where am I going to find the money to do what I want to do?” This obstacle is real, but the critical thing is to know how to accelerate through those obstacles so that they actually become springboards for you and your talent, rather than holding you back. The final thing is to find out how to create and multiply payouts that address the economic issue. Or, how to create something tangible and concrete for the brand you want. The benefits that attract businesses to you also let people know what kind of business you want — so that they come to you with a clear sense that this is what you want to do, and what you stand for. The clearer [you are], more people will hear and respond to you. Another thing that is important for economic return in business is to have proof that demonstrates what you can deliver on. You want people to know you can walk the talk and deliver the goods.

Define “creating enduring assets.”

This means creating tangibles that someone can touch and or see. If you can only talk about what you have to offer, it isn’t as real to a business or client. The critical thing is to take your talented gifts and make them tangible in some concrete way that is an asset to your career, and something you can point to as a result of your talent.

For more information visit www.takechargeofyourtalent.com

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