It doesn't matter what I am good at, but what I am interested in matters

Photo Credit :Andre Pan

One of the questions in traditional interview would be "what are you good at". Most of the response that we give / get is something in line with the job posting for which the interview is conducted for. Mostly it is not true state of affairs as there is a desperation to get a job. 

In my view, it is not "what I am good at" that is important but "what brings me pleasure" is important. When something brings pleasure, then I may try to do it very often and by practising it over and over again, I may become good at it. After all practice makes perfection. But it need not be true that if I am good at something, then it brings pleasure. For example,  I am good at Bank reconciliation, Trial balance tallying, financial projection, costing. I was interested in that and become good at that. Even now I am good at that. But I have NO more interested in that. Interest keeps changing. I then moved on. Now I am interested in setting up new business unit, a Start Up or something that I can make from scratch and make it functional before taking up another project. 

For any activity the interest level grows until it hits the resistance levels. Once the interest hits that levels, it may start to decline. The quality of output will decline. Once we know that the interest levels are falling, you may have to watch out your support level and try to rise it  to find a new resistance level by slightly altering the course / nature of task or to exit and start something new. If you cannot find the support level then there is no point in continuing it.

It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to. -Annie Gottlier

If you start feeling that 'I have to do" instead of "I want to do", then it is the sign that you are hitting a resistance level on that task.

Check the activities that you are doing routinely-- if no one is using it, you have 2 options try to either make the output more meaningful so somebody who was suppose to use it or politely highlight that task has become redundant and instead do something else that bring pleasure.

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." -Aristotle

Identify those tasks that brings you pleasure. If you don't know what it is-- then think of something where you have lost sense of time while doing some activity--most probably that is the task that you might like.

Else, we would become like most people who work just hard enough not to get fired. By the way, if one become that kind of resource, mind it they would be paid just enough money not to quit.

For being a good leader,

• While recruiting / selecting a team member, identify whether the person's interest  is in line with the project in hand
• A person may have many interests at the same time, check whether the 'interest' that you may want to use is having a higher priority- else the person may switch to an interest that is more enticing.
• Oil his lamp and keep it burning- Motivate the interest, encourage, constantly poke the learning thing in the interests to keep it alive and going
• Frequently evaluate whether the 'interest' quotient has increased or decreased and identify the reasons behind it
• May be you want to make something differently for the person; or
• he would be a better fit elsewhere
• If the interest of some one has evidently changed, it is better to responsibly guide the person and help him to achieve greater heights rather to just curse with a bad ratings. It is not firing but just being responsible and highlighting. Rather it would end up being useful to both.

If you are a team member, just turn the table and apply the same principles.