Lee Strasberg, the famous acting coach, said, "I can train you in anything except that for which you have no talent." Everyone has areas of lesser and greater talents, and while it can be helpful to acknowledge weaknesses and seek guidance or training to develop those areas, there is nothing more frustrating than to strive vainly to excel in areas of endeavor where one has little or no natural ability.

We know intuitively that Mr. Strasberg's reasoning is sound, but leaders seldom apply it in the workplace. Instead, most workers report that they are singled out for notice only when there is a problem with their performance. Here is a question I often ask my audiences: If your boss told you that she noticed something about your performance and wanted you to come to her office to discuss it, would you assume that she had noticed an area of your special competence and wanted to bring it to your attention? Among the majority of audience members who respond with nervous laughter, only a few hands raise.
Bosses tend to notice and comment on weaknesses and mistakes more than they comment on talents and strengths. While continuous learning and self-improvement are valid concepts for future success, focusing solely on what is lacking leads to an unbalanced evaluation of employees' worth and potential. It is no wonder then that most workers have problems taking risks and confronting uncertain situations.

Certainly, if you manage people or lead a team, a powerful change-management strategy is to help people focus on their strengths and find ways to build on them that is congruent with the direction the organization is taking. It’s the same thing in dealing with organizational change. Approaches (such as Appreciate Inquiry) that look at what an organization already does well - and builds on those accomplishments to be even better - energizes and stimulates people to change because it is based on talents already possessed.