Building on the conversation on Strengths, environment also plays a huge factor. Being able to apply our strengths to a suitable environment is like keeping fish in water instead of anywhere else.
Physical, chemical, biological processes take places most optimally in specific conditions. It doesn’t mean they won’t occur otherwise, but bacteria loves dark and humidity, machines like to be cool and lubricated, chemical reactions are the fastest and strongest when the exact quantity is mixed.
Our talent is also best applied in specific environments. Many entrepreneurs quit the corporate world for its complexity, and launch at their own pace in their own terms. As their creation grows to a certain scale, the business infrastructure becomes a necessity to run smoothly.
As much as we negatively associate people with gears in a big machine, let’s use the analogy here. In the context of your natural operating range, which Gear do you find your best?
- 1st Gear – everything is hard at the beginning. Grit vs. inertia. And no matter how hard you push, there is a limit to how fast you can go.
- 2nd Gear – some people start their car with 2nd gear, especially if you are already “rolling” (surprising pun?). Building on 1st gear’s momentum, not fast in an absolute sense but the acceleration is actually more noticeable.
- 3rd Gear – growing in speed and size, building new capabilities and muscles. Changing direction is still relatively easy, you may “downshift” but the momentum is still there.
- 4th Gear – optimizing speed along the current path, tougher for swift movements.
- 5th Gear – cruising… and have to be mindful for sudden movements. Not the whole car may travel at the same speed, and surprises are not as fun…
Can you think of anyone who works like a CVT (Continuous Variable Transmission), who can carry a startup all the way to a large corporation? Unicorn indeed.
Car analogy aside, let’s get back to your everyday work. Do you work better
- In bigger or smaller teams?
- Independently or with supervision?
- With written or verbal communication?
- Within well-defined process or less defined guidelines?
- In constantly changing or more stable environment?
- On things that require deep expertise or being a broad, fast learner?
