: Gifted & Talented in the Workplace = “High Potential --or-- High Performer

1. : Gifted & Talented in the Workplace = “High Potential --or-- High Performer

2. Topics • Compare & Contrast: G&T with High Potential • A Closer Look at Learning Agility • Other Key Concepts: Competencies, Career Stallers & Stoppers • Development: The Whole Picture

3. Objectives • Offer a perspective you may have not known before for possible insights for education of G&T • Confirm the many aspects of over-lap of gifted and high potential • Contrast the high performer- expert as gifted but NOT high potential—yet valuable insights for them also • Long range goal of education: enable you to discover your abilities and maximize them (right?)

4. G&T : High Potential • 130+ and/or achievement, rate of acquisition/ retention, demonstrated achievement, early skill development, allowing for intervening factors masking giftedness (Pa. criteria) • Demonstrating the ability to learn from experience, and subsequently apply that learning to perform successfully under new or first time conditions (aka: learning agility)

5. Other Views of LA • Resilience, Adaptability when needed (vs. staunch, heels dug in behavior) • Willingness to relinquish behavior that used to work, but recognizing when it’s not producing optimal outcomes--- therefore NEW skills are needed • Examples: many ways to de-escalate conflict; motivation differs among individuals, ….

6. Quick Exercise • List 3 (titles) of the most memorable experiences you’ve had– that account in part for who you are today • Now identify what you learned from each one– what you internalized and was now a part of you • 2-3 Examples?!?

7. Closer Look at Learning Agility • MENTAL Agility: excellent critical thinkers who are comfortable with complexity & ambiguity. Examine problems carefully, make fresh connections. CAN clearly explain their logic to another • PEOPLE Agility: know themselves very well and can readily deal with a wide variety of people and tough situations; cool and resilient under pressure • CHANGE Agility: Curious, like to experiment, and can effectively deal with the discomfort of change. Have a passion for ideas and are highly interested in continually improving things • RESULTS Agility: Deliver results in first time situations by inspiring teams plus having significant ‘presence’. Exhibit the sort of presence that builds confidence in themselves and others

8. Even Closer Look

9. MENTAL PEOPLE Open-minded & tolerant Self Aware Comfortable with diversity & diverse opinions Can play many roles simultaneously Understands others Relishes helping others succeed Politically agile Deals with conflict constructively Skilled communicator • Curious • Gets to root causes • Comfortable with Ambiguity • Finds parallels & contrasts easily • Questions Conventional Wisdom • Finds solution to tough problem • Reads broadly & has wide interests

10. CHANGE RESULTS Builds high performance teams Can pull off things against all odds Has tremendous drive to accomplish tasks Very flexible & adaptable Has significant personal presence • Loves tinkering & trying new things • Easily accepts challenges • Accepts responsibility & accountability • Introduces new slants on old ideas

11. SIMILIARITIES

12. MENTAL PEOPLE Open-minded & tolerant Self Aware Comfortable with diversity & diverse opinions Can play many roles simultaneously Understands others Relishes helping others succeed Politically agile Deals with conflict constructively Skilled communicator • Curious • Gets to root causes • Comfortable with Ambiguity • Finds parallels & contrasts easily • Questions Conventional Wisdom • Finds solution to tough problem • Reads broadly & has wide interests

13. CHANGE RESULTS Builds high performance teams Can pull off things against all odds Has tremendous drive to accomplish tasks Very flexible & adaptable Has significant personal presence • Loves tinkering & trying new things • Easily accepts challenges • Accepts responsibility & accountability • Introduces new slants on old ideas

14. DIFFERERNCES

15. Differences • Deep expertise in one discipline is considered high performance; in contrast to high potential encompassing systemic & multiple disciplines’ impact on an optimal outcome

16. Contrasting Learners Traditional Learners Active Learners Street smarts (re: people) High initiative & motivation High conceptual complexity Very broad thinker Highly curious– why, how High self awareness; knows strengths & limitations; resourceful about limitations • High intellect • High Grades, class rank… • Scores well on tests (SAT, ACT, GRE…) • High technical KSA • High verbal & analytic skills • Linear problem solver– gets THE right answer • Practice yields greater expertise

17. High Potentials are Mostly High Performers % of high potentials that are not high performers % of high potentials that are high performers High-Potential Management Survey Corporate Leadership Council, 2005

18. High Performers are not always High Potentials % of high performers that are high potentials % of high performers that are not high potentials High-Potential Management Survey Corporate Leadership Council, 2005

19. The New SATs • Robert Sternberg, while President of the APA, collaborated with ____ to test application of the predictability of “practical intelligence” • Sufficient results occurred that the additional critical reasoning test section was added to the traditional Verbal & Math measures • Change is difficult for human beings and I’m not sure if the criticism has abated yet…. (Selective score reporting; some schools not requiring it, etc)

20. GREs Have PPI Evaluation PPI = Personal Potential Index • Knowledge & Creativity • Communication Skills • Teamwork • Resilience • Planning & Organization • Ethics & Integrity

21. Other Key Concepts: Competencies • Learning Agility is the Means; the results aimed at are increasing the development of Competencies • All Competencies are not created equally… (see handout) • mmm

22. Where Do Comps Come From? • Extensive research since the 80’s verifies which competencies can be learned from ‘significant experiences’ • Evidence of competencies can be spotted as early as junior high & of course senior high & college • See original discovery diagram; it has only increased in sources of experiences per competencies

23. NOTE: % = Frequency , not Importance Start-up/ Scratch and Fix-it/ Turnaround are the most Powerful

24. Learning Agility • You are either consciously Adding, Refining or Discarding previous behavior via Learning Agility • Or you are having lesson-rich experiences and NOT Adding/Refining/Discarding skills (under-developed LA) • Learning Agility happens within the brain’s executive function– or not • Think Darwinian Adaptation for survival of the species as one example

25. Blended70/20/10… is most powerful 25

26. DEVELOPMENT: The Whole Picture

27. Other Key Concepts: Stallers & Stoppers • Insensitivity to Others • Blocked Learner • Perception of being Arrogant • Not Trusted (failing to follow through on promises, betraying trust) • Have them study biographies, film, historical events, etc for these “unintended consequences” • Identify the gap between what I/ Others intend & what the perceived impact is – to others perception is reality

28. Development Treatment S&S INNOCULATION… • Learn toidentify the unsuccessful behaviors in self & others • Willingness to self-edit • Willingness to learn constructive feedback to others • Create a vigilance to self monitor & be aware of intention vs impact (& asking for feedback)

29. Worthy of Transplant? 1. ? Increase LA with ‘experts’ ? 2. ? Increase People Agility with all ? 3. ? Integrate principles of development with Bloom levels to make mastery clearer ? 4. ? Identify a few competencies involved in enrichment/ immersions/ academic games, etc ? 5. ? Spot-light awareness of toughest competency development with secondary students ?

30. Increase LA With ‘Experts’ • A natural evolution with Mental Agility occurs, but… • Spotlight the balancing additives of People agility, Change agility & Results (through influencing others) • Develop self reflection protocols to parallel the ‘automatic’ mach 4 cognitive mechanisms • Reinforce sharing tacit knowledge with each other to make the learning from experience more conscious

31. Increase People Agility with All • Give Self Management it’s due importance and incorporate emotional intelligence as both a cognitively learned ‘discipline’ • And, as an arena for skill building: • Play many roles; relish paradox for the flexibility • Help others succeed • Deal with conflict constructively • Ask & give feedback; take it as data; monitor Intention/Impact • Identify biases as impediments to Understanding Those Different )From Me/Us)

32. Integrate Principles of Development with Bloom • Early Strengths • 70-20-10 • Blind Spots ~ Feedback • Tough Challenges are Developmental Opportunities in Disguise (VADI) • Make better & better mistakes

33. Identify Competencies Involved w/ Enrichment, Immersions, Academic Games…. Beyond critical thinking & creative thinking, identify opportunities for practicing: • Dealing with Ambiguity • Learning on the Fly • Perspective • Conflict Management • Dealing with Paradox • Listening (with your 3rd ear) • Personal Learning • Sizing Up People (for ‘gifts differing’, for successful roles, etc)

34. Begin Tough Competency Development • Dealing with Ambiguity is the kingpin • Understanding Others • Political Savvy (for effective & respectful Negotiation) • Beyond own Creativity, reinforce practice of Innovation Management • Conflict Management/ Composure, etc can aid in taming (Daniel Goldberg’s ‘hijacking of the amygdala’)

35. SUMMARY • Compared & Contrasted: G&T with High Potential • Took Closer Look at Learning Agility • Reviewed Other Key Concepts: Competencies & Results • Pondered Development: The Whole Picture