If you want to help your child reach their potential, then you must start by spotting their natural talents. Too often parents think the best way to help their child is by addressing their weaknesses. However, research from Gallup shows that the best way to help your child is to develop their strengths and manage their weaknesses.

Given that, in order to help your child by developing their strengths you must become good at spotting their natural talents.  Gallup’s Strengths Based Parenting book by Mary Reckmeyer provides a blueprint for doing just this.

Gallup’s technique of “Strengths Spotting” is the process of observing your child’s talents by using behavior clues.  Gallup’s research shows that children have unique behaviors, favorite activities, and interest depending on their individual talents. As a parent it’s important for you to observe and document:

• What your child loves to do
• Things and activities that capture their attention
• What their naturally good at

Within these three categories you will then be able to drill down further to identify natural talents. In Gallup’s Strengths Based Parenting book, they recommend four methods to categorize your clues for finding natural talent.

Help Your Child by Observing These Four Behavior Clues

• Yearning: What activities or environments is your child repeatedly drawn to or eager to try?
• Rapid learning: What new skills or activities does your child pick up quickly and easily
• Satisfaction: When is your child most enthusiastic and fulfilled?  Which activities is he or she excited about doing again and again?
• Timelessness: When does your child become so engrossed that he or she seems to lose track of time?

Once you get an idea of your child’s natural talents, you then apply this simple formula shared in chapter 1 of Strengths Based Parenting:

Talent x Investment = Strength

• Talent – Your child’s natural way of thinking, feeling or behaving
• Investment – Time spent practicing and developing skills and building a knowledge base
• Strength – The ability to consistently provide near perfect performance

As a result, your clues and observations don’t equate directly to your child’s strengths.  Instead, what you are observing are natural talents and these natural talents must be nurtured in order for them to become strengths.

With this in mind, the best way to help your child reach their potential is summarized in a three step process.

1. Spot their natural talents
2. Document those talents
3. Create a plan to invest in those talents.

If you want help with this process, please don’t hesitate to contact me.