Keys to individual and organizational success

	Related Books An important area of focus for OD practitioners is building the capabilities of the organization.  Capabilities area sometimes divided into different "buckets":
	TALENTS:  those capabilities that individuals naturally exhibit based on experiences and knowledge gained early in life and/or those that the individual seems to be "born" with.  Individuals tend to exhibit talents often and in diverse circumstances, and using their talents seem to give individuals energy and enthusiasm.  According to Marcus Buckingham, "Great managers... define a talent as "a recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can be productively applied." The emphasis here is on the word "recurring." Your talents, they say, are the behaviors you find yourself doing often. You have a mental filter that sifts through your world, forcing you to pay attention to some stimuli, while others slip past you, unnoticed. Your instinctive ability to remember names, rather than just faces, is a talent. Your need to alphabetize your spice rack and color code your wardrobe is a talent. So is your love of crossword puzzles, or your fascination with risk, or your impatience. Any recurring patterns of behavior that can be productively applied are talents. The key to excellent performance, of course, is finding the match between your talents and your role." (First, Break All the Rules, What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently)
	SKILLS:  those capabilities that individuals gain from experience and/or learning, which exhibit an undertanding of how to do a certain task or job.  Answers the "how to" questions.
	KNOWLEDGE:  those capabilities that individuals gain from experience and/or learning, which exhibit an understanding of concepts or data.  Answers the "what is" questions.
	STRENGTHS:  a combination of talent, skills, and knowledge that is applied, to move the individual or organization to success.
	Collectively, these are often called "competencies" and can be used in the selection, compensation, evaluation, and development of individuals.

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