Why Hire a Square Peg for a Round Hole?

I was listening to sports radio this morning, as I do pretty much every morning, and the topic of Justin Fields, Quarterback for the Chicago Bears came up. Namely, the controversy around his statements about his coaches a couple of weeks ago. For those of you who don’t follow the NFL or sports in general, the gist of it was Fields felt he was “robotic” out there and not playing to his strengths. He is a very mobile quarterback who can make plays on the go, through the air, with his speed. Yet, the Bears coaches weren’t incorporating those talents into the play calls; very few designed runs and roll-outs.

Justin Fields was drafted not only knowing what his talents and style of play were but also because he was successful when he was playing “his game.” Yet, when he was brought to the team, his leadership (coaches) didn’t incorporate his talents into his job. The end result? They are a 4-18 team, dating back to the 2022 season. Their win percentage is 18%. Yikes. Now, I know that Justin Fields not playing to his strengths isn’t the only reason for such a dismal record, but not letting your key players “play their game” or worse, have them play in a way that contradicts their natural talents, well, that just doesn’t seem like good business. Playing to Fields’ talents alone won’t help the team make a full 180-degree turnaround, but it will put them in a position to win more games, keep their #1 guy engaged, and improve the mood of the other 52 guys on that squad. Losing sucks. Trust me, as a Minnesota sports fan, I am way too familiar with disappointment and losing.

If it doesn’t make sense to draft a quarterback and not use him in the way he is successful, then it doesn’t make sense to hire someone for their talents and skills and not use them properly. The proverbial “square peg, round hole” thing.

But what if you don’t know how to identify your talents and the talents of others? One of the best tools out there is the CliftonStrengths® assessment from Gallup. I’d strongly recommend that you check it out or chat with me. I will also happily help you understand how to leverage the insights to help you unlock the potential within and set up your team for success…and a rate better than 18%.

Set up a no-obligation call with me at calendly.com/journeystrong. I look forward to discussing your talents and how to use them more deliberately.