A Case Study in Developing Talent

During the 1950’s the Nebraska School Study Council supported a state-wide research report project to identify the relative value of different methods of teaching “rapid reading” (the techniques were: tachistoscope, film and determined effort). About 6,000 tenth graders participated, the results showed no statistical significance differences between the methods.

While analysing the data, researchers were puzzled by the observation that the students who read the fastest at the study’s outset made the greatest gains during the study – from approximately 300 to 2900 words per minute. The student who read slower at the outset also made gains, but small in comparison.

This data stirred the hypothesising. Could it be that the greatest gains in human development are based on investment in what people do best naturally – in their area of talent?

Conventional vs a Strengths-Based Approach says

• Most if not all behaviours can be learned vs only some behaviours can be learned

• The best performers in a role display the same behaviours vs the best performers in a role deliver the same outcomes using different behaviours

• Weakness fixing leads to success vs weakness-fixing prevents failure, strengths-building leads to success

The difference between 2900/300 = 800%. Could our strengths be a lens on our 800% potential?

Source: Clifton D.O., & Harter J.K. (2003). Investing in Strengths In A.K.S. Cameron, B.J.E. Dutton & C.R.E. Quinn (Eds.), Positive Organizational Scholarship (pp. 111-­‐121). San Francisco: Berrett-­‐ Koehler Publishers, Inc.