Gifted workers: Hitting the target

Living and working with giftedness is not always easy - either for the gifted themselves or for the people around them. Potentially, gifted people are original, creative, full of vitality, passionate and constructive employees. They are very valuable, both in their jobs and in society. But not all gifted people succeed in making their talents visible. They lose track and get trapped in their own pitfalls. A potentially powerfully creative personality without clear direction may best be compared to an unguided missile. Someone who cannot be coached, cannot collaborate or communicate, a know-it-all, an antisocial, elusive person. Among colleagues and employers (and among partners and friends) this behavior creates irritation, anxiety and uncertainty. Talents remain hidden and a vicious cycle starts. Gifted people lose direction in life and work, and lose their way. What a waste of all that talent.... This book presents eleven case studies of gifted adults, each trying to find his or her own way after losing direction. Often a trigger from the environment was needed for them to start their individual voyages of discovery. The authors occupational physician and psychologist Noks Nauta and psychologist Sieuwke Ronner take their examples from their personal and professional experiences. In addition to these case histories, which gifted people often recognize from their own experiences and which they identify with sometimes smiling, sometimes crying the authors also offer concrete tools that may help gifted people to find their talents and put them to good use. Employers, occupational and insurance physicians, psychologists, career coaches, human resource managers and others who come into contact with gifted employees, can also benefit from this book. The goal is to help recognize talent, even when it is hidden, acknowledge people's gifts and help the gifted and their talents to grow and flourish."