Know Your Superpower: How to Stat Stack
I have a deeply rooted belief that you should stack points deep within your class's talent tree. In other words, you should focus on the skills and abilities you do well and that they will fill in the blanks of where your weaknesses exist. There are two reasons this theory has held consistently true for me:
I love games, especially Role Playing Games (RPG). When playing these games, you spend points you have earned through gameplay into various stats. What you spend your points on will affect how your character will play and engage with the game's world. Stat stacking is when players load up points on stats that are the most beneficial for their class or their role in the game versus evenly distributing points across multiple skills. This idea of Stat Stacking has likely influenced how I see the real world, not just the virtual world.
I am dyslexic. Dyslexia is a disability in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but does not affect general intelligence. People with dyslexia generally have more significant strengths in big picture thinking, pattern recognition, identifying and memorizing complex images, spatial acuity, creative problem solvers, and are excellent visual or verbal communicators. That last point resonates with me and likely resonates with those that have worked with me. This also means that I have spent a lot of time tapping into these strengths to overshadow the shortcomings of dyslexia.
Okay, so we have established that I am a geeky person that thinks a little differently than many of you. I am okay with that; but, I don't think I am all that special. I believe that you could describe yourself with a few different skills or attributes that give you a unique perspective. That's where I want to spend time with you today.
What's my class?
Where do we start? First, you need to know what things are your strengths. Are you a warrior, an assassin, a hunter, a wizard, or a healer? Let's figure that out! Here are some tips and tools to help you find your strengths; after all, every class has a distinct set of skills.
Ask yourself the following questions:
What do I love about my work? You may not love your job, but there are parts of your career you may enjoy.
Where do I lose track of time? Answers to this question can come from any area of your life (e.g., hobbies, work, family, etc.)
Where have you been successful or being rewarded? Was the work easy?
What words do other people use to describe me? If you are unsure, ask!
Do I prefer to tank the giant monsters, make bandages, or toss a polymorph?
One of my favorite tools in identifying strengths is to take the Gallop Clifton Strengths Assessment (Strengths Finder). This assessment will provide you with a list of your top strengths; I do, however, recommend that you validate that list by talking it over with mentors, friends, family, etc. You are taking the test and could show some unconscious bias in how you answer based on the coaching you have received throughout the years.
It is also helpful to have some time to reflect theoretically. In this example, you would need a partner (a friend or a trusted college – the most crucial feature to look for is the ability to challenge you) to complete the following steps:
Share a few of your strengths. Do they agree? Were you blind to any strengths?
Share a long term goal. What skills will be needed? Do you have the experience?
Imagine your goal is a reality. Do your strengths align? Are their gaps? What appeals to you the most? What are some creative ways to use your strengths where gaps may have presented themselves?
Have your partner repeat the findings back to you.
Finally, accept the quest in front of you. Yeah, its the guy with the exclamation mark over his head.
This activity will help you crystalize how to use the skills you have identified, and working with a partner will allow you to process and hear the gaps and ensure that you can communicate the use of these skills succinctly.
There are loads of tools out there to help you determine your strengths; use what works for you! The most important thing is that you start the quest.
Blow On Your Dice
Were you surprised you ended up a hunter (a seeker of truth, a finder of good, and gatherer of good people), or did the work you did above solidify everything you already knew about yourself? Either way, you now know what skills with which you have to work.
Let's first discuss why a Healer shouldn't focus many points in weapon-wielding, but shouldn't avoid it altogether. A healer doesn't have the innate ability to become a master at the art of flinging a sword at enemies. Because of this fact, the Healer will have to practice longer and harder to become only moderately good at heaving steel. On the other hand, if in battle, a monster attacks the Healer, they will need some ability to defend themselves. This means you can't avoid your weaknesses altogether unless you don't mind dying because a level 3 pig decided you got to close.
A practical example of this might be 'Organization.' If it is not your strong suit, you may find you get feedback such as:
The report was incomplete -or- we spend a lot of time issuing addendums.
Your work was late, as you needed to locate all of the components.
Employees ask to know information sooner due to missed communication dates.
The NPC won't accept your 100 pelts and doesn't know what quest you are referring to
You will need to find methods that help you shore these things up, and with these distractions out of the way, your strengths will shine!
Rake in the Damage Per Second (DPS)
Carol Dweck stated, "Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more than those with a more fixed mindset (those who believe their talents are innate gifts). This is because they worry less about looking smart and put more energy into learning." It is essential to spend time developing these skills to the mastery level.
Once you have genuinely honed your skills (noting that developing your skills at work is one of the best places to get better), you should look for ways to use those skills to improve your happiness at work and potentially parlay that into other roles within the company or for your career. The Harvard Business Review provided a great example of using strengths to your advantage. Find an expert below from the How to Play to Your Strengths article.
"Robert began by scheduling meetings with systems designers and engineers who told him they were having trouble getting timely information flowing between their groups and Robert's maintenance team. If communication improved, Robert believed, new products would not continue to be saddled with the serious and costly maintenance issues seen in the past. Armed with a carefully documented history of those maintenance problems as well as a new understanding of his naturally analytical and creative team-building skills, Robert began meeting regularly with the designers and engineers to brainstorm better ways to prevent problems with new products. The meetings satisfied two of Robert's deepest best-self needs: He was interacting with more people at work, and he was actively learning about systems design and engineering.
Robert's efforts did not go unnoticed. Key executives remarked on his initiative and ability to collaborate across functions, as well as on his critical role in making new products more reliable. They also saw how he gave credit to others. In less than nine months, Robert's hard work paid off, and he was promoted to program manager. In addition to receiving more pay and higher visibility, Robert enjoyed his work more. His passion was reignited; he felt intensely alive and authentic. Whenever he felt down or lacking in energy, he reread the original e-mail feedback he had received. In difficult situations, the e-mail messages helped him feel more resilient."
Strengths can also become weaknesses. Attention to detail, for instance, can lead to micromanagement or cause you to get "hung up" on the details, even when it's not necessary. Ensure that you are being mindful and gathering feedback regularly; otherwise, you will find that you're an assassin class that just can't help itself from standing in the fire.
Looking for Party
Every person comes with strengths and weaknesses. Naturally, this means areas, where you are deficient, are balanced out by people who have that matching area as a strength. This is the core of building diverse and inclusive teams. In fact, in role-playing games, there is the "Holy Trinity."
The three roles that make up the Trinity are the Tank, the Healer, and the Damage Dealer. The Tank excels at taking aggro (keeping the focus of the monster/battle), but generally doesn't do much damage and can't heal. The Healer's primary mission is to ensure everyone survives, but doesn't do a lot of damage and can very quickly die (damn pigs). The Damage Dealer generally does the bulk of the killing but can't hold aggro and is somewhat squishy when it comes to their protection. These roles complement each other and support one another. Could the task be accomplished alone? Sure, if the skills are overpowered enough, but, in general, the fight is more enjoyable when the cooperation and roles are complemented accordingly.
Now, imagine if the Damage Dealer decided to be a Tank. The Healer would struggle to keep them alive, and the Tank would struggle to kill the monster in time. What if the team lacked a healer... I foresee a resurrect countdown in your future. It would be best if you had balance; seek it.
Overpowered by Design
I speak in pictures. I craft visually stunning PowerPoint and use verbal language in a persuasive way. I know that I can use this to my advantage, but it can cause problems. As an example, I use this superpower to create compelling stories that can sell a business plan. In fact, I was given a lovely tagline by a coworker: sabsMAGIC! Needless to say, I have many talent points dedicated to this talent tree. However, I will also default to a presentation versus a write-up that may not fit the needs of my leadership.
I am giving you complete permission to craft your skills into tools that others may consider to be overpowered, and want to remind you to be careful of the pitfalls of power (your skills may bring out poor behavior). Your legendary quest rewards are right around the corner (well after some hacking and slashing).