There is a tool called Unique Ability which is used to improve the productivity of individuals and work teams. It can be just as powerful a tool to increase your enjoyment and fulfillment by expressing your true self in retirement.
What it is
Dan Sullivan, the founder of the business coaching program Strategic Coach, developed the concept of Unique Ability. As defined in the book Unique Ability, 2003, by his colleagues Nomura and Waller:
“Unique Ability is the essence of what you love to do and do best. There are four characteristics of Unique Ability: It’s a superior ability that other people notice and value; your are passionate about using it and want to use it as much as possible; it’s energizing both for you and others around you; and there’s a sense of never-ending improvement – you keep getting better and better and never run out of possibilities for growth.”
Everyone has a Unique Ability. When you use it, time flies by because you are absorbed in having fun.
A description of Unique Ability has a particular structure. It contains a talent you have (what you do) and a passion (why you do it.) Here are two examples of Unique Ability statements from real people that are mentioned in the book above:
- My Unique Ability is empathizing with people’s individual experiences and taking action so they feel cared for.
- My Unique Ability is perceiving the essence of a situation and providing practical strategies to align people’s thinking with what’s real.
Here’s the problem. Most people use their Unique Abilities only a small fraction of their time in both personal and work activities. This is a huge lost opportunity. The idea here is to use it more in order to spend your time on the right activities and make more of a contribution.
There are two major challenges in using your Unique Ability more than you do now: figuring out what it is for you and applying it.
Figuring it out
You may not know what your Unique Ability is, and you most probably cannot articulate it well. After all, using your Unique Ability is easy for you to do, and you take it for granted. But even if you do not know, people you interact with know what it is because they have seen it in action. So, you need to ask them.
It is helpful getting input from as wide a mix as possible from people who know you well. You can ask friends, relatives, members of your faith community, colleagues from present or past work, customers and others. Then figure out what their comments have in common.
Applying it
The impact of your Unique Ability will depend on how much you use it. Since your time is fixed at 24 hours each day, using your Unique Ability more will require doing fewer other activities. A systematic approach to decreasing time on other less productive activities involves listing those other activities and your competence in doing them. The activities that you are less competent in doing are excellent candidates for removing from your schedule. This may take some creativity in execution and the support of other people.
Let other people know what you are best at and how you can bring value to them. When you are considering a variety of opportunities, both personal activities and paid and unpaid work, think about which opportunity will give you the best chance of using your Unique Ability. In other words, use your Unique Ability as a filter in your choice of activities.
Retirement
Retirement can be a long period of time, almost as long as your working years. How you spend your time in retirement will be different from what it was before. But you are still the same person with the same Unique Ability.
During retirement you may want to contribute to the world around you through paid or unpaid (volunteer) work. If so, your Unique Ability will let you apply your best talents in the institutions that you most value and appreciate.
You will probably spend some of your retirement time in leisure activities and in interactions with friends and family. In those areas too you will make more of a contribution if you use your Unique Ability.
A larger contribution in these areas will provide you with personal benefits of more confidence, happiness, success, and freedom. Using your time wisely will add quality and meaning to your retirement years.
As you prepare for retirement or are wondering how to make your retirement years more meaningful, consider figuring out your Unique Ability. Now is the time to do it as you prepare for and enter retirement. As your contribution gets larger, you will be more excited in the morning, eager to do what is important for you.