The Perfect Fit

Jigsaw puzzles are becoming increasingly challenging, with smaller, nearly identical shapes and finished pictures consisting of hundreds of nearly identical items. I mean, seriously, how do you have a chance when the entire scene is a field of identical daisies?

But notwithstanding all that, the trick to solving jigsaw puzzles remains finding the piece which fits into the others you’ve already placed. And in many ways, that’s much like the Alignment Principle.

Remember that Alignment means that your Giftings precisely match your clients’ Needs. When your professional skills, knowledge, and aptitudes are exactly those called for by the conundrum your client faces, she will be very well served, and you will be very well compensated for doing what you love to do. As your Giftings and the clients’ Needs move out of alignment, both of you will become less and less satisfied.

So it makes complete sense that the smart professional deliberately seeks out the client whose Needs are the perfect fit for his or her Giftings. Clearly, then, it’s important to know what your Giftings are, and what the clients’ Needs are.

How do we do that? Well, it’s not unlike the jigsaw puzzle. In part, trial and error, but intentional trial and error. Most puzzle players pre-sort their pieces – all the red ones in this corner, all the green ones in that, etc., so that their search for the right shape is intelligent.

Next you know that the piece you need is mostly green, has that funny little bump on the left-hand edge, and there’s going to be a spot of red on the top. You’re still left with a lot of picking and choosing, trial and error, but at least it’s done efficiently.

In the same way, getting your Giftings aligned with your clients’ Needs will always involve some trial and error, but it can be done intelligently and efficiently. By first getting a solid handle on our Giftings, we can begin to assess the kinds of Needs which can best be addressed by them.

If my Giftings are mostly analytical, black and white, all-in-a-line, there will be a grouping of Needs that can be satisfied. Then as I narrow that down that my Giftings are spatial and problem-solving, the set of Needs also gets narrowed down. If we also admit that amongst my Giftings are not to be found musical ability or quick reflexes, we can pretty well rule out night-club singer or tennis player as a way to satisfy client Needs.

Inventorying Giftings is a critical first part of solving the puzzle, but that’s not the end of it. As we go through life we discover that this piece fits client Needs, but that one doesn’t. We can do this deliberately and intentionally, or we can stumble blindly through our careers for decades. Really, the choice is ours.

(Does this resonate as something of value to you or your team? Let’s chat.)