What is Talent?

"Talent" is a word often used to describe performance, be it in performing arts, literature or sports or such other fields. Reality show "India's Got Talent" (IGT) being telecast on the lines of the Global Reality Show "Got Talent" is hugely popular. More and more people are glued to the TV sets and the number of participants is also ever increasing. There are encouraging words about the show and participants. There are also concerns about the pressures that are brought on young minds and bodies to perform in the shows.  IGT is a hot topic of discussions in parties and social circles. 

What is "Talent"?  What are its features and characteristics? When can it be said that someone has a talent in a given field? How is it interpreted and measured? What is the view of western scholars about talent?  Has there been any reference to "Talent" in Indian Literature? These are interesting questions and an effort to answer them makes an interesting study.

Dictionary meaning of talent has two interpretations. Romans and Greeks used the word talent as a unit of weight or money. At one time, one talent of gold was considered equal to two talents of silver. However, the exact measure was varying in different areas. The more appropriate meaning for the word talent in the present context is the second one. It refers to "a special natural ability or aptitude" or "a capacity for achievement of success". It relates to the power of mind or body considered as given to a person for use and improvement. It means the skill someone has for quite naturally to do something that others find hard to emulate. It can be for music, dancing, acting or sports. It is an intellectual giftedness and corresponds to levels significantly higher than the average levels had by others and often extraordinarily  brilliant. Such talents in a child may persist and develop as a trait in adult life. It may disappear in some later on or fail to stand up to higher levels of demand.  Failure of many child artists in adult roles later in life is due to such failures. Some may have strong mathematical talent but not commensurate language skills.  

Westren thoughts on talent studies are said to be not yet settled. In the early part of 20th century, Dr Lewis Terman, an american psychologist and educationalist worked extensively on talent studies and equated giftedness with IQ. While working with Stanford Graduate School of Education, he studied methods of giving educational instructions to gifted children who were considered as genius. Psychometricians and Psychologists are still working on the various dimensions of talent studies. The talent studies reveal that it revolves around motivation, high self concept and creativity.  Whether talent can be developed by hard work and devoting longer hours at a given field is another important issue.  While it is reasonable to assume that hard work and longer hours of training would result in better nurturing of a given talent, there appears to be a point beyond which any further efforts may not yield commensurate rewards.

Is there any reference to "talent" in Indian Literature? It most certainly is and that too as far back as 1000 years! The equivalent word for 'Talent" is "प्रतिभा" (Pratibha).  Bhatta Touta (or Bhatta Taata) has very clearly defined "Pratibha" in his work "Kaavya Koutuka". Acharya Abhinava Gupta has acknowledged Bhatta Touta as one of his Gurus and said to have even written a commentary on Kavya Koutuka, by name "Vivarana".  Unfortunately, both Kavya Koutuka and Vivarana are not available.  Bhatta Touta and Abhinava Gupta lived in Kashmir in the 10th century AD.  Though the original texts are not available, Bhatta Touta's definition of "Pratibha" is quoted in many literary works from 10th century onwards. It reads as under:

प्रज्ञा नवनावोल्लेखशलिनी प्रतिभा मता |  तदनुप्राणनाजीवद् वर्णना निपुणः कविः ||

Pragnaa navanavollekhashalini pratibha mataa,
Tadanupranajeevad varnanaanipunah kavihi.        

Pratibha (Talent) is the ability to bring out some newer things again and again. With Pratibha (Talent) as base, one who can eloquently describe life is considered as a poet. (This is only an approximate English translation and fails to bring the total ethos of the definition). 

To sum up, Pratibha (Talent) can be defined as "The urge to create something new erupting continuously and spontaneously".  What we generally refer to as talent is often a capacity to imitate something which is already done by someone else and not talent in its original and unadulterated meaning!

It is the ability that counts!

The young Branch Manager (BM) had a big problem on his hands.  Authorities in the bank had specifically briefed him about the new assignment.  Recently promoted, he was posted as the In-charge of the bigger branch with a heavy customer inflow and growing business levels.  Eye brows were raised when the inexperienced greenhorn was handed over the reins of the sensitive branch.  He was aware that he was under scrutiny of his peers and many of them desired that he should fail.  Manpower shortage was a problem for the entire industry and his branch was no exception.  With business growing month after month, managing the affairs of the branch with limited manpower was indeed a challenging task.  He and his two Assistant Managers were very active and had formed a core team to manage the affairs of the branch.  One of the senior clerks in the branch was as good as an assistant manager and shouldered far more responsibilities than expected of his designation. They were early years of computerization and  this branch was chosen for a initial implementation of a new software for advanced computerization of operations.  Quantity of manpower was limited and its quality compounded the problem.  Aging staff members fighting to upgrade themselves to handle the requirements of new environment presented a pathetic sight.  But the show had to go on.  Each day brought new and unexpected problems.  He was more into fire-fighting and trouble-shooting than attending to the requirements of business development.

Bank organized a three day workshop on computerization and he was directed to attend the same.  He was sitting in the program next to a very senior BM who was due for retirement in less than a year.  Partly due to age factor and partly due to the deliberations which he hardly understood, the old man often dozed during the sessions.  He would suddenly wake up in the middle of his stupor and ask a question of the moderator.  Even before the answer was completed for the irrelevant question, he would be back in his sleepy world.  This was an irritant for the moderator but provided comic relief to the others.  On the third day of the program he suddenly got up from his drowsiness and uttered a sentence: Kuch nahi hoga (Nothing will happen).  The senior man resumed his sleep before our hero could ask him what was the meaning of his statement.  Fortunately, the veteran was wide awake during lunch time and this gave a chance to our hero to pull him aside and ask him the meaning of his comment during the session.  The veteran smiled and replied, "You see, they are talking of new machines and new technology.  Machines do not work.  Humans work.  Aaap jitna bhi accha machine lagaao, Chalanevaale wahi gadhe hain!" (The machines (computers) and software may be of excellent quality, but those who run them are the same old donkeys).  BM was left wondering how true the experienced man's uttering was.

When the BM returned to his branch from the workshop, a rude shock awaited him.  The senior clerk was promoted and transferred to another branch.  A substitute was provided in the next two weeks.  He was an elderly man who was weak in application of interest and arithmetical calculations.  Most of the bank work revolved on these requirements.  Assistant Managers found difficult to work with him and complained about him to the BM.  BM cursed his own fate but decided to get on with things and face the situations as they unfolded.

The branch had its share of complaining customers who frequented BM's cabin with their complaints on various issues.  Their number came down progressively over the next two months.  BM was pleasantly surprised at this development and probed the matter.  He realised that the complaining customers were spending more time with the new elderly clerk and left the branch thereafter with a smiling face!  This man was very good in public relations and had his own way of tacking tough customers.  He could not manage routine counter work but was an expert in understanding human behaviour and meeting customer expectations with unorthodox approach.  Most of the complaining customers were pensioners and senior citizens.  This man was very effective in making them feel important and solving their emotional concerns.  Once emotional concerns were attended to,  they were not much worried about minor service issues which resulted in complaints earlier.  Suddenly BM found an alley in the substitute clerk who gave him relief and time to attend to business matters.  He slowly stated relegating some other issues like liaison with software and hardware vendors and follow-up actions with Government agencies etc.  The substitute clerk did not have the ability to manage routine banking hall activities but able to deliver out-door errands quite effectively. In course of time this clerk was even better than the two Assistant Managers form utility point of view.  The branch won the "Best Branch Award" that year and the new clerk had made substantial contributions for the achievement.

There is a maxim in HRD: It is the ability that counts, not the inability.  Every person is bestowed by the creator with some qualities or the other which could be used effectively.  Effective leaders are able to spot such talents quickly and harness them for achieving team goals.  Of course, the leader should have the time and patience to work on this belief.  Otherwise most of the team members in many teams may be declared as useless or ineffective.

The power of Encouragement

In my blog post titled "Ovation for over 15 minutes" (Click here to read it) I had made a mention of the tonic of encouragement an artiste or a performer gets when the audience or group watching the performance applauds their effort.

There is a story about the famous 19th-century poet and artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti, popularly known as Dante.  Dante came from a very talented family and his siblings were also writers and made their own mark in literature.  Many budding artistes and poets visited him to seek his opinion on their paintings and poems.  Dante was a kind man and quick to encourage any genuine talent that he spotted.
 
Once Dante was approached by an elderly man. The old man had some sketches and drawings that he wanted Dante to look at and tell him if they were any good, or if they at least showed potential talent.  Dante looked them over carefully.  After the first few, he knew that they were worthless, showing not the least sign of artistic talent. Being a kind man, Dante told the elderly man as gently as possible that the pictures were without much value and showed little talent.  He was sorry, but he could not lie to the man. The visitor was disappointed, but seemed to expect Dante's judgment and left.

The old man was back after a few days with some more paintings.  He apologized for taking up Dante's time and requested him to just look at a few more drawings, those done by a young art student.  Dante looked over the second batch of sketches and immediately became enthusiastic over the talent they revealed. "These," Dante said, "oh, these are good. This young student has great talent. He should be given every help and encouragement in his career as an artist. He has a great future if he will work hard and stick to it."

The elderly man was deeply moved. "Who is this fine young artist, Your son?" Dante asked.  "No," said the old man sadly. "It is me - 40 years ago. If only I had heard your praise then!  For you see, I got discouraged and gave up - too soon."  Dante realized the power of encouraging young talent or more than that the negative effect of discouraging young talents.  Dante is credited with founding the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood movement that inspired a generation of writers and painters.  It is a paradox that Dante himself was attacked by the critics on his poems and paintings.  Such criticism led him to a depression and he became an alcoholic.  It is said that he buried many of his unpublished poems along with his wife's body in her grave, when she died.  It is also said that he got the grave dug up later on to retrieve the poems.

Why talented youngsters get discouraged and give up?  Why they do not get the tonic of appreciation?  This question often comes up.  The first problem lies in the ability of the elders to identify or spot the talent.  In order to catch them young, the elderly require two qualities; capacity to spot the talent and the broad mindedness to appreciate it.  There is a need for the elderly to realize that the world belongs to the young.    The second problem lies in miserly behavior when it comes to conveying the genuine recognition of the hidden capacities.    Misplaced appreciation could result in more damage.  Appreciation should not be confused with flattery.  Encouragement should be in proportion to the hidden talent and not excessive.  It should also be fair to other competitors, if there are any.  An extra consolation prize in a competition does not cost much to the organisers or judges, but goes a long way in encouraging one more talented youngster.

What does our ancient wisdom say about talent spotting and appreciation?  Our forefathers have identified three levels of appreciation of good qualities - Guna Grahana (identification of good qualities in others), Guna Prakashana (telling others about someone's good qualities) and Guna Sankeerthana (repeated and emphatic appreciation of the good qualities of a person in all possible methods).  An excellent example of Guna Sankeerthana, the highest form of appreciation, is James Boswell, biographer of Dr Samuel Johnson.  His "Life of Samuel Johnson" is considered as the most famous single work of biographical art in the whole of literature.  In fact, Boswell's "Life of Samuel Johnson" became as famous as Dr Johnson's "A dictionary of English Language"!  James Boswell was himself a man of many talents, but he chose to be a shadow of Dr Johnson and spent many years as a constant companion of the great man while writing his biography.  His was Guna Sankeertana of the ultimate level.

Coconut saplings receive little quantities of water when they are planted.  As they grow up and stand tall, they remember this kind act of some one and hold on their head many fruits full of sweet water and ready to offer to others.  Encouragement given to a young talent may continue the tradition and the world may be a better place to live in future.  A bowl of water to a young sapling is more valuable than a tankful of water to a fully grown tree.  A just and due appreciation to an youngster is far more valuable than flattery of an already well established personality.