Tennis players and golfers know what I’m talking about here: The sweet spot is that magical space on the raquet- or club-face which — when you actually hit the ball there — gives you drive and ease and control. Hitting the sweet spot gives you the “ahhh” of shots.
Humans have a sweet spot or two as well, particularly when it comes to work. I’m not talking learned skills: We each have built-in abilities that really work for us. For one of my clients, it’s a talent for speaking truth to power. She makes that work for her, and when she tries to quash it she and her organization suffer. For another, it is constant questioning. By asking literally a hundred questions a day, he does not get sucked into a status-quo view of things. He keeps inertia from being a drag on his company.
Peter Bregman wrote a post that helps point out the pitfalls of ignoring the sweet spot. Worth a read as you come back from a refreshing summer of golf or tennis.