Appetites
Appetence is much more than a simple preference. It is an innate capacity that gives each person a natural advantage in carrying out certain activities more effectively than others. It is also what draws an employee towards the areas where they feel most competent and most passionate. Appetences are the link between what you know how to do and what you love doing.
In a world where individual and collective performance sits at the heart of what companies and employees care about, understanding and making the most of each person’s appetences has become essential.
But what exactly do we mean by “appetences”? These are the persistent traits, particular to each individual, that act as genuine sources of motivation and action. These innate talents, which can be grouped under four dominant types, Connection, Transformation, Achievement and Strategy, go well beyond simple skills. They reflect our natural preferences and our deepest inclinations.
Unlike skills, which are acquired over time, appetences are anchored in us and simply need to be identified and developed. In professional life they play a decisive role. Whether for recruitment, leadership, stimulating creativity or preventing burnout, appetences that are correctly identified and valued can become a real lever for performance and wellbeing at work.
What are appetites?
Starting from the idea that appetites, or talents, are persistent traits and sources of motivation and action unique to each person, I looked for a simple and playful way for anyone to find their own.
Definition of an appetite
These appetites fall into 4 dominant groups:
- Connection : turned towards other people, building and keeping relationships over time.
- Transformation : oriented towards the future, change and novelty.
- Achievement : driven by performance and the pursuit of results.
- Strategy : focused on thinking and on the search for challenges to take on.
Identifying and using these appetites and talents rests on several principles:
- Focus on strengths rather than weaknesses : identifying and valuing your natural talents makes it easier to succeed in the area you are drawn to, and it saves you from the discouragement of trying to improve at what you dislike doing.
- Appetites are innate : they cannot be learned or acquired. Skills and knowledge can be developed, while appetites are fundamental traits that can only be identified and grown.
- Every person is unique in their zone of appetite. Diversity can be invisible, and valuing appetites is a way of recognising what makes each individual singular. Managers can tailor their approach to the appetites and talents of each member of their team.
- Appetites differ from skills : appetites are natural preferences and inclinations, while skills are capacities acquired through experience, education and training. In other words, identify the appetites before you work on the skills.
- Identifying and using appetites is essential to professional development : by identifying and using their appetites, your people can understand their strengths and their interests better, and steer their career accordingly.
- Appetites can be discovered at any point in life : appetites are not necessarily obvious from the start. They can surface through experience and opportunity, and be developed according to what each person is interested in.
- Appetites have to be fed and encouraged : an appetite nobody has identified serves no purpose. Managers and trainers have a key part to play in recognising and supporting the appetites of their people.
In my sessions I use a card deck I developed, listing the 48 most common appetites. Participants keep the deck, and it lets them identify their strongest appetite, the one I call their “superpower”. Hence the name on the box.
Using appetites in business
Recruiting on potential rather than on past success alone
By taking candidates’ appetites into account during recruitment, companies can make sure the people they hire are naturally motivated by their tasks and more likely to thrive in the role.
Leadership and task allocation based on individual interest
By understanding the appetites of each team member, managers can allocate tasks and responsibilities according to natural inclinations. That can raise both efficiency and satisfaction at work.
More innovation and creativity
By grouping people according to their appetites, companies can build interdisciplinary teams that combine different perspectives and skills, which supports innovation and creativity.
Preventing burnout and disengagement
By recognising and valuing their people’s appetites, companies can raise motivation and satisfaction at work, which reduces the risk of burnout and disengagement.