By: Allison McCarthy, MBA | amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com
Is being a sponge a good thing or a bad thing? If someone called you a sponge, would you consider it a compliment or an insult? It depends on how much you know about sponges.
Adam Grant, author of Hidden Potential, uses the humble sea sponge as a metaphor for human growth and development. “Sea sponges don’t just passively absorb food and oxygen,” Grant says. “They’re adept at filtering out toxic substances and unhealthy particles.” In addition to these properties, sea sponges release beneficial life-promoting chemicals and oxygenate the oceans.
According to Grant, being a human sponge is about more than absorbing information. It’s about filtering it, incorporating what’s valuable, and releasing what’s not.
To get to the next level professionally, like a sea sponge, we need to develop our “absorptive capacity” — the ability to recognize, value, assimilate, and apply information critical to the situation.
Early in my career in physician relations, I learned that absorbing information is just the beginning. My hospital’s CEO made it abundantly clear that real value comes from being able to filter information and understand how it fits into the overall context of the organization.
Middle managers with well-developed absorptive capacity or “sponginess” take in information from the top and filter it for the benefit of their team. This enables the team to adapt and align with the needs of the organization.
Grant explains that sponginess hinges on two key habits: 1) being proactive in acquiring information, and 2) filtering information with a focus on adding value.
To learn to be a human sponge, start with questions:
- What information do you need?
- What resources may provide this information?
- Which stakeholders will have a key influence?
- What questions do you need to ask them?
- When will you set aside time to reflect on what you’ve learned?
- Which colleagues would be good sounding boards?
Once you’ve completed this process, you’re ready to make a recommendation, create an action plan, or guide team members through a difficult situation. With practice, you will become more efficient with this process and learn to do it intuitively.
The benefits of being a human sponge accrue not just to you but to those around you. Like a sea sponge, Grant says, “Done right, it’s not just about soaking up nutrients that help us grow. It’s also about releasing nutrients to help others grow.”
This type of professional growth is a game-changer and enhances your ability to be a solid leader. It is also deeply integrated into my leadership coaching, and I would welcome the opportunity to work with you to advance your potential. For more information, send me an email at amccarthy@barlowmccarthy.com. We can set up a complimentary call to see if working together is a good fit.