The idea
A capable person can meet the requirements of a job and still be underused. Leaders often allocate work by availability: whoever has time gets the task. A stronger approach looks for the intersection of what needs doing, what someone does exceptionally well, and what stretches them in a useful direction.
Look for repeated signals. Which problems do colleagues bring this person? What do they learn unusually fast? When does their work raise the quality of everyone else’s? Treat those observations as hypotheses, then give the person a meaningful assignment where that strength matters.
Make it concrete
A reliable analyst is routinely assigned weekly reports. Her manager notices that teams seek her out when metrics conflict because she can expose hidden assumptions. Instead of adding another report, he asks her to design the measurement plan for a new product. Her analytical strength now shapes an important decision and expands her scope.
Do not confuse strength with permanent typecasting
Using someone well is not trapping them in the task they already perform best. Ask what they want to develop, make the assignment explicit, and review whether it is producing growth as well as results. The goal is greater contribution, not endless extraction.
Try it
Choose one teammate. Complete this sentence with evidence: “They are unusually good at ___.” What consequential assignment could use that strength without turning it into a cage?