The call of one’s destiny

The third edition of the Talent Development Program, the FBK initiative designed to enhance and accompany the potential of people working in the research and innovation community, the beating heart of the Foundation, has begun.

It involves about 130 talents in a path structured in three phases, designed to bring out attitudes and passions, design personalized growth trajectories, offer strategic tools and foster new professional connections.

The course was inaugurated on 9 June with an inspirational talk given by Alberto De Biasi (PhD, Learning and Leadership Executive Consultant) dedicated to the theme of talent and its development.

What drives the pursuit of perfection in science as well as in the world of sport? What are the motivational resources we can draw on to improve ourselves? How can we channel our attitudes to express our potential?

Starting from questions like these, the workshop was developed with the expert called to stimulate the comparison between the participants, alternating illuminating anecdotes and exercises in pairs or in small groups, moments of discussion that explored the phenomena and dimensions through which collaborative relationships in a work environment can facilitate or curb the expression of one’s talent.

The light of motivation

Motivational resources focused on fun, relationships with other people, aesthetics and refinement configure the opportunity to shift one’s perspective from exclusively utilitarian goals to meaningful life experiences, enriching in existential and beautiful terms. They are factors that shape human behavior in various ways.

Fun (also called intrinsic/hedonistic motivation) is driven by pure enjoyment, play, and the emotional satisfaction of the activity itself. It ignites curiosity, spontaneity and a state of deep involvement (flow) in both work and leisure.

Others (i.e. altruism and social relationships) are a force driven by a desire to encourage, resonate with, or contribute to the well-being of other people. This includes empathy, the joy of collaboration, and the satisfaction of leaving a positive impact on a community or an individual.

Aesthetics and refinement (in the sense of artistic and qualitative research) move from the appreciation of beauty, harmony and precision. It is the quest to do things with style, skill and attention to exceptional detail, finding emotional fulfillment through the process itself.

The hero and the enemy 

Taking inspiration from literature, cinema, competitive sports, evolutionism and psychology, De Biasi brought out the central question around which the discussion developed: what is talent? What obstacles do you encounter when we interpret the worst version of ourselves instead of the best?

By iteratively commenting on examples anchored in each other’s daily work habits and challenges, the group familiarized themselves with concepts to learn how to recognize their inner enemy and guide their energies towards positive focus (Fun at work? When? Doing what?).

“As happens in the narrative scheme of the hero’s journey – comments De Biasi – an inner voice can call us to face unprecedented challenges that transform us through a series of trials that produce stress but at the same time excitement, making us feel alive to the fullest. And this is how we gradually have the opportunity to recognize and develop our potential, that is, to deconstruct our ordinary life to symbolically embark on a path towards our deepest destiny: an opportunity that makes a great difference not only for the best results we can achieve but also for the joy it produces, it makes us feel better, so you cannot afford to waste it. Recognizing the traps we ourselves set along our path, asking the right questions to realize what is happening, and taking action to move in the direction of what we desire is crucial. And the good news is that this is a skill that can be acquired through exercise.”

While the dark side of us knows no self-irony or courage, simply asking what matters most emotionally to us is an immediate and clear way to reconnect with our hero and his irresistible vitality.

New this year

This edition closes the experimental and design phase. From 2027, the talent program will become an ongoing process for FBK’s fixed-term staff, integrating into internal flows and investments related to people and skills development. An experiential path: personal and professional, starting from talent, its attitudes and aspirations, to accompany everyone along future professional paths.

As of this year, there are a total of 5 paths offered, with the inclusion of the career path “Research exploring” for young researchers who are exploring the world of research and innovation through a doctoral course or an internship experience at FBK.

The goal, simple and ambitious at the same time, does not change: to support everyone in becoming “all that we can be“.