Giftedness · Professional life
Work is often where differences become most visible: a need for meaning, a fast pace, creativity, heightened sensitivity, perfectionism or intense commitment. These characteristics can become real strengths, but also sources of boredom, conflict or exhaustion when poorly understood.
Video in French. The article below is available in English.
These ten points do not describe all gifted people, and they are not specific to HIP. They mainly help you reflect on your own way of working: what stimulates or exhausts you, what helps you work efficiently and what creates a sense of being out of step with others.
Some people with High Intellectual Potential, particularly when they also have Autism Spectrum Disorder, experience sensory hypersensitivity. Noise, movement and interruptions can make open-plan offices very draining.
Intuitive thinking, a broad perspective and rapid associations can make it possible to find a solution very quickly, sometimes before being able to explain precisely the mental process involved.
Understanding or completing certain tasks very quickly can make waiting, long meetings or unnecessarily slow processes difficult.
A long history of feeling out of step can weaken confidence. Some criticism then affects a person much more strongly than might be apparent from the outside.
At work, some people protect themselves by showing little emotion, whereas others struggle to contain their emotions when under considerable pressure.
A creativity, a need for freedom and the ability to consider several solutions can make them drivers of innovation, provided the environment leaves enough room for initiative.
When a subject sparks their passion, some people can produce a great deal very quickly. The downside may be boredom when stimulation is insufficient, or misunderstanding with colleagues who work differently.
Commitment can be considerable when work aligns with a person’s values. Conversely, a task perceived as meaningless can be extremely difficult to engage with.
The perfectionism encourages very high aims. It can also encourage procrastination when a task becomes so demanding that it seems impossible to start or finish.
When someone gives a great deal over a long period without noticing or respecting their limits, commitment can end in exhaustion. Understanding their pace and needs then becomes a real source of protection.
Identifying giftedness is about more than obtaining a number. It can help explain why some environments are highly stimulating and others exhausting, why you become bored quickly, why meaning matters so much or why high expectations of yourself sometimes become draining.
No. High potential does not protect against boredom, relationship difficulties or a poorly adapted workplace. It can become an asset when a person understands their functioning and needs better.
Pace, repetition, lack of autonomy or absence of meaning can be particularly draining when someone needs complexity and stimulation.
It can help explain the cognitive profile and make sense of recurring experiences. It does not resolve professional difficulties on its own, but can provide a more precise framework for understanding them.
If these characteristics have shaped your professional life for years and the question of HIP keeps recurring, screening can be a first step. An assessment then allows you to go further and understand your cognitive profile precisely.
Understand why some highly competent people nevertheless feel they never truly belong.
Read the article →Explore the main signs that can lead you to consider HIP.
See the 10 signs →Explore your cognitive profile and different cognitive indices in practical terms.
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