Sprinter vs. Marathoner; Who do you choose?

Samuel Kamau Wanjiru from Kenya broke the Olympic record during 2008 Summer Olympics with a 2hr 6 min run of the 26 miles while at the same time Usain Bolt from Jamaica broke both 100m and 200m sprints with 9.69s and 19.30s. Both Usain and Samuel are phenomenal athletes of their generation and are revered in their own runs. However, can Usain be half as good as Samuel in running a marathon race or will Samuel give Usain a run for his money in short distance runs? Everyone of you probably will guess it right. Usain CANNOT be the best marathon runner and Samuel CANNOT be the best sprinter. Why? Researchers have proven that some are built to be sprinters while others are built to be marathoners and then there are others in between. This is pretty much true in our professional environment as well. There are employees who perform their best in short bursts of projects while there are some who can slog consistently through long projects.

Every team requires both sprinters and long distance runners. We need employees that bring in tons of creative energy to work on either short term projects or get a long term project going. However, we absolutely need consistent long term performers to take on the project to the very end. Let me give specific examples of job functions that have shown clear tendencies towards sprinter or marathoner. Sales and marketing folks typically have sprinter like qualities. They need tons of energy to break into a customer or into a market and need that energy to energize the rest of the team behind them. Project managers on the other hand tend to have marathoner like qualities as they have to drive a project over the long term. In Industries such as semiconductors, most design projects take over 2 years to production and therefore require marathoners who can strive to the end.

It is the interest of the company and everyone of its managers to keep their eyes open to see the sprinter or marathoner among everyone its team members. This innate ability to perform with maximum efficiency in short bursts versus perform with consistency over the long term should not only be recognized but also utilized the improve the efficiency of management of team's resources in any company. If you are a sprinter or a marathoner, accept it and look for job functions that fit it with your innate characteristics to maximize your chances for success.