Strengths and weaknesses. It’s a funny, old thing and something I could talk all day about. But here’s the thing. We’ve all been in work and we’ve had our development review and we’ve probably all had a manager, who focused straight on our weaknesses…
Anyway, we’ve been in that a few, when our manager has focused on our weaknesses and given us this development plan over how we can overcome our weaknesses, because that’s important thing for the organisation, so you can be the most productive team member, and you have really got to be the whole package. And then, comes in the strengths approach and the strengths approach is kind of the opposite of that, if you like
And the strengths approach is about focusing on your strengths. Now, your strengths are all the things that you’re really, really strong at, funnily enough, the things that energise you, the things that you’re naturally good at, and the wonderful thing is that we need strengths and weaknesses. There is no one person in the world that can be the whole package. But when it comes to our own development, we have kind of mean of our weaknesses as a dirty word, if you like. So, when a strengths approach come in, a lot of people start to think it’s not okay to focus on your weaknesses. That it’s not appropriate when actually, we have all got them. So, why the heck is it not appropriate to be aware of what you’re not so good at, what’s not appropriate is for you to focus on them and…
What’s really, really important is you to be aware of what your weaknesses are, so you can counteract them because as I’ve said no one person can be the whole package. That is why teamwork makes a team work. After all, every organisation, every family needs a variety of different people who are all good at different things, and when everybody is good at different things, then that collective comes together and it’s so much stronger. So, be aware of your weaknesses
Be aware of what they are because when you’re aware of what your strengths are, then that gives you the power to go looking for somebody that has got a strength in your area of weakness. Does that make sense? So, my invitation to you here, is just become aware of what your strengths are, what you absolutely rocking rule at, what energizes you, but also on the things that you’re not so good at. Don’t be scared of them. The only thing there, is become aware of it, so you can counteract it. It’s really, really, really that simple.
If you are a manager, if you are working with young people, or you have got family, whatever, be careful around encouraging people to develop their area of weakness. Often it’s far easier and far more productive, far more effective to just accept that person, that they are rocking and ruling at all of this stuff, and they’re not so good at that. So, let’s get them lots of opportunities and whatever role you see them in, and you are involved with them in, use them in that area of strength, use them so that they are actually energized doing all the things you want them to do. And then, find another way to fill in the stuff, to train someone and do it all for your own life.
99% of people who I see, who are really stressed out and unfulfilled, and they think they hate their jobs and all of that, they don’t actually really hate their job.
Lots of people who think that they’re fed up and frustrated in their job, and it’s not their job that’s the problem. It’s how they’re doing it. So, actually, when you become aware of what your strengths are and how your rock and roll, then you can start approaching your job or whatever work you do… it doesn’t have to be an employed job… when you can carve that out using your strengths, when you can become aware of the things that you are spending your time on… and if you are aware that that’s actually play in to your weaknesses, then that gives you the power to do something about it.
So, don’t be scared of your weaknesses. Just become aware of them, own them, do something about it. And then, you’ll find that you’ll get a far better results, and you’ll feel a lot better about it. That’s me. Don’t be scared to your weaknesses, just own it.
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