Know Thy Strengths
"Do you get an opportunity to do your best everyday?" asks Tom Rath, a proponent of the strength-based movement. Chances are, very few of us do. Understandably so - because in order to do our best, on most days if not everyday, we need to leverage our strengths. But how many of us are really aware of our unique strengths let alone utilizing and leveraging them? Across the world, we are conditioned to improve our deficiencies than develop our strengths. The question pops up in an interview "what are your top strengths?" and the response would typically match keywords in the job description of the role. Sure enough, experience and competencies matter but our unique strengths are areas where we bring real "value" to any equation.
Gallup reports: when we are not in our "Strengths-Zone", we dread going to work; have more negative than positive interactions; treat our co-workers and customers poorly; and have fewer creative moments. On the contrary, people who are aware of their strengths and utilize them effectively are more confident; have a clear and strong sense of direction; optimize their own creative potential; acknowledge, appreciate and engage the unique strengths of others towards a shared goal; are known to have higher levels of hope and kindness; and live excellent quality of lives.
While its reported that people have several times more potential for growth when they invest their energy developing their strengths instead of correcting their weaknesses, this potential cannot be fully realized without an awareness and management of our weaknesses. Sometimes our weaknesses can derail our most well-intentioned, diligent and strength-based efforts. For years together, what I built diligently with my Empathy, Focus and Persistence, I destroyed with my Self-Doubt and Impatience. With awareness, support and work, we can develop skills to unpack our weaknesses in a way that they don't sabotage our growth.
Vishi Mishra is running one-day, weekend workshops in Pune, India all through November, 2017 to help people identify their top strengths and map them with their long-term goals. To know more and register, click here.
