I’ve always found that making the most of what I’m good at ensures I enjoy my job more. Knowing what I’m good at comes from different areas:
– I get feedback from others when I coach or train them
– I feel it; I come away feeling on a high; I have that sense of self-satisfaction that comes from just knowing I’ve done a good job
– I can measure the results against success criteria I’ve set myself (or others have set)
But sometimes we lose sight of what we’re good at. We get caught up in the day-to-day stuff, and take our strengths for granted.
Key questions
- When was the last time you carried out a SWOT analysis on yourself? If it’s been a while, try it again and focus mainly on your Strengths.
*Here’s a SWOT grid I use when working with clients. In each section I’ve included some prompts; things to consider when completing the grid.
- When was the last time you asked others what you’re good at? Sometimes it’s easier to do it this way. My experience in carrying out SWOT analyses with people is that they find it hard to think about their own strengths, and easier to think of other peoples’. A common reaction to others telling you what you’re good at is: “but that’s just my job, that’s what I do.” As you’re carrying out your daily duties, you are building up your skill set, developing your capabilities and growing these into your strengths.
Once you’ve got your strengths list, look for opportunities to use these more often. You’ll probably find that some activities relating to your strengths give you more enjoyment than others. For example, one of my strengths is organisation, but I don’t get as much enjoyment from being organised with my quarterly accounts as I do being organised in preparing for work with my clients!
What are your strengths, and how do you maximise them?
(Photo credit: Idea go)
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