Resolutions for Work
Most of us are well aware of our weaknesses and short comings. This is evidenced by the trend to make New Year’s resolutions. Often these are habits or behaviors that we want to stop doing or good things we feel we should start doing. While setting goals and motivation to improve is a good thing, focusing on our weaknesses is counterproductive. In his over 3 decades of experience, Marcus Buckingham (co-developer of the StrengthsFinder Assessment (now CliftonStrengths) and the Strong Life Test (now StandOut)) has found that emphasizing all that is right with you is actually a more effective approach. In his book “Find your Strongest Life”, Buckingham encourages readers to identify their strengths and lean into them as a means to grow in authenticity, productivity, fulfillment and success. The resources and applications around the Strengths movement are vast, however, we’ll start by revealing the impact on your personal/work life and also in how you engage your employees/coworkers.
Our jobs take up much or our time and are important to our sense of worth. Feeling successful in your job can energize you, give you confidence and direction. Regardless of your job title or duties, by identifying your strengths you can look for ways that you are already using them in your job and try to create more ways to use them. Your strengths are not necessarily what you are good at. You might be proficient at something, but it bores you or you dread doing it. Only you can identify the strong, positive feeling you get when using certain talents or applying yourself in certain ways. Buckingham states, “…each of us is blessed with unique strengths, and these strengths demand to be expressed. A strong life must give you regular outlets for and affirmation of these strengths – without these you will start to lose your sense of who you really are and what you are capable of.” As you go through your activities this week, identify the ones that that make you excited, feel stimulated and satisfied. We all have obligations and responsibilities, many we don’t enjoy, but focusing on your strengths will change your perspective to embrace and celebrate the moments of strength. Reframing your job by emphasizing your strengths can slowly change the trajectory of your daily tasks and how efficient, productive and fulfilled you are. Buckingham encourages, “keep offering your strengths and see whether the best of your job gradually becomes the most of your job.”
In our desire to see our employees and colleagues achieve and be productive, typically we focus on areas that need improving. However, it turns out that emphasizing areas people are already competent at, and investing in developing and applying them further, will have the most benefit. If something comes naturally to you or you enjoy doing it, you want to do more of it and get better at it and it will have the greatest returns. Buckingham explains, “In our knowledge/service economy, where the value of most jobs now lies in the employee’s talents and relationships, organizations need to understand and appreciate the full authenticity of each human being that works for them, not just to keep employees engaged, but, more importantly, to tap into each person’s creativity, innovation and insights.” The more you pay attention to a problem, the more detail and significance you give it, you’ll come to define them by what’s wrong with them. Rather than harping on their weaknesses, notice and acknowledge your employee’s successes. Focus on the positive and have a generous, benevolent perspective. “This doesn’t mean that you should overlook bad behavior. It simply means that, as far as you can, you should try to see any behavior, whether good or bad, as a thread of a strength.” Trying to make someone into something they’re not is ineffective and discouraging. What works for you likely won’t work for them; they’ll need to figure out how they can best accomplish the work. When you encourage your employees in the areas they are already good at it will instill confidence and a desire to achieve and produce more of the same. A thought provoking statement from Buckingham reads, “Don’t try to put in what God left out. Try to draw out what God left in. That’s hard enough.”
If your curiosity is piqued and you’d like to identify your strengths or the strengths of your coworkers, Hire Standard can offer the CliftonStrengths Assessment. In the near future, we will be offering Strengths coaching services. Marcus Buckingham is also offering the “StandOut Assessment” for free right now, which is an extension of the Strengths themes to reveal your leading and supporting role. We all have something unique to offer to the world. Focusing on your strengths will direct your life choices and increase your impact. By identifying your areas of strength and encouraging the strengths in those around you, you can quickly change your perspective to have an optimistic, significant and enduring result.