Blog
Monday, December 26, 2011
For years as women we've been conditioned both in our personal and professional lives to identify our weaknesses and to focus on how we can improve them. However, research indicates, that we really only show incremental improvement in those areas over time. It is our areas of strength where we have the most opportunity to grow and develop. To grow, we need to first understand and identify our strengths. Strengths are more than just something we're good at. After all we're all good at something, but do we really enjoy doing it? For example, in my family I am usually the one who is called upon to organize events. Vacations, holiday gatherings, etc., I am typically the one who sets them up, tells everyone what to bring and what time to be there. I am good at this task, no doubt. Most people that know me would say that organizing is a strength of mine. That said I don't consider it one of my strengths because I really don't enjoy doing it. Often when I am through with the task, I feel exhausted and not excited about doing it again.
A strength is something that gives us energy and is something we are really passionate about.
By learning how to use and leverage our strengths more every day, we can experience increases in focus and energy, personal growth, self confidence and career satisfaction. For example, maybe you are a woman who is not currently in the workplace or you work part-time. If this is the case, I bet you spend a lot of time volunteering in various capacities and I also bet that there are times that these volunteer assignments leave you feeling burned out and depleted. A big reason for this may be that you are not leveraging your strengths. Or, perhaps you are a woman who has been in the corporate world for several years and is just not feeling satisfied with what you are doing or where you are going. Understanding your strengths and then building a plan to leverage them in your daily work can help you grow, develop and feel more satisfied with your career.
You see, this concept really does apply to all of us. We just need to make the time to focus on ourselves and discover what it is that brings us the energy and stamina we all desire.
A strength is something that gives us energy and is something we are really passionate about.
By learning how to use and leverage our strengths more every day, we can experience increases in focus and energy, personal growth, self confidence and career satisfaction. For example, maybe you are a woman who is not currently in the workplace or you work part-time. If this is the case, I bet you spend a lot of time volunteering in various capacities and I also bet that there are times that these volunteer assignments leave you feeling burned out and depleted. A big reason for this may be that you are not leveraging your strengths. Or, perhaps you are a woman who has been in the corporate world for several years and is just not feeling satisfied with what you are doing or where you are going. Understanding your strengths and then building a plan to leverage them in your daily work can help you grow, develop and feel more satisfied with your career.
You see, this concept really does apply to all of us. We just need to make the time to focus on ourselves and discover what it is that brings us the energy and stamina we all desire.
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Monday, December 26, 2011
Once you are clear on the definition of a strength, you need to spend some focused time trying to figure out your individual strengths. Some of our strengths will just jump out at us. We know right away that it is a strength of ours because of the power and passion we experience when doing it. Others may take a little more time and reflection to identify.
Identify
Find the projects, opportunities and assignments which utilize your strengths. Stop saying yes to everything or volunteering for things that really don’t interest you just to fill your time. Try a new strategy and offer up your time for the tasks which will leverage your strengths.
Once you start to put these tips into practice, I guarantee that you will notice a difference in how you feel and how you approach where you spend your time. Life is too short. Your time is too valuable. Don’t spend it on things that don’t give you the power and passion you deserve.
Here are a couple of tips for how to go about finding and utilizing your strengths.
Observe
Spend time really observing what you are doing and how you spend your time. Which projects, assignments or activities do you find yourself wanting to work on? When are you really in your zone where time just seems to fly by and you don’t even realize it? When doing tasks and activities, which ones give you a shot of energy? Which ones do you tend to volunteer for over and over? Spend a week or two asking yourself these questions and make some notes of what you think your strengths are.
Ask
Solicit input from others. Although you are the best person to identify your strengths others may be helpful in providing you with some perspective on them. So ask them. What do they think your strengths are? How have they seen you use your strengths?
Focus
Having discovered what your strengths are, it is also vital to then focus on leveraging those strengths. Too often, we focus on what we think we should be doing better. You will never turn weaknesses into strengths so focus on the things that inspire and motivate you.
Having discovered what your strengths are, it is also vital to then focus on leveraging those strengths. Too often, we focus on what we think we should be doing better. You will never turn weaknesses into strengths so focus on the things that inspire and motivate you.
Identify
Find the projects, opportunities and assignments which utilize your strengths. Stop saying yes to everything or volunteering for things that really don’t interest you just to fill your time. Try a new strategy and offer up your time for the tasks which will leverage your strengths.
Once you start to put these tips into practice, I guarantee that you will notice a difference in how you feel and how you approach where you spend your time. Life is too short. Your time is too valuable. Don’t spend it on things that don’t give you the power and passion you deserve.
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Kim Huggins
K HR Solutions President Kim Huggins helps transform individuals and corporate work groups into effective leaders and results-oriented teams. Kim’s thought-provoking services and programs are custom-designed to meet your needs. Kim is also a nationally recognized trainer and speaker on the topic of Understanding Generations.
