Reframe and Refocus: A Strength-Based Approach to Professional Development
On professional development.
Often, when we seek to self improve, our inclination is to focus on our weaknesses. While well intended, this approach is misguided and incorrect. At best, spending our time and energy focused on addressing them will be draining. At worst, we invest significantly in building on our weaknesses, and find that it is ineffective.
I am proposing that for effective self improvement and professional development, we focus on building our strengths rather than trying to strengthen our weaknesses.
Where to start?
Identify your strengths. It is completely understandable if this is a difficult activity. Take the steps below to get started.
Reflect on feedback recently shared with you. What resonates? What feedback have you heard more than once?
For example: “Ramona you are so thorough” or “Ramona, I don’t know how you stay so organized” or “Listen, this is too much, I am not as detail-oriented as you!”
Do you notice any themes or trends?
Write down recent accomplishments. It does not matter how small the actions were, a win is a win.
For example: “I cleared my email inbox” or “I closed on a contract with a client this week.”
What behavior led to this success? What commitment did you make or honor?
Finally, ask a trusted friend, colleague, or family member about what strengths they see. You may be surprised by what you hear.
Build the habit.
The work to identify our strengths never ends. We simply build the habit to continually check-in and assess.
Additionally, once core strengths are identified, we can then work on strengthening them even more. Someone that I recently worked with shared that she has heard that she is a great negotiator. I asked if she knew any theory or frameworks to support her skills as a negotiator, and she said she hadn’t explored that before. When she and I met again, she shared that she had learned a few techniques to enhance and complement her negotiating skills. She was excited for the opportunity to incorporate the techniques into her own.
We can all learn something from her experience. Identify our strengths, then build upon them, while maintaining the habit to continually check-in and assess.
But what about our weaknesses?
A focus on strengths does not mean that we ignore our weaknesses. For areas that we consider weaknesses, I recommend the following.
If you want to grow in the identified area, then work on the area. Do keep in mind that it is not likely not an area that you are inclined to develop, give yourself grace as you work on the skills.
If you do not want to grow in this area, identify your team, a team of people who are strong in areas that you are not. They will leverage their strengths to further your shared goals.
The impact.
When we focus on building our strengths, we maximize our time and energy to build confidence.
Learn more about the power of our mindset in the highly recommended book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, PhD. Click here to review and purchase.
If you would like to meet with me for strength-based coaching, check out my services here.