What should get more attention when we want to develop and grow? Our weaknesses or our strengths?
Strengths are the inner gifts that help us take action or show up with others at our best. But what happens when we don't show up at our best? What happens when you promote a person on your team and they don't show up at their best? What then?
Where should the focus be?
In this article, I will share why I believe that when you partner with others to develop and grow, you will see more results when focusing on your strengths.
I am Noa, and I work with leaders, executives, and founders of companies just like you to go beyond with their leadership and their teams. Are you ready? Let's go.
When leaders often share their coaching goals, they focus on how they can become their better selves. How can they grow or help their team grow? And, nine out of ten times, the focus of their goals will be on fixing a weakness they have.
But in a study by Don Clifton at the University of Nebraska, we can see why focusing on strengths can be more beneficial for yourself and your team.
Clifton and his team observed two groups of High School Kids.
One group was of fast readers who read above average– they read 350 words per minute with comprehension
The second group was of average readers, reading 90 words per minute with comprehension
Both groups received the same speed reading course to see what would happen. The results showed that the average readers improved by 66%; they went up from 90 words to 150 words per minute. Impressive right?
What do you think happened to the fast reader’s group?
Take a moment to guess before you keep reading this article.
The fast readers improved from 350 words to 2,900. That means they enhanced by 828%.
Wow!
That shows us that when we work from our strengths, we and others get hundreds of percentages more from us using our powers. And still, some of us cannot let go of our weaknesses. I get it. This is how our brain is wired: the brain pays attention to what's not working or can cost us our lives. This is the ancient brain that protects us from life and death-situations.
This is also how our world works; we want to fix problems no matter what they are, from politics to clean water. We all focus on resolving issues; therefore, if we are not good at something, we should fix it. Right?
I will challenge this view – is it right?
Where do you see yourself thriving? When people or your inner chatter tell you you are not good enough or when your strengths are recognized? When you or others focus consistently on what you need to improve, do you notice your energy going up or down? Do you see more defensiveness or progress? Do you witness self-judgment or curiosity?
So here is the golden rule:
When should you focus on a weakness?
When you receive consistent feedback around a specific theme that requires improvement along your life path from different people on different work and life experiences, maybe it is time to look at this area as an opportunity to improve. Or ask yourself how you can use your strengths to improve in this area.
On the other hand, and some will disagree with me, our strengths can sometimes get us in trouble. Mostly it happens in times of change, when we enter a new role, get promoted, lead an organizational change, or any other new life or work situation.
Since we want to feel successful in times of change, we might "overuse our strength." Intuitively we sense that by accessing our strengths, we can achieve goals, influence, impact, or any other outcome we or our supervisors have in mind. And this is when we use our strengths in a way that might not serve us.
Here are some examples that you can get in your way with your strengths (and there are many more):
If you are strong at execution, by overusing your ability to get things done, you might not delegate or micromanage.
If you are strong at problem-solving, you will tell people what to do to bring results rather than empower others.
If you are very analytical, you will want to ensure you explored any data point and might not move to make decisions or actions and slow down the process or others who wait on your decisions.
If you are good at building trust and relationships, you might ask too many people what they think and not move into making a decision.
Creating awareness can help you regroup and turn down the volume on how you use your strengths in a productive way for yourself and others. Do you see people frustrated? Do you notice people not talking in meetings? Do you get feedback that you are not delegating, or maybe, on the other hand, not moving into action?
Those are red flags to lean back, pay attention to, and ask yourself – what strength am I using too much or maybe it is time to use it in a new way that can serve myself and my team/peers better?
When you run through this exercise with yourself, build on your learning and pay attention to your team; who does not perform well or looks deflated? Are they working from their strengths? Why not? Are you or others getting in their way? Are they in the wrong role? How can you empower and recognize their strengths? Who on your team shares or completes each other strengths, and how can they complement/collaborate/mentor each other? How can you delegate to others what fits their strengths?
How do you approach the strengths and weaknesses topic? Anything you would like to share or add?
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Cheers!