You Are Good at Something. What Is It?
You Are Good at Something. What Is It?
If you were educated in most traditional educational systems, chances are you believe that lack of skill at anything: math, music, sports, can best be overcome by working harder.
Take this quote from one of America’s founding fathers, John Quincy Adams:
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
You probably received a similar message from your teachers, parents and church leaders. It is generally agreed that more practice can overcome any lack of aptitude, sincere interest or natural talent. If you study hard enough, practice long enough, make enough sales calls, you can succeed – at anything.
Maybe There Is an Easier Way.
Working diligently to overcome inherent weaknesses is difficult, frustrating and discouraging. More importantly, it can keep you from succeeding at those things you are good at. In truth, working on your weaknesses is extremely unlikely – despite what the founding fathers tell us — to lead to great accomplishment.
Great accomplishments, satisfaction and fun come not from struggling against our lack but in celebrating our gifts. Wouldn’t you rather work at what you are good at?
You Are Good at Something. What Is It?
If you have worked so long and so hard on your weaknesses that you have neglected, or even forgotten, your strengths, you will want to take the Gallup StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment.
This assessment is relatively new and emerges from a movement called “positive psychology”. The idea is that it is better to focus your attention on what makes you happy. It is better to do what you like and enjoy. It will make you happy to focus on yourstrengths..
Focusing on your strengths seems to me to be a good perspective for discovering new, meaningful business strategies.
Unlike most assessments, the StrengthsFinder 2.0 is accessed via the internet but is only available to people who have first purchased the book.
This small book provides an overview of the Strengths philosophy and detailed explanations of 34 more or less invented words that describe various strength “themes” and ideas for action, (i.e. action items like “seek a career in which you will be paid and given credit for your ideas”).
After reading the book, I self-assessed. Identifying the themes that I thought most closely described me. Then I use the code provided at the back of the book to go on line and take the (free with the purchase) 30-minute assessment.
I Was Surprised at My Results
I receive a 16-page printout that identified my five key strengths and suggested some general ways to capitalize on them.
My “gifts” included Intellection, Connectedness, Learner, Context and Input.
Notice this assessment uses its own words to describe familiar personality characteristics.
Despite the pretentious vocabulary, most of these themes (but not all), are reflected in my other assessment results. The attraction of the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book is the positive perspective it provides. Whereas other assessments are conscientiously neutral, StrengthsFinder 2.0 presents my natural tendencies as “gifts”.
By reframing my personality quirks as gifts, I was able to recognize new and natural business possibilities.
In fact, the “ideas for action” section provided with my assessment suggested that I find a role where I “listen and counsel to help people see the connectedness among their talents.”
Like being a business coach!
I found this “gifts” perspective to be empowering and I suspect you will too.
You can order the book here StrengthsFinder 2.0 and take the assessment on-line. Then, if you have questions about how to use the information to create new business ideas and strategies, contact me. Helping people see the connectedness among their talents is what I am good at!
P.S. Of course these are affiliate links. That’s business!
Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash
