Recognizing your strengths can help you be a happier and more effective employee. However, not all workers automatically understand what strengths they possess. Explore your abilities by following the steps below.
Identify your talents. Talents can be tasks at which you excel, activities with which you’ve had a lot of experience or knacks you possess. Essentially, talents are anything you do extremely well. Are you known for your organizational skills? Quick learning? IT abilities? Great people skills? Once you name your talents, you know the strengths you can develop.
Identify your patterns. Patterns are your typical behaviors or processes. For example, some people procrastinate when they have a task to complete. Some people do their best work in the morning or late at night. Once you are aware of your personal patterns, you can pick the ones that will move you forward or hold you back.
Build upon your strengths. If, say, you a good writer or shine when giving presentations, identify the workplace situations where those talents will be most appreciated. The more you do work you’re good at, the more you’ll shine.
Include your leaders. Let your superiors know about work you excel in and ask them to give you more of it so you can help the organization (and yourself.)
Invest in yourself. Continue to boost your strengths. Obtain training, join professional groups, and work on your professional development to consistently grow and improve.
Once you’ve begun the process of identifying your strengths, constantly monitor your performance and question the efficacy of your efforts. Are you getting more done? Are you happier with your work output? If the answer is yes, you’ve found the way to not only be more valuable to your employer, but also to be happier in your life.
Discussion
- Why do you think some people minimize their abilities, and why is that an unproductive attitude?
- What steps can you take to develop your talents even further?
- Why is it important to communicate with your supervisors about your talents?
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Source: Moran, G. (2021, April 28). 5 ways to identify the strengths that will make you more effective at work. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com
