Using Your Strengths and Talents to Get Ahead in Business
03rd Jun , 2019
The rise of positive psychology in recent years has led to a shift from focusing on weaknesses to acknowledging and working on strengths. This means instead of spending all our time fixing weaknesses, we’re now encouraged to develop those things that we’re good at − things that bring us joy. This approach could be the key to your business growth strategies this year.
Current research on using strengths in business shows that this practice provides greater work satisfaction, engagement and productivity. This is no surprise when we consider that doing what we’re good at and what we enjoy naturally leads to greater levels of passion, curiosity and innovation. Below, we’ll share three steps to using your strengths and talents to get ahead in business.
1. Find out What Your Strengths Are
You might think you know what your strengths are, but our opinions of ourselves can sometimes be biased. That’s why it can be helpful to get outside help from a business coach. Business coaching is often helpful because it aids you to see yourself from an outside perspective and make you aware of any blind spots. You can also use a technique that involves asking 10 or more people who you know well from different areas of your life for feedback on when you were at your best. However you do it, get outside feedback from others on what your strengths are, as you might be surprised at what they say.
Figure Out How to Apply Your Strengths
When you run your own business or you’re one of the key decision makers in a company, you have great responsibilities but also a great degree of freedom. Once your strengths have been identified, you can make changes to your work life to implement these strengths on a daily basis. Do more things that light you up and energise you. Delegate the things that are inessential or sap your energy. A good business coach can help you figure out which tasks to delegate. Sometimes it can be hard to let go of the reigns a little, but the freedom gained is worth it.
It’s not just about you either. If you know what your employees’ strengths are, you can work with them in a more effective way too. This will help lower staff turnover, as they’ll feel more engaged with their work. Consider people’s natural strengths during the hiring process to ensure you have staff around you who complement rather than compete with your strengths. High-quality business coaching will consider ways to get your team members working with each other’s strengths.
How Do These Strengths Make You Stand Out?
Just as you have personal strengths and weaknesses, your business as its own entity will have its own strengths and weaknesses. Considering these is an exercise that your business coach can take you through. Sometimes the business’s strengths and weaknesses are very much tied to the business owner’s personal strengths and weaknesses, such as in the case of sole traders where the personality of the business is taken from the personality of its owner.
In larger corporations, it might be the branding of the business in the marketplace, or it might be the sum total of a company’s culture which gives them a certain name for themselves. Either way, you need to know what your company’s strengths are and capitalise on them if you want to be competitive in the marketplace. Don’t compete in an area or on a selling point that’s a weakness − compete with your best self facing forward. Both on a personal and business level, driving forward with your strengths will always serve you well.
Leverage Your Strengths with International Business Mentors
It’s hard pedalling along in business without any external input. At International Business Mentors, we have experienced and supportive business coaching professionals who can help you find your key strengths and apply them to your business. If you need some extra help, we’ve got the winning strategies you need. Call us today for more information on (03) 8686 9192.