With the upcoming launch of my book, Find my niche, I’ve been talking about how it adopts a strengths-based approach to help people embrace their true selves and find energising work that makes time fly and is rewarding and worthwhile. I have realised that perhaps everyone is not on the same page regarding a strengths-based approach!
For example, when I purchased the domain name, www.exploreyourstrengths.com.au (which is not live), I received numerous emails from website design companies who were happy to help me develop my personal fitness or personal training website!
Essentially, a strengths-based approach encourages you to reflect on your personal strengths, look for ways to utilise them every day, and investigate how to build on your strengths, rather than focusing on addressing your weaknesses.
The 34 Clifton StrengthsFinder/ Gallup strengths include Communication, Positivity, Analytical, Learner, Strategic, Focus, etc. The Martin Seligman, VIA Signature Strengths include Creativity, Love of learning, Perseverance, Honesty, Fairness, etc.
A strengths-based approach does not say to ignore your weaknesses, rather, it is based on research that shows that effort to address your weaknesses has a very low return, whereas effort to build on your strengths has a very high return.
For example, the University of Nebraska conducted a three-year study to determine the most effective techniques for teaching speed reading. The study involved more than 1,000 students. The ‘poor’ readers, who started at 90 words per minute, made modest gains and could now read an average of 150 words per minute. The ‘top’ readers, who started at 350 words per minute, skyrocketed to more than 2,900 words for minute. Astounding, huh?!
What does a strengths-based approach have to do with work? A strengths-based approach starts with being able to identify your strengths—and then looking for opportunities to use them.
People who have an opportunity to do what they do best everyday (that is, to use their strengths) are six times more likely to be engaged at work and three times more likely to be report having an excellent quality of life.
This is because your strengths speak to the core of who you are. In this previous post, I wrote about how engagement is putting our real selves into work and involves expressing our real selves, rather than defending or withdrawing our real selves from view.
At the end of last year, I was struggling at work. I was frustrated as I wasn’t able to get things done or keep things moving. I didn’t know what my next project would be. I wasn’t working on projects that made a real difference.
Would this bother everyone to the extent that it bothered me? I don’t know. But a quick look at my top five strengths reveals why it was such an issue for me. My top five Gallup Signature Themes are: Achiever (need to get things done), Individualization (understanding what is unique about each person), Empathy (understanding the emotions of those around me), Learner (continual need to learn), and Arranger (love of coordinating and configuring multiple elements).
So, for me to be engaged, I need to be getting things done—this is central to who I am! I also need to be learning about new things, finding solutions that recognise individual’s uniqueness, to be in touch with how people are feeling, and to be coordinating multiple elements.
Reflecting on my strengths and my frustrations at work was an ‘aha!’ moment for me—and it led to me asking for a redundancy and starting ‘find my niche’.
Your own reflection on your strengths need not be as drastic!
I’ve written before about one of my clients who was not sure whether she should look for another job or whether she should stay in her current role. As we talked, she realized that she did enjoy her work and was very well suited to it, but that building relationships was a strength of hers, and that she didn't have the strong relationships she'd enjoyed in previous roles. She set about making changes to build stronger relationships in her current role. ‘Analytical’ was also her top strength, and she felt that her feedback about ideas hadn’t been taken on board. Viewing this capability as a strength allowed her to see that her ability to see potential problems is central to her core self, and gave her insight into why it was so important for her feedback to be acknowledged.
Reflecting on your strengths allows you to embrace who you are, and look for opportunities to use your strengths. It allow you to embrace your uniqueness and see this as your core strength—to support you to be more of who you are. A strengths-based approach says we’re not all aiming to be ‘well-rounded’ – we’re aiming to be stars with peaks of strengths!
If a strengths-based approach appeals to you, I highly recommend taking the Gallup Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment for $9.99USD and receiving a report of your top 5 strengths.
If you’re interested in exploring your strengths further, I would be delighted to coach you in your strengths—and I don’t mean at the gym!
And, of course, the Find my niche book is now available for pre-order and will be launched on the 25th July.
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I will let you know the results.