We are all hard-wired with a certain personality and individual talents and shortcomings. You could probably describe all of these characteristics about the last 3 people you spoke to. We quickly analyze these traits in others but we tend to ignore them in ourselves. Very few people are able to rattle off their biggest strengths and weaknesses; in fact, it’s one of the most dreaded interview questions!
If it’s so hard for us to understand our own qualities, why is the question almost always asked in interviews? And why do we pay attention to these characteristics in others? The answer is simple, your strengths are your road map to success.
If you have a choice of career, analyzing your strengths and weaknesses to determine your path is well worth the effort. This analysis is also important in improving your current job performance.
When you understand your work style, strengths, and weaknesses, your job will become easier (or at least seem that way). You will experience more success by highlighting your strengths and working to improve your weaknesses.
Here is a list of common strengths and weaknesses think about which ones may apply to you.
- Love of Learning: If you find yourself wanting to learn new things purely because you enjoy it, this may be one of your strengths.
- Street Smarts: Street smarts or ingenuity is the ability to find new solutions or methods for reaching a goal. If you do things differently than others and are often complimented on your ideas, this may be one of your strengths.
- Emotional Intelligence: This skill involves the ability to tap into others’ emotions, moods, and motivations and to use that information toward better communication and cooperation.
- Perseverance: If you never leave a job undone or you welcome difficult tasks, perseverance may be one of your strengths.
- Leadership: If you excel in front of a group and are able to motivate people toward a common goal, you may be a good leader.
This is just a sample of common strengths. If you find that you never do these things, it could be a weakness. The key is to use your strengths and to improve on areas that you are weak.
This post is brought to you by the good folks at Dale Carnegie Training of Michigan, providers of professional development and management development courses and information in Michigan. We would love to connect with you on Facebook and Twitter @MarkWillDCT.
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