Find your strength and build on it

Once you identify your strengths, commit to building on them through practice, education, and experience. For example, if you love public speaking, consider joining a local Toastmasters club to enhance your skills further.

Rutendo Gwatidzo-Changing Perspectives

HAPPY New Month to you all. It is amazing how time moves so fast. To imagine that we are already in the month of May is like a dream.

It feels like yesterday when the year begun. I spoke to someone this past week who was wondering if he is going to be able to catch up with his half year work targets. After the conversation, I realised that the same kind of fear was affecting a good number of people in the workplace.

When I engaged a little further with some of them, I realised also, that a good number of them were talking more about their weaknesses which they believed were the reason slowing their progress. While that was probably true, I felt that it was necessary to probably focus on strengths more than weaknesses.

A lot of times, many of us are generally wired in such a way that tends to give more attention to weaknesses instead of strengths.

How about Your Strengths?

Every individual possesses unique strengths that, when harnessed, can lead to extraordinary achievements. The key lies in identifying and cultivating these strengths. One author once stated, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

This highlights the importance of self-awareness and intention in our personal development. Start by reflecting on what you naturally excel at. What activities bring you joy and fulfilment? Seek feedback from those around you, as they may recognise certain strengths that you overlook. This process of self-discovery can be enlightening, revealing talents and abilities you may not have acknowledged.

The more you engage with your strengths, the more confident and competent you become. Moreover, embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. When you push beyond your comfort zone, you not only enhance your existing strengths but also discover new capabilities. Remember, growth often occurs at the edge of discomfort.

It is also essential to maintain a growth mindset. This mindset encourages us to approach challenges with curiosity rather than fear. By viewing obstacles as opportunities for growth, we can foster resilience and adaptability. Celebrate small wins along the way, as they can serve as motivation to keep pushing forward.

Additionally, surround yourself with people who inspire and challenge you to become better. Collaborating with others can help you identify and strengthen your abilities.

Sharing your journey with like-minded individuals fosters a supportive environment where everyone can thrive. Ultimately, focusing on your strengths empowers you to navigate life’s challenges with confidence and resilience. Embrace the journey of self-discovery and growth, and remember that you are capable of achieving greatness.

One of the challenges in many organizations is that of having both management and subordinates who focus more on weaknesses than strengths. Sadly, for most of them, they do not realise that they will be putting their efforts in the negative.

While the intention may be good, the strategy is not always the best. Putting more effort towards eradicating weaknesses can require more time and resources compared to putting more effort towards building on strengths. If you focus on building your strengths, weaknesses tend to automatically decrease because you will not be giving them attention.

It is always better to build what you have than to obsess over what you lack. Generally, the people who work in jobs that they naturally like and are good at, tend to do well compared to those who work in jobs that they get trained to like. Stop focusing much on fixing yourself, you are not broken, try to focus on building your strengths and find ways to make your weaknesses irrelevant in the process. Remember, it is your strengths that will attract opportunities towards you not your weaknesses.

We are in the middle of the second quarter of the year already, but, there is still ample time to adjust and catch up on missed deadlines so far so that we align in the third quarter. Focus on doing best what you are good at. If you try to be good at everything, you will likely end up being excellent at nothing.

Rutendo Gwatidzo is the managing consultant at The HUB HR Consultancy – as a culture and change management specialist. She is a multi-award winning leader,consultant, speaker and coach. She is also an Author of Born to Fight and Breaking the Silence books. Contact details – 0714575805/ [email protected]/ Rutendo Gwatidzo_Official fb public page