This weeks Sunday Brunch is a collaboration!
Collaborating is inevitable in life, as no-one has all the answers, there is no single viewpoint, recognising when others can bring expertise and value to a situation is useful in achieving the desired outcome. So I am posting into JobOppO House for my Collaborator Caroline Wynn, a Human Behaviour Specialist, who was herself the subject of the recent NAAFI Break podcast. I take no credit here, I am merely bringing her value to the OppO Community. (Her son is currently serving in the RAF, but as she isn't a Veteran, so as to keep our verified and trusted Community rule intact, I have to post on her behalf)
We often have ‘Groundhog Day’ conversations with Service Leavers and Veterans where the question is raised - what are your strengths? Deafening silence ensues, we may have done SWOT analysis in the past, but the hardest of all when our own performance is the subject of the SWOT!. So over to Caroline….and look out for the exercise you can do yourself at the end!
What is in your Strengths DNA?
- What are you naturally good at and have always had an aptitude for?
-
When was the last time you felt completely alive and energised at work?
-
What do others admire and respect about what you do?
Strengths are “underlying qualities that energise us, contribute to our personal growth and lead to peak performance”. Using our strengths enables us to perform at our best and to achieve higher levels of resilience, confidence and success. Some examples of strengths are:
- Courage - You take on challenges and face risks by standing up for what you believe
- Collaboration - You work cooperatively with others to overcome conflict and build towards a common goal
- Decisiveness – you make quick, confident decisions, even when faced with limited information
- Common sense – you make pragmatic judgements based on practical thinking and previous experience
Most organisations fail to tap into and allow individuals to focus on a strengths-based approach. In a study of over 300,000 employees in 51 companies, it was found that work units scoring above the median on the question “I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day” have 38% higher probability of success on productivity measures and 44% higher probability of success on customer loyalty and employee retention.
A strengths profiling tools such as Strengthscope ensures reliable and accurate assessment, however it is perfectly possible for individuals to connect with their strengths through self-reflection and conversations with close friends and colleagues. Being clearer about your strengths can help you to identify:
- How your strengths have shaped your career to date
- How you can use your strengths to support future career aspirations
- How you can “stretch” of develop your strengths outside your comfort zone to achieve your goals
- How to manage and mitigate performance risks including limiting weaknesses and strengths in overdrive to progress your career
One way to connect with your strengths is through the concept of flow. This originates from the psychologist Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi who used this to describe peak motivational experiences. He proposed that optimal performance occurs when we are in a mental state of ‘‘in flow’’ and are completely involved in an activity for its own sake. It is also described as being in the ‘‘zone’’ or ‘‘groove.’’
Flow can take place when we are using our strengths optimally and the level of strength and skill is matched by the level of role challenge. Think about times you have been in flow. What strengths and skills were you using? Ask your close colleagues for feedback about when they have seen you in the zone of ‘‘peak performance,’’ or the crossover point where areas of competence (skills, knowledge and abilities) overlap with areas of natural strength and energy. In this way, the person has the greatest chance of achieving sustained high performance.
Exercise: Reflected Best Self
Reflected best self is based on research by psychologists Robert Quinn, Jane Dutton, Gretchen Spreitzer and Laura Morgan Roberts. It involves emailing people who know you well, asking them to write a story about a time when you were at your best and then using the common patterns to create a portrait of your strengths. Many describe it as eye-opening, even life-changing. How you do it:
- Identify 10 people who know you well from different walks of life and ask them to write about a time when you were at your best.
- Once the feedback arrives, look for the common themes that appear in multiple stories. Make a list of the themes, the key examples that support each them, and what they suggest about your strengths.
- Using this information, write out a brief profile of who you are when you're at your best.
- Create an action plan for how and when you'll utilise your strengths.
Bear in mind when selecting your sources that diversity is crucial; the best sources are a mix of personal and professional contacts. Research shows that feedback is more energising and actionable when it comes from a diverse group of friends, family members, colleagues, and mentors who can paint a comprehensive picture of your strengths.
References Brook, J. and Brewerton, P. (2006), Strengthscope Technical Manual, Strengths Partnership, London. Cs ´ikszentmiha ´lyi, M. (1990), Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Harper Collins, London. Harter, J.K., Schmidt, F.L. and Hayes, T.L. (2002), ‘‘Business unit level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement and business outcomes: a meta-analysis’’, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 87 No. 2, pp. 268-79. How to Play to Your Strengths by Laura Morgan Roberts, Gretchen Spreitzer, Jane E Dutton, Robert E Quinn and Emily D Heaphy https://hbr.org/2005/01/how-to-play-to-your-strength