Do you remember in Science class when you learned Isaac Newton’s third law of motion: “For every action, there is an equal, but opposite, reaction?”
Newton was a genius. Not only did he find the law of motion, he discovered one of the best personal development theories.
“For every strength, there is an equal, but opposite, weakness.”
It just makes sense.
But how can you use this to improve yourself and your business? How can you use this to develop your professional strengths?
My Personal Strengths and Weaknesses
People have always told me that I am one of the most honest and direct people they have ever met. A high-school French teacher signed my yearbook with “Thank you Derek for being brutally honest about everything.” A co-worker told me, “you are refreshing. I can always count on you for how you truly feel.”
With positive reinforcement like that, I cherished my honesty and my bluntness as one of my greatest strengths. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t cherish it forever.
When I started working, people appreciated my honesty. They counted on me for my unbiased opinion. I was sure to ace my performance evaluation.
Then it all went wrong. I was told I was impulsive and impersonal.
I was shocked. There is no way I would call myself impulsive and impersonal. However, after doing some analysis, I realized that being impulsive and impersonal were direct byproducts of being direct and honest. Since no one says what they really think, they assumed I wasn’t thinking.
To solve this problem, I created the following 3-Step Strength Building Workshop and it helped me find new strengths, while managing old weaknesses.
1. Discover Your Weakness
You absolutely need to keep an open mind throughout this portion of the strengths workshop. You can lie to everyone else, but here is where you can’t lie to yourself. It will hinder your chance at success.
Please take a few minutes to create two lists of weaknesses:
- Write down 3-5 of your biggest weaknesses
- Ask a friend or relative to list 3-5 of your biggest weaknesses
Some of you may not be open with your friends about strengths and weaknesses, but it is essential. After all, you may not realize many of your personal weaknesses until someone tells you them.
2. Are Your Personal Weaknesses Byproducts of Strengths?
You now have your golden list of weaknesses. Your next step is to decide whether or not your weaknesses are byproducts of your strengths. Here is a list of strength and weakness combinations:
Strength: Results Oriented
Weakness: Prone to Mistakes:When you are results oriented, you may be prone to making mistakes because you might be speeding to “get things done.”
Strength: Direct
Weakness: AbrasiveBeing direct is great, but going into your bosses office and saying “I need more money” is not the best way to ask for a reason.
Strength: Love Responsibility
Weakness: Never Finished SyndromeYou may love keeping yourself busy, but eventually, you’re going to be over filling your 8oz glass. This leads to many things falling through the cracks.
Isn’t it amazing how your strengths and weaknesses are closely tied together?
3. Manage Your Weaknesses, Develop Your Strengths
So, you know your weaknesses, and whether or not they’re byproducts of your strengths. Here are four ways to make sure your strengths take the spotlight:
Let People Know You’re Aware of Your Weakness
The first step to solving every potential problem is becoming aware of it. You are aware of it and that is half of the battle. Not only do you want to be aware of it, you may want your boss, your friends, and your co-workers to know you are aware of your strength/weakness combination.
Implement a Weakness Management Process
You should create a process that helps mitigate your weakness. For example, if you are so intent on getting things done that you make mistakes, you should implement a mandatory 30 minute check session after each project.
Make Your Strength Development Public
The oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller said it best, “Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is letting everyone know you are doing the right thing.”
You should take this to heart. Make sure people know that you implemented a process to manage your weakness. They will appreciate the fact you took their advice seriously, and it will be a great way to show you’re willing to improve yourself or business..
Your Personal Story
What are your strengths? What are the weaknesses associated with your strengths? What have you done to manage them? Share them in the comments or shoot me an e-mail.
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