“Words may inspire, but the only action creates change. Most of us live our lives by accident - we live life as it happens. Fulfilment comes when we live our lives on purpose.” – Simon Sinek
We can all feel it: deep inside of us, brimming with hope, a purpose that fuels our existence. A purpose that transcends race, ethnicity, or gender and encourages us to participate in the upliftment of society. But what exactly motivates us to pursue our life's "purpose"? Well, we think it has everything to do with the magical connection between our inner strengths and inspirations. Often, our purpose, unknowingly, helps us to recognize our hidden strengths and apply them to almost all walks of life, which in turn can be used to make a difference.
We've told you that you have certain strengths, but how does one go about discovering those strengths? Why? It's very simple! Step one is to relax and think hard about your top three attributes or strengths. Remember, the time when your manager complimented you on your sharp eye for detail after you pointed out that one minor mistake, nobody else noticed? Well, boy, have I got some good news for you: analysing might be your hidden strength! Other possible strengths may even be critical thinking or even simply, high concentration. Just taking a step back to examine your life, personal experiences, and how you deal with them can do wonders in helping you is assess your strengths.
In your professional life, if you’re doing work that doesn’t tap into your greatest strengths, your performance and motivation may suffer along with your career. Thus, tapping into one’s strengths and using them for career growth is very necessary. So what exactly are these workplace “strengths?” Workplace strengths are a set of soft skills that employees use in any workplace, business, or job. These strengths are used by professionals to foster healthy professional relationships with their peers and to support the more general aspects of their employment.
1. Maximize your specialities.
We have just one piece of advice for you: Keep learning. Education never stops. Often, to find employment many job applicants rely on broad generalizations, such as being an “artful supervisor.” These are excellent skills, but you'll stand out even more if you provide specifics and develop more advanced skills such as effective communication, conflict resolution, task delegation, and so on.
2. Say No
Yes, it's time to start saying no to projects that don't capitalize on your strengths. The reason why we say this is because according to a report published by the school of life in 2008, 30% of employees feel their strengths would be better suited to another career. If possible, do not settle for less, at any cost.
3. F for Feedback, F for Friend.
Feedback is your best friend. If your manager/supervisor hasn't given you feedback, please do ask for some as soon as possible. Whilst self-awareness is an excellent way to assess yourself, receiving feedback from others helps you to see yourself in a new light and gain a deeper understanding of yourself. Taking the time to listen to what your coworkers have to say about you will provide you with an incredible amount of insight into your strengths. Further, it is necessary to improve productivity. In fact, according to a Gallup Report, teams that focus on strengths, every day have 12.5% greater productivity.
Often, when we talk about the Do's of developing strengths, it's easy to overlook the Don'ts. Especially when you want to look on the bright side, which undoubtedly does help us perform better at work! However, buyer beware! Since it's equally likely that both “Do’s” and “Don’ts” will come up in the long run, it's good to know about both!. And some of these "Don'ts" include:
4. Don’t mix your personal and professional life.
Unfortunately, when workers are unable to differentiate between the two, they appear to carry personal stress to work and return home with professional stress. Thus, they end up complicating their lives, professionally and personally. One must realise, the ability to maintain a balance between your personal and professional life is critical for enhanced career productivity and personal happiness.
5. Avoid Gossiping
Whether your office is big or small, it doesn't matter, there's inevitably bound to be some kind of 'gossip' and we don't always necessarily realize when our innocent chitchats evolve into some form of 'gossip.' Women have always been the centre of this gossip fanda. If she is promoted solely on the basis of her abilities, most male and even female coworkers begin to associate her name with the boss or someone in management. But, it doesn’t end there -- talking behind someone's back can often rear its ugly head, even wrecking jobs and reputations, in the process. It can also have a negative impact on team collaborations, morale, and productivity. So, when the rumours start flying, keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and remain self-aware.
6. Don’t Focus on others' weaknesses.
Other people's weaknesses are not your strengths. Help the weaker people in overcoming their weaknesses. If you believe they need to be corrected, have the courage to correct them face to face, rather than gossiping behind their backs.
When we fail to identify and nurture our strengths, life becomes monotonous and uneventful. Recognizing our intrinsic qualities, abilities and strengths, allow us to feel more confident, optimistic and purposeful in life! Focusing on our strengths is necessary, but addressing our weaknesses is absolutely critical. We won't be able to work on our weaknesses and reflect on our strengths until we realize what they are. The time is now, start thinking about your weaknesses and begin working on them as well. However, don't forget to remind yourself about your strengths.
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Author : Apekshya Basnet
A freshman at Jamia Millia Islamia; feminist; Based in New Delhi; a young ambitious woman with strong opinions, a brave heart, and a skeptical mind.
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