Identify Your Strengths Exercise
Brief Exercise for the Career Challenge
Objectives:
1) To identify your strengths and put them to use every day.
2) To conduct conversations with your manager on ways to apply your strengths and increase your value.
Every person in every job should find opportunities to apply their strengths and talents.
To make this happen: KNOW your strengths (2 or more) and USE them often (daily).
Why Strengths?
If you are going to take charge of your work life, it’s important to personally understand your strengths/talents and be able to clearly describe what they are to your manager and team. Employees who are deliberate about using their strengths, derive more meaning from their work, become more engaged and are more likely to stay with their organization. When we discover our strengths and routinely apply them, it helps us perform at a higher level and enjoy our work.
How does applying our strengths improve wellbeing? The chance of having a fulfilling life is greater when we have fulfilling work. When we spend time working on activities that energize us, strengthen us and increase engagement, it flows into our entire life from family and relationships to creativity, ambition and growth. It’s all connected—when our mental health is good we are more likely to exercise and eat better. The bottom line is, when we are in our zone, we do better and feel better.
81% of workers feel their skills are NOT being fully utilized in their work. - Gallup
Successful firms are following the science of Positive Psychology, the study of what helps individuals thrive. Progressive organizations are becoming strengths-based cultures—aligning people with tasks that fit them best by applying their strengths. The science shows using strengths is more productive than developing weaknesses that often drain employees.
What is a strength?
A strength is an activity that comes easily to you. It is something you look forward to doing and feel effective and focused with a sense of satisfaction when doing it. A strength is NOT an activity you do well, but dislike doing—this will deplete you.
Here are two descriptions of employees using their strengths:
1) Mike started analyzing the new budget and project scope for the company’s new corporate headquarters in the morning. He was so involved and interested in assessing the renovation he did not stop for five hours straight. He felt the day moved by quickly.
2) Jaimie was thrilled to develop a new training program for interns. She outlined the agenda and began writing each part one after the next. Ideas were flowing and she felt excited to present the overview to her to team. Jaimie felt proud of her accomplishment.
Identifying Strengths is a valuable exercise we should all complete more than once. If you could twist the lens on your work routine and view it by looking at strengths, you might find new job responsibilities you’d like to have or current ones to do more often. Many work roles have a bit of leeway to tweak and modify activities. The more you personally match your work role, the more success and satisfaction you will have. One small shift to incorporate a strength can bring a significant result. Keep an open mind to the possibilities.
Let’s start to clarify your strengths by answering four questions.
Please print the following pages to use as a worksheet to respond more easily.
1. WORK ACTIVITIES.
A) Make a long list of work activities you did over the last few weeks.
B) Circle any of the activities you enjoyed and thought, "I look forward to doing that again.”
Note – if you have not circled any activities, that’s okay, continue to uncover your strengths.
2. SELECT VERBS.
A) Go through the list of work-related verbs (on the last page) and circle any that would make you feel strong and energized doing it.
B) From your circled verbs, highlight the ones you can possibly USE in your current work.
3. IDENTIFY STRENGTHS.
A) From #1 above, find your top circled activities. From #2 see your highlighted verbs.
B) Combine this information and write 1-2 sentences describing your strength and how to use it, follow the examples below. Review your sentence, it should inspire enthusiasm. If it doesn’t, this is not a strength that matters to you and should be reevaluated.
Example One:
I feel strong and energized when I am collaborating (verb).
My strength is collaborating (verb) to provide information, support and a trusting relationship (activity) with the production teams (who).
Example Two:
I feel strong and energized when I am troubleshooting (verb).
My strength is troubleshooting and solving (verb) software upgrades and system configuration changes (activity) to help clients with technical issues (who/what).
Your strength sentences:
4. USING STRENGTHS. Now it’s time to put your strength to USE within your current role.
A) Determine if you are using a strength now and will try to apply it more often, or looking to add or change something in your job to leverage a strength.
B) Set a time with your manager to clearly explain 1-2 of your strengths. In the discussion, suggest specific ways you would like to apply your strength—by using it more often or adding/changing an activity. Talk through what actions you can take now to put your strengths to use this week. Discuss who or what will help you put your strength to work daily/weekly.
Each of us wakes up in the morning with the choice of approaching the day and our job with either optimism and engagement, or negativity and apathy. What inspires you to get out of bed in the morning? Hopefully, some days it is your work.
SHARE your story on our Facebook page. Tell us, “I used my strength today doing__”
Revised and updated program by Sunny Lurie, PhD., PerformStrong Group.
Original program created by Marcus Buckingham, Strengths Essentials.
STRENGTHS VERB LIST
Add your own verb, if it is not listed. Consult dictionary to clarify definition.
ADVISING
ADVOCATING
ASSESSING
ANALYZING
BRAINSTORMING
BUDGETING
BUILDING
COACHING
CALCULATING
CHAMPIONING
COLLABORATING
CONCEPTUALIZING
COMPARING
COMMUNICATING
CONSULTING
CONNECTING
CREATING
DEVELOPING
DESIGNING
DIRECTING
DEBATING
DRAFTING
EDITING
ENGINEERING
EVALUATING
EXPLAINING
EXAMINING
FACILITATING
FORECASTING
ILLUSTRATING
INTERVIEWING
INFLUENCING
INTERPRETING
INNOVATING
LAUNCHING
LEADING
MAINTAINING
MANAGING
MARKETING
MEASURING
MENTORING
NAVAGATING
NEGOTIATING
ORGANIZING
PERSUADING
PLANNING
PROGRAMMING
PROSPECTING
RECRUITING
REPAIRING
RESEARCHING
REVIEWING
REVISING
SCHEDULING
SELLING
SOLVING
SPEARHEADING
STRATEGIZING
STREAMLINING
SUPPORTING
TEACHING
TESTING
TRAINING
TRANSLATING
TROUBLESHOOTING
WRITING