Fix a weakness or build a strength?

It’s a pretty straightforward question: to improve your performance at work should you fix your weaknesses or build on your strengths? But where would you place your bets?

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Yet a growing body of research suggestsfocusing on our strengths can boost our engagement in tasks by up to six times, making it easier to achieve our goals, lower our levels of stress and improve our feelings of well-being.It seems eighty-seven percent of us believe we should take dead aim at our weaknesses and work diligently to improve them.

So which should you be doing?

I believe you should do both – which might sound surprising come from someone who’s trained thousands of people around the world to use their strengths.

Let me be clear.  I believe you should be as capable at identifying and fixing your weaknesses, as you are at identifying and building on your strengths. 

I also believe you should be able to make an informed choice so in different situations, for different outcomes, you know which approach will serve you best.

Why do you need both?

Researchers have found your greatest successes and greatest growth comes from regularly using your strengths in your work.  This is because your brain is hardwired to perform at it’s best by drawing on the thoughts, feelings and behaviours you’ve practiced over and over and over again, because they’re things you like doing and you’re good at.

No matter what situation I’m faced with, I always start by seeing if there’s a strength I can build on.  The reality is using my strengths makes things easier, more engaging and more enjoyable, meaning it takes less effort and time to see the results I want.

For example, one of my strengths is curiosity.  I love learning new things.  When I need to master something I haven’t done before my strength of curiosity is a great way to get me to dive into figuring things out.

But what if you don’t have a strength that would help?

Scientists now know our brains continue learning right throughout our lives, so it’s absolutely possible to take a weakness and turn it into a strength.  But, it’s important to be realistic about the amount of effort this requires.

Current estimates are that it takes between 8,000 and 10,000 hours of deliberate practice to take a weakness and master it.  Put that into context and we’re talking about a couple of hours a day, every day a year for about 8 – 10 years.

Are you being realistic about your weaknesses?

If I don't have a strength to draw upon and fixing the area of weakness is important enough that I’m willing to invest the 8 – 10 years of effort, then I set realistic expectations and start showing up.

For example, when I discovered the field of positive psychology, my strengths were purely in the domain of marketing.  Not a huge amount of help.  I knew my strength of curiosity could help me stick at what I needed to learn, but I was also realistic about the time and effort it would take to close my knowledge gap.  And then I put in the hours of practice.

Had I walked away simply because I didn’t have a psychology strength to build on, I would have missed out on the most rewarding work I’ve ever done.

So what’s the right question to be asking?

When it comes to improving my performance I’ve learnt to always ask: in this particular situation, for this particular outcome, am I better to build on my strengths or fix my weaknesses? 

Now where would you place your next bet?

Michelle is a Premium member of Business Chicks, request her online business card and connect with her here. 

Michelle McQuaid is a best-selling author, workplace well-being teacher and playful change activator.  She is passionate about translating cutting-edge research from positive psychology and neuroscience, into practical strategies for health, happiness, and business success.

She holds a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania  and her work has been featured in Forbes, the Harvard Business Review, the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post and more.

Michelle lives to help women discover their strengths, move beyond their fears, and finally discover what it truly takes to flourish with confidence.

Unleash Your Best Performance

Unleash Your Best Performance

When was the last time you were really performing at your best at work?  Today?  Last week?  Last month?  Last year? 
You know those moments when you feel like you’re in the zone and everything is coming together.  You lose all track of time.  You might not feel anything much in the moment, but afterwards you have that real sense of satisfaction of having done something well. 
Great ideas are flying.  You’re getting the right people on board.  Solid plans are being executed.  And exceptional results are materializing. 
Don’t you think it would be handy if you create more of these moments – just when you most need it?  Then keep reading! 

The Secret To Your Best Performances

Professor Mike Csikszentmihalyi from Claremont University has found that when we’re able to strike the right balance between our skills and the challenges we’re undertaking we become so absorbed and involved in that moment that enter the state he calls “flow”. 
Now if the task is too easy, the we risk slipping into boredom,  If it’s too hard, we draft towards anxiety.  But when the level of challenge for our strengths is “just right” we hit the goldilocks moment of flow where our sense of engagement is at its very best. 
In today’s episode of Chelle McQuaid TV , I’ll show you how to create moments of flow to unleash your best performances.

click to watch video 

How Can You Unleash Your Best Performances More Often?

Now this might surprise you but Csikszentmihalyi’s research has found that work is an ideal place to create flow experiences because we’re often finding our strengths are being stretched by the challenges presented to us.

Chances are you already experience flow sometimes in your work.  So start to pay attention to the moments where you’re feeling really engaged and energized and give yourself permission to spend more time performing at your best.  It’s good for you and for your business.

As you approach different tasks think about:

• the goal you’re trying to achieve
• which strengths you can draw on to get the job done. – try to match your strengths to the task
• seeking feedback on how you’re doing.

This will help you continue to match and stretch your strengths to the tasks you’re undertaking so you’re consistently performing at your best.

In his book Flow, Csikszentmihalyi suggests different ways you can perform at your best from work, to play and in your relationships..  You can watch a video of Csikszentmihalyi sharing his work on peak performances here.

What are your favorite flow activities?  If you’d like a little help with more practical, tested approaches to play with just ask below!

- See more at: http://www.michellemcquaid.com

What’s Your Greatest Strength?

Have you discovered your strengths – the things you like doing and that you’re good at – only to wonder what on earth you do next? 

If you’re lucky enough to work for one of the growing list of organizations now encouraging their people to use their strengths, chances are you’ve been asked to complete a survey of some kind to help you identify what you do best.  It might have been the free VIA Survey, the Gallup StrengthFinder or Realize.

The challenge for most of us then comes in trying to figure out just how do we go about using our strengths to make it easier to achieve our goals, lower our levels of stress and improve our well-being. 

Luckily scientists have recently discovered a formula to guide us.  Want to know what it is? - 
See more at: http://www.michellemcquaid.com/greatest-strength/