Common Questions About Strengths
Yesterday I had the pleasure of doing a short Strengths presentation to the Tesoro interns. As usual, they had a sharp bunch with great questions (and answers) that I felt were worth sharing here.
- Can people really be that happy to go to work? Amazingly, yes! Some people, including me, get excited for Mondays. I have exciting work to do with a team that I enjoy being around. We each pay attention to each other’s strengths to make sure that the work is given to the right people. Frequent strengths conversations are an every day affair.
- I/my parents have spent so much money on my school; to play to my strengths, I’d have to start over! What do I do? You may feel that you have made the wrong choice in school or that you are too far along in your career. There are steps that you can take daily to shift your time from doing the things that you hate, to the things that fulfill you. Try making a small, incremental shift daily. Talk to your boss, manager, or employees about how they could better utilize your strengths with the right projects. Offer up your strengths!
- Is this “Strengths stuff” really beneficial to the organization or is it just for self-awareness? Strengths provide tangible benefits to the organizations that implement the program. Check out Marcus Buckingham’s White Paper for the details. The benefit that the individual receives is better engagement in their work. Internal motivation provides a need to work on projects where they have a natural tendency to want to focus.
The most rewarding aspect is when even one person “gets it.” They change course in their life because they know where they are naturally driven and have made a choice to follow that path. Can you be that bold?
