I hate getting things wrong. And I really hate getting stuff wrong when it’s in my area of expertise. Apparently I don’t like being reminded that I’m human (anyone else with me on that?). It happened again in a fairly spectacular way recently, so I decided to turn it into a teachable moment for myself. …
Are mistakes that same thing as failures in your world? If so, I’m here to tell you that you’re quite mistaken! It is a good thing to make mistakes – in fact, you should be trying to make more of them. The best thing about mistakes As the image says, “mistakes are proof you are …
Sometimes doing things in reverse can get you better results. This was a lesson that a client taught me recently, when we were discussing the strategies she would use to make wise use of her Genius1 strengths (the things she’s great at and loves doing). Genius strengths goal: wise use If you’ve read some of …
The Zone of Potential is one of the five Zones in The Strengths Deck Matrix (which you can download a free copy of from here). It contains the things that make you say “I enjoy this but I’m not great at it”. People’s first reaction is often “Ah, so this is the stuff I should …
One issue that comes up over and over again, whether I’m coaching one person, or speaking with a group, is the concept of strengths overuse. The usual question is, “If I’m good at something, isn’t it better to use it more?” Sweet or sour? Almost anything in life has a sweet spot – the point …
I love the huge variety of strengths-based approaches that are out there, but many of them get one key thing wrong. They focus on the extremes of super-strengths and worst weaknesses, and make only passing mention (or worse, completely ignore) what sits in the middle of the spectrum. It’s as though they don’t realise that …
Appreciative Inquiry is a method for solving problems and implementing change by focusing on the positive. It emerged from the work of David Cooperrider and Suresh Srivastva in the late 1980s, and has since been used by businesses, teams and organisations around the world. The Ai (1) approach is perfectly aligned with the strengths-led approach, …
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If you’re like me, you have sat in countless training sessions or performance reviews being told to identify your weaknesses and develop strategies to compensate for or overcome them. Did anyone ever tell you to focus on your strengths? It seems to be a totally foreign concept in most workplaces. But focusing on strengths will …
What came to mind when you read the word “weaknesses” in the title? Most of us cringe inwardly even just hearing the word “weakness”. We’ve been taught that weakness is something to be ashamed of. And plenty of people seem to believe that the truly great amongst us don’t have weaknesses. That’s about as far …
One summer morning, as I sat outside with my coffee admiring the flowers in my garden, I realised that gardening is a great metaphor for working with strengths. There are so many different elements to consider as you plan and care for your garden. And the way you understand and work with each element contributes …
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