Turning talents into strengths takes practice. Be patient with yourself because it may take a while to experience the full potential of your strengths. As you begin to convert your natural talents into strengths, you may notice the variety of expressions they take ranging from raw to mature.
When your talents are over-expressed, under-expressed, inexperienced, or misdirected you may find yourself experiencing a weakness. This weakness can hinder relationships, reputations, and results.
For this reason, it’s important to take notice of how you are showing up in your day-to-day interactions, paying particular attention to the impact that stress and overwhelm are having on you.
Sometimes a trigger can spark a weakness in you. That trigger might even be another team member who is stuck operating in one of their weaknesses and now there’s double the trouble.
When this happens, you may be tempted to react negatively and point fingers. That will only cause both of you to sink deeper into your struggles. In these situations, first, address your own weaknesses; then you can better support your team members with theirs.
When you are experiencing a weakness you may notice intense emotions like frustration, irritation, impatience, anxiety, or the desire to completely avoid a situation or conversation. Your reactions may be more extreme than normal, which can rub people the wrong way, making it even more difficult to get your needs met.
But there’s good news! You don’t have to stay stuck struggling with your weaknesses. Follow these 3 action steps to shift out of your weakness into your strengths for better outcomes.
- Stop what you’re doing and identify the weakness that’s getting in your way. Where does it feel like you’re swimming upstream? Give it a name.
- Consider what you are naturally good at and how you might apply your natural talents to overcome that weakness and create a better outcome. Consider what you do with relative ease that might offset your weakness.
- Use an approach more aligned with your strengths and take note of the positive shift you create – in yourself and in others.
Copyright © 2023 Gallup, Inc. All rights reserved. Gallup® and CliftonStrengths® are trademarks of Gallup, Inc.
