Self-management

 

Self-management

Assessing Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Rethink your weaknesses. "Weakness" isn't the most helpful way to think about areas for development. In reality, people really aren’t weak, even though we might really feel or think this way at times. However, most people feel that they could be stronger in certain areas in their lives, their skill sets, and other areas. Since they feel they are not as strong in those areas, it’s common to assign the opposite to describe when we feel we need to work on an area to feel stronger and competent.  Instead of focusing on "weakness," which has a negative feel to it, think about your areas for growth or improvement -- this keeps you focused on the future and what you can do to get better.

Identify your areas for growth. Areas in which you can develop might be related to anything, including certain professional or social skills or poor self-restraint with food. You could also simply refer to an inability to catch a baseball or perform math equations quickly. Oftentimes, areas for growth are framed in terms of "learning lessons from life" and not repeating mistakes. Other times, it's about making the effort to overcome a lack of skills you perceive in yourself.

However, an apparent "weakness" may merely be an indication that a particular activity just isn’t for you, which can be an important thing to admit to yourself. If everyone had the ability to be good at, or even enjoyed, all of the same activities, then the world would likely be a very boring place.

Write down your strengths and weaknesses. Once you assess all you've written down about your actions and desires, it's time to focus on what you think your strengths and weaknesses are. Using the lists from other people you got earlier and that what you have learned about yourself through the other exercises, write down areas of your work and life that you think are your strong and weak areas. Focus on how you currently see your own strengths and weaknesses based on what you're doing in your life right now, both personal and professional, rather than looking to the past or to your desires.

Compare the lists against one another. Did they match up and did you find any surprises? Did you think you were strong in one area but in your actions list that doesn’t appear to be the case? This type of mismatch occurs when you're telling yourself you're one way, but a challenging situation displays your real character instead.

• -How about mismatches between your desires and what you think your strengths are? This mismatch can happen where you've tried to do things with your life based on other's expectations or on your own ideas about what ought to be done, while your desires and actual reactions have been considerably different.

 

Consider any surprises or mismatches. Look at the different lists you've made. Look for any surprises or places that don't match up. Reflect on why you think that some of the qualities and weaknesses you've spotted have turned out to be different. Is it possible that you think you enjoy certain things or that you're motivated by certain things, but in actuality you can't or you aren’t? These lists will help you see that.

Focus on those areas that differ and try to identify situations that address the area. For example, did you write that you aspire to become a singer, but on your lists of believed strengths, you said that you were good at science or medicine? While a singing doctor might be a novelty, the two professions differ considerably. Figure out which area really motivates you in the long-term.

Ask the opinions of friends or family. Have a close friend or family member provide you with constructive feedback. Although self-examination can lead you to a few answers, getting an outside opinion will help you either solidify your observations or can shatter a few illusions as well. Learning how to receive constructive feedback from others is essential to being part of a community. It is important not to get defensive, or take it as a personal attack, simply because someone suggests an area of improvement. Learning to incorporate constructive feedback from others into your everyday life can be a strength in itself.

• If you don't think that a family member can be honest, choose someone who will give you the truth and not sugarcoat or gloss over your weaknesses. Find an external, neutral person, preferably a peer or a mentor, to give you honest, constructive feedback.
• Ask for feedback on your lists. Have your outside person review and comment on your lists. Helpful comments and questions may include, “What makes you think that you don’t act quickly in emergency situations?” The outside observer may recall an instance where you were the hero of the day during an emergency although you may have forgotten.

Seek professional assistance. If you are still having trouble, or would feel more comfortable with an outside source, ask a professional to help you to determine your strengths and weaknesses. There are companies that can help with psychological profiling, which are often attached to recruiting agencies. For a price, you can take tests to have on-staff psychologists review your personality and professional profiles.

While these tests won’t necessarily give you the essence of your personality, they can nonetheless serve as helpful jumping off points for thinking about your strengths and weaknesses.

From this, you should find out what they consider to be your strengths and weaknesses. A good test should be long in order to draw out the repeated aspects of your personality. After taking a test like this, be sure to talk directly with the psychologist to work out weaknesses and uncover strengths.

There are online tests you can take to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Look for tests that are on reputable sites and that have been compiled by licensed psychologists or similarly-qualified professionals. If there is a cost involved, do some research about the company providing the tests first to make sure you're getting value for money.

Reject perfectionism. Take care not to become hung up on your weaknesses. This pattern can quickly fall into the nonconstructive pattern of perfectionism, which can actually hold you back from success. It’s better to begin with what you do well for a given skill set, then find several details to enhance those skills and slowly improve over time.

For example, you want to improve your communication skills. After some self-reflection, you decide you are actually a pretty good listener, which is your strength. However, you clam up when it’s your turn to speak, which is your weakness. You decide you want to be more verbal, so you work on interjecting maybe a sentence or two within the conversation at small pauses.

A perfectionist approach might say that because you are not currently good at speaking, you can't even bother to work on it because you will make mistakes. Acknowledge that mistakes are part of learning and growth and allow yourself to make them as you develop yourself.