21st September 2011

Start Maximising your Strengths in just 10 minutes

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Liz Barron , #Business & Personal Skills

When you’re running your own business, it’s easy to forget that you are the most valuable resource your business has. When we do decide to invest in ourselves, we often seek to resolve our weaknesses, rather than developing our strengths even further, which will give you even better return on your investment.

While in Ireland we clearly enjoy the end product of vineyards, our terrain and climate is more suited to growing grain than grapes, to allow us get the best out of our natural resources! I recently ran a 10 minute workshop for my local business networking group on the topic of “Maximising your Strengths” – here’s what we covered.

Make a list with three columns; work, home life and other (perhaps sports, the arts or whatever. What do clients and other people say you’re good at?
Circle the top three strengths that you’d like to develop even further.
Write down some actions you can take to develop each area; for example take on more projects that use this skill, collaborate and network with other experts in this area, teach it to other people, write a book or article about it, get further training….
What will be the evidence that you’re improving in these areas? How will you measure?
Your list of actions, complete with dates, will form the basis of your Personal Strengths Development plan.

If you find it difficult to think of things you’re good at – boy do you need to do this exercise!

Ask at least three people whose opinion you value to write, email or text you – what are the skills and strengths you have that they admire the most. (Tell them it’s an exercise you’ve been told to carry out for a business management programme!)

Let me know how you get on – you’ve got nothing to lose, and all your investment is bound to bear fruit!

Liz Barron – Realize Coaching – www.realize.ie