Problem Solving Tip

 

Problem solving starts from here and here alone.

Do you agree?

Improving Team Performance

 

USE YOUR STRENGTHS - to take CHARGE of YOUR Career.

 

And I am NOT! - How to Leverage Your Strengths for Resilience

And I am NOT!

 A seemingly innocuous line, isn't it?

 

This happens to be the last line in the graphic novel, 'Small Gods' by Sir Terry Pratchett. So let's have a little more context.

 

The line is said by the hero to (the character) Death, when he's helping the villain to cross limbo. Death is reminding the hero that the villain was an extremely bad person who hurt and tortured many people, implying that he's undeserving of such assistance. The hero acknowledges this by saying yes the villain did do all those things, and is a bad person, and I am NOT.  And the hero continues to help the villain go across limbo.

 

Since you are human and probably with access to the internet,  it's likely that you have been in a situation where someone at work or home has wronged you (in reality or as perceived by you). You probably had some strong thoughts, particularly about how to get back.  Sometimes, you actually searched and waited for the opportune moment.  Perhaps you made a comment, or refused a request, or just shared the incident with other people.  If you got sympathy from others, you felt vindicated.  As you vented, you probably felt some release and relief.

 

The problem here is that we become comfortable with this state of being because our ego is fed and happy.  It doesn’t really solve the problem, take the relationship forward or help you grow.  The ability to recover quickly from such challenges is going to be stunted.  This, after all, is not what being resilient is about.

 

Now, what if you were to say this line to yourself “And I am NOT!” during or immediately after these times of tense interactions where the need to get back at the other person in a nasty, perhaps damaging way, is particularly strong?

"And I am NOT" reminds me of who I have become, my strengths and weaknesses (and both are ok to have – which makes me OK).  It also empowers me to remember what I have given up in terms of negative behavior, and what I can do with my strengths to be resilient and thrive. 

 

What can you do to build your resilience with your strengths?

1. Know yourself completely. It's hard to attempt anything if you don't know yourself.
2. Accept yourself – the good and bad.  This is called confident vulnerability by DeAnna Murphy, my teacher and strengths mentor from Strengths Strategy Inc /People Acuity Inc.
3. Identify your emotions in the moment.
4. WAIT. Put off any reaction that may be bursting out of your mind and mouth.
5. Understand through some introspection why you are feeling this emotion.  Look for what you can learn from the incident.
6. Leveraging your strengths by strategically choosing to apply them, and deciding on a course of action.
7. Be willing to let go of the need to show yourself as better than the other.
8. Do the action in the most respectful manner you can manage.
9. Be accountable to yourself throughout this process.

Using your strengths is the best way to deal with this situation.  Here's how some of my top 10 strengths (from the CliftonStrengths assessment) work in this tense situation - 

• Intellection to reflect on my actions and the events leading up to the situation
• Analytical to make sense of the different variables that come up.
• Learner to see what I can learn from what has happened so far.
• Ideation, Relator and Individualization to look for ways to rebuild the bridge
• Self Assurance to remind me that I can control myself only and not the other person, and that it's ok if my action plan doesn't give me results.

All these strengths have to work together to give me the outcome that I desire. Yes, this isn't easy, and takes #deliberatepractice. If you are wondering why you should go through all this trouble of using your strengths to build resilience, then think of how such a course of action would positively impact your:

• Relationships (at home and the office)
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Decision Making
• Conflict Resolution
• Managing and guiding your team
• Employer Brand
• Personal Brand

 

If all this makes sense to you, then constantly remind yourself of who you are and Who You Are NOT!

Complete the sentence as you see fit - And I am NOT ________________

Want to know more about strategically leveraging your strengths?  Write to me for a discussion on ryanbbarretto@hotmail.com or call me at +919820155778.

Why Organizations should Invest in Focusing on their Employees' Strengths

This is a fascinating read on Gallup's findings from 25 million people who have taken the #cliftonstrengths assessment. The impact of a team of people who are aware of their and each other's #strengths is stark; some are 14% higher productivity, 18% higher sales and 23% more profitability.

Read the details here

Glad to be a strengths strategy coach :-)

Want to know more about building a Strengths based Team? Write to me here or at +919820155778.

Tips to Manage Imposter Syndrome in your Self-development Journey

 Interesting read for one's #personaldevelopment to particularly manage #impostersyndrome.

While the points have merit, practically, they are all tough to put into practice in a sustained manner to get effective results.

After all, it's actually about two key things -

• #EmotionalIntelligence i.e. managing our emotions, and
• Managing our #habits.

A strengths coach would particularly be of great support on this journey. Happy to help!

Read the article here

In today's times and going forward, your career can go nearly everywhere.

 Interesting read on what to do about your #career since the old ways of working and progressing are pretty much obsolete.

Like this article mentions (I follow this too in my #careercoaching), it is absolutely critical to identifying one's #purpose. It's most effective when this purpose is grounded in one's #strengths. So yes - Up isn't the only way, and hasn't been for a while actually.

Click here to read the article.