Start 2024 with a fresh look at your super powers

You’ve probably heard the saying “play to your strengths”. There is a reason for that! The more we are able to use our strengths in work, the higher performing we’re likely to be. Even better if it is a strength you enjoy using. According to Gallup, people who use their strengths daily are six times more likely to be engaged on the job and less likely to experience stress or anxiety.

How clear are you on your top strengths? If the answer to that is ‘not entirely’ then you’re not alone.  We don’t often pause to take stock of our strengths. It could be because it feels a bit self congratulatory. 

 Why is it so hard to name our strengths?

1. We don't always see ourselves the way other people see us. For example, you may have the strength of performing well under pressure. Others see the calm, capable you. However, you might be plagued with feelings of self doubt and uncertainty (even while doing a great job in the crisis), and those emotions may cloud your assessment of your abilities.

2. Our strengths are often things we find easy: If something comes effortlessly, we can  sometimes assume that the same skill is easy for others and therefore not a particularly important or unique strength. 

3. We get caught up in social comparison: It's sometimes difficult to own up to having a strength because there are always other people who are better at that thing than you are. For example, people might have told you, "You're great at public speaking," and while you might be comfortable speaking to a crowd, your mind immediately jumps to all the people you know who are even more skilled, more engaging and more funny!

TIP: When you get a compliment, don't jump to thinking that it's only a valid strength if you're better than every single other person!

It’s the start of the year, why not begin on a positive note?

Given you could be a lot happier and higher performing if you were doing more of what you’re good at and energised by, why not start this year on an entirely positive note and find out what those strengths are?

Go on, it’s easier than you think…

Start with yourself

Take a moment to reflect on what you think your top strengths are. They could be capabilities you receive consistent feedback about or perhaps you’ve known for a long time you’re good at it. If this reflection doesn’t come easily, try this free strengths assessment, High5 Test. It takes about 20 minutes to complete and returns a list of your top five strengths.

Talk to three people about your strengths

While there are some great tools to assess your strengths, it is also important to get other’s perspectives on your strengths, for some of the reasons listed above.

We suggest you book some time with a few people who know you well and whose opinion you value and ask for their feedback on your strengths. Ideally you’ll find some people from your work environment (could be past and present) and some people who know you well, outside of work.

It might feel incredibly awkward but it will be a very rewarding experience. Let them know in advance what you want to talk about so they have a chance to prepare. Afterall,  this is not a typical conversation topic (unfortunately) and most people would need a bit of time to gather their thoughts.

If you need a way to frame this conversation you could say something like “As part of my personal development, I am keen to get others’ perspectives of my strengths and skills and how they could be helpful in work now and in the future. Would you be able to spend some time with me talking about that?”

Pro tip - make this a once a year thing. If you mix it up a bit, with the people you choose to ask, you may get some surprising feedback. 

You now know your strengths. So what?

Have a think about your current role. What projects or tasks utilise your strengths? Which ones don’t? It could be worth having a talk with your manager about opportunities to do more things that utilise your strengths. If you’ve discovered your current role is not playing to your strengths much at all then perhaps it’s a sign that this year, you should be looking for something that does.

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