What is a strength?

Reading the wonderful "Go put your strengths to work" by Marcus Buckingham.  Apparently just 17% of the workforce believe they use all their strengths on the job.

"A strength looks like consistent, near-perfect performance"

Marcus says people don't work on their strengths because they believe certain "myths":
1. Your personality changes with age.
2. You will grow most in your areas of greatest weakness.
3. A good team member does whatever it takes to help the team.

"Truths" are :

1.as you grow, you become more of who you already are

2. you will grow the most in your areas of greatest strength

3. a good team member deliberately volunteers his strengths to the team most of the time.

A strength is combined of several ingredients:

1. Talents - can be found via personality profiles such as Myers-Briggs.  Talents are innate.

2. Skills - are learned.

3. Knowledge - is learned.

More importantly, a strength is when you do it - you feel effective. Before you do it, you actively look forward to it. While you're doing it, you feel inquisitive and focused. And after you've done it, you feel fulfilled and authentic.

Some online materials including a video and an interview with the Today Progamme about how the strengths approach was being taught in schools.

lots more to come on this subject....hope you're playing to your strengths most of the time....