The Myth of “Strengths & Weaknesses”

I can’t remember a time when my parents, coaches, teachers or significant others haven’t referred to the activities I’ve engaged in by grading them as either a strength or weakness.  From a conventional standpoint it appears this is a universal condition. Is it true?  If universal acceptance of the practice counts as true, then I’d agree.  However, today I approach life from a different perspective.  One can find written evidence across the ages that there are people who look at it differently.  The word talent appears to be a better descriptor of one’s ability to engage in and accomplish a particular activity or skill.  We can observe a group of children, for instance, dribbling a basketball on the gym floor and quickly determine those who have a talent for dribbling.  Likewise, it is very easy to determine who does not have a talent for that skill.  Therefore, I suggest that the grading of one’s abilities to accomplish various feats is either a talent or non-talent.

What difference does it make, you may ask?  Although it may appear to be a subtle difference it is in my opinion significant.  If one is aware of their talents, life can appear to be easy, if in fact they engage those talents often.  It stands to reason the inverse is as obvious … i.e., if one engages in activities that they know they do not possess a talent for then the outcome isn’t as easy and not only do others recognize it but they at a minimum know the activity requires more attention and focus to accomplish and at worst are chastised or ridiculed by others.

To engage in a non-talent is in fact a decision, a choice to do so … doing so in spite of evidence that they’ve observed over time results in less than the desired outcome.  To illustrate, it can be said that anyone can make this statement, “I have no weaknesses … none what so ever!”  The listener of such a pronouncement most likely will view the speaker as the most conceited individual they’ve ever met.  Now such a statement (I have no weaknesses) does need clarification.  One would explain that they’ve spent a lot of time and energy identifying their talents.  Along that path they’ve also discovered their non-talents.  To soften the statement, perhaps it would serve them better to announce or declare, that “I choose to engage in those areas and activities of life that I know I have a talent for and refrain from engaging in any of my non-talents.”

By living life under those terms, one then does in fact “appear” to have no weaknesses … they have chosen to avoid aspects of their life that they know will not result in success.  It’s a choice.  We all have that ability to choose similarly.  Some may need to spend time discovering what their talents and non-talents are, but once they know, they can choose to live by their talents and as I say, “swim downstream all day long.”

The application of this information applies across the board – personally and professionally.  If people are employed and engaged in areas that they demonstrate a natural talent for, the business result is more productivity.  The business becomes more successful, the individual gains more confidence, it’s the best of both Worlds, it a “win-win.”

At Rezults Group, we can identify over 180 individual attributes and rank order them from talent to non-talent.  If you’d like to change your opinion of what you’ve been told you have “strengths & weaknesses” in and discover your true natural talents and non-talents …

Call today to order your ADVanced Insights Assessment – this $250 dollar value includes a 45 minutes personalized “de-brief” and 30 minutes of Coaching.

We all need to have a reliable system to track our appointments, activities and events.  I find it makes no discernable difference whether it is a note pad, yellow sticky notes, a full page Day Planner from any of the numerous vendors (Franklin Covey, Day Runner, etc), smart phones, MS Outlook … whatever device you use the key is USE it!

Once that system is in place and understood and diligently utilized then one advances to the tracking and categorizing of the activities … many identify items along A B C lines, or must do’s, should do’s etc.  The prioritization process then becomes the foundation for utilization of time throughout the day.  Here is where many find the system I provide useful.  Just this morning as I met with Mike Carroll of Mike Carroll Productions (Cestcop.com) Salt Lake city, UT he was explaining how the time management system he was using wasn’t translating into real goal achievement.  His frustration was further compounded by the fact that he said he knew he was “on-time” but not “on-task.”

My system embodies all the techniques needed to successfully manage our time allotments – appointments, meetings, tasks, etc but goes beyond that and incorporates a true goal achievement process.  For many the day planner becomes the proverbial “To-Do List” and as important as that is it falls short when we review our day’s activity and notice an item or two still isn’t accomplished.  My system tracks how many times you “slide” an event into tomorrow.  Once an event has slid three times it gets flagged and then we utilize what I call our GPS.  Not the GPS that assists you to navigate through town but the GPS (Goal Planning System) that assists you to navigates to your Goal!

See Figure 1 and notice that the GPS has 10 steps.  Once you’ve been introduced to the system and learn how to use it you’ll find goal achievement becomes predictable, reliable and sustainable.  Our Annual Goals Review process incorporates the GPS system and many have found it very useful to start their year or to re-ignite their passion during the year.  We’d love to introduce you to this system and invite you to reply for a complimentary introduction to the program.

Here’s to a successful calendar and to goals that you achieve!  Have a great day …

It’s not about where you’re from … it’s all about where you’re going.

Another way to think about this – it’s not about your family of origin, where you were born, to whom you were born, etc … it’s about who you walk with!  As a young boy I grew up across the river from the Philadelphia International Airport and planes were constantly flying overhead either going or coming from what I perceived as exotic and exciting places from all over the World.

A best as I can recall I was about 9 years old when at the dinner table I exclaimed proudly, “I’m going to be a pilot and fly all around the World.” The conversation seemed to stop, my mother looked at my father and he in turn looked directly into my eyes and replied, “Son, we’re farmers, we’ve been farming here for more than 150 years … you’ve been working on our farm since you’ve been 5 years old and you’re going to be a farmer for a long time to come – so get that silly notion out of your head and finish your dinner.” Let’s just say that that was one of many rainy days in my parade of ideas proffered at the dinner table as a boy.  How many parades have been similarly rained on by well meaning parents?  My estimate is, ”too many to count.”

How do I know this?  In my coaching of Corporations and the individuals within them one of my first exercises is to have my new clients write a list of what I call “Dreams” … in today’s vernacular I’m asking for their Bucket List. I ask them to return to our next session with a list of dreams they wish to accomplish in their lifetimes [for the 30 year olds I coach that’s in the next 55 years!] and sadly I get lists with 10-15 dreams.  I send them back for our next session and suggest they should be able to write at least 100 such dreams.  I further describe the potential lists as not only containing tangible items, but intangible, becoming dreams … becoming better public speakers, better partners, better parents, etc.  It’s a struggle for most people to come up 100 dreams that they’d like to achieve and in contrast, when I ask my young friends (4-5 year olds) they can come up 100’s in a few hours!

These 4 and 5 year olds haven’t been conditioned to expect limitations upon their dreams, but it won’t be long before well meaning parents, teachers, mentors, etc will begin to guide these young minds into safer, realistic paths.

STOP the cycle … allow our younger children to dream big dreams, allow our young adults to dream big dreams and allow our seasoned adults to dream big dreams and just watch the growth in our people, our society and our World.  No realistic, well meaning person would have ever allowed the concept of a man walking on the moon back in the 50’s, but I can testify to you that on that fateful day in 1969 I was a 1^st lieutenant in the US Marine Corps in Advanced Flight training one month from earning my “Wings of Gold” as a Naval Aviator and launching my flying career that has been World Wide in scope and certainly achieved the dream I had the courage to express at my dinner table as a 9 yr old … and I hope every child can achieve and embrace that same sense of achievement I’m feeling and Dream BIG Dreams.

3 African Pearls of Wisdom:

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”  This is an African proverb that Michael Chertok quoted on his first day on the job in his new role as DDD’s Vice President of Global Impact.

Often credited to Nelson Mandela … “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?

You are a child of God; small games do not work in this world. For those around us to feel peace, it is not example to make ourselves small. We were born to express the glory of god that lives in us. It is not in some of us; it is in all of us. While we allow our light to shine, we unconsciously give permission for others to do the same. When we liberate ourselves from our own fears, simply our presence may liberate others,” this quote is from – Marianne Williamson in Return to Love: Reflections on a Course in Mira.

My wife, who recently returned from Ethiopia as an OR nurse with Operation Smile on her 24^th Humanitarian mission shared this last “pearl” with me.  When greeting another in Ethiopia and extending a “hand of fellowship,” if the recipient instead bends their hand at the wrist [bending it down to avoid clasping yours] do not be offended … instead grasp their wrist and shake it.  They have done so out of kindness for you – they have had their hands working recently in the soil and wish to protect yours from its effect.

My heart strings are “tugged” by these (3) pearls.  As our World seems fragmented, hurried and more complex … it’s refreshing to reflect upon the Wisdom, kindness and love others share with us so freely and generously.

Yesterday, I shared these thoughts with a group young people who were being inducted into the Salt Lake Rotoract Club [sponsored by the Sugar House Rotary Club and the Salt Lake City Rotary Club]  25 of our communities finest and brightest 18-30 year olds – who are college students, young professionals, house wives, etc.

These 25 all share one common trait … service!  They are willing to give of their time and serve others less fortunate than themselves.  The Clubs primary focus is helping Salt Lake City’s ever growing refugee community.  They read to the youth of these new members of our society, they work in the field shoulder to shoulder to prepare a garden to grow crops for them, they donate thousands of hours helping others.

In numbers these (25) are statistically invisible … however, what they truly represent is 100% of our future!

I’m fortunate to be associated with them as an advisor; I’m blessed to be part of the “future” they are creating … I invite each of you to consider how you can be “part of the solution” that these young leaders are so eager to produce.

One of my mentors loved to say, “If it is to be … it is up to me,” and so it is.  May you find these “pearls of wisdom,” useful in your coming week.

2011 is 85 days from now.  I’ve got (9) questions for you to ponder?

1.       What will it cost you to live in 2011?

2.       What will you learn that will improve your 2011?

3.       What will your health look like in 2011?

4.       What will you give to others that will be of benefit to them in 2011?

5.       What will you improve about yourself in 2011?

6.       What would have wished you had done if you die in 2011?

7.       What would you be doing if you weren’t doing what you are?

8.       What are you willing to give to have what you want in 2011?

9.       What will be your biggest obstacle to achieving all the above in 2011?

You might want to spend some time on the following iterations of “9” –

9 –      Steps to Success

9 –      Minutes to live

9 –      Corners to Life

9 –      Layers of Love

9 –      Visions of Me

9 –      Doors to Happiness

9 –      Days of Labor

9 –      Tough Thoughts

9 –      Reasons to look forward to 2011

Finally, 9 thoughts I’d like to share with you …

1.       To be passionate [What compels you to be in business?

2.       Have a WILL not a WISH … to be successful

3.       Crazy tenacity … focus on the right things

4.       Learn to seek out and take good advice

5.       Physical & Spiritual health and stamina [make appointments with yourself]

6.       Success & Happiness [NOT defined by $] Continuous Joy from service to               others … making a difference in others lives

7.       Put your ego in check

8.       Look at your business as an outsider and be honest with yourself

9.       Aim for success NOT perfection

2011 is coming … only you will determine how it unfolds!