The Problem
You walk out of your performance conversation where your manager said you were strong on A, B, and C; they said you need to develop further on D. The rest of the day, all you can think about is how you’re no good at D.
The Big Small Thing
Lean into your strengths rather than dilute your strengths with all the things you’re not good at. We all do it. We should all stop.
Pay attention to A, B, and C more than you dwell on D. I learned this from the book Build For Tomorrow by Jason Feifer, which helps you thrive in change. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in the last 5 years; check it out here if you want to read it!
How This Helps You Get What You Want
When you focus on your strengths, you show up to that 2 PM meeting more confident. Confidence gets rewarded at work: with projects, relationships, raises, and promotions.
Here are some ways to focus on your strengths 75% of the time and your development areas 25% of the time:
- Know your superpowers. Double down on A, B, C, by turning them into superpowers. Take 5 minutes to write down 10-20 superpowers and circle 3 that define your personal brand. My 3 are people leadership, strategy and insights, and building things from start-up to scale. Have a mix of hard skills and soft skills in there.
- Choose your words. When you get home the night of your performance review, do not tell your partner, friend, or mom about your need to improve on D until you share how strong you are on A, B, and C. We believe what we say.
- Ask. Ask your manager for more projects that align with your strengths. Don’t suffer on a data-analysis project when you’re better at creating slides.
Let’s Do This
- In the next week, share one of your strengths out loud with a friend or colleague. Tell me you did it by tagging me on LinkedIn or Instagram.
- Throw on the hashtag #TheChase because this tip helps you chase what you want, deserve, and CAN achieve.
