“These are your development opportunities….” We’ve heard these before. Probably at an end of year review. Maybe when our cubicle neighbour was promoted. “You need to focus on your weaknesses so you will be a well rounded marketer, sales person, engineer, janitor.” – Right?
Should we try and improve? No doubt. But to focus on your weakness is to ignore your given talents. Imagine if some of our revered entrepreneurs heeded the advice of the Conglomerate Manager? What then?
Walt Disney – Improving his maturity and ignoring his inner child.
Richard Branson – Searching for a cure for dyslexia?
Donald Trump, well he would still be at the barber!
What they don’t tell you is that anyone who has ever achieved anything, did it via leveraging strengths. Focus on strengths, outsource weaknesses.
Stephen:
You are right on point here. Too many organizations assume employees can become competent in almost anything, if only they try. Companies structure their performance reviews to show employees how they must improve to get ahead. Corporations misspend training budgets on improving employee weaknesses, when they ought to invest in enhancing existing skills. I have found that the most successful leaders recognize that each person’s talents are special, and that a person’s best opportunity for growth lies in exploiting those strengths. They identify what individual employees do best, encourage workers to shift their focus to those strengths, and help them refine and fortify those abilities. And they show them how to use their talents to bring success to themselves and the organization.
Thanks for the great post.