{"id":3956,"date":"2019-06-18T09:30:18","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T09:30:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/?p=3956"},"modified":"2026-03-09T06:23:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T06:23:42","slug":"maximise-your-strengths-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/maximise-your-strengths-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"Maximise your Strengths at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Is there a problem here?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Logically, everyone knows it makes sense to use our strengths at work, yet not all of us do. Research from strength expert Marcus Buckingham shows that only 12% of professionals use their strengths consistently in the workplace. This can have a huge negative impact on business performance.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3959\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3959\" style=\"width: 951px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3959\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Stregths.jpg\" alt=\"Superman has great strength\" width=\"951\" height=\"541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Stregths.jpg 951w, https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Stregths-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Stregths-768x437.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 951px) 100vw, 951px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3959\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Use your strengths at work<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>What does it mean to you?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>From working with hundreds of managers and professionals we know that if we ask the question \u201c<em>What are strengths?<\/em>\u201d most reply:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Things I am good at<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Things I enjoy<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Things which give me satisfaction<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Things which motivate me<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Things that other people ask me to do<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In contrast, if we ask you about your weaknesses, you say:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Things I put off or delay<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Things I don\u2019t like to do<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Things which take my energy away<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Perhaps from this you can see it doesn\u2019t make much sense to stay in a role which won\u2019t allow you to perform or enjoy your work. We need to feel a sense of satisfaction and to be motivated to carry out tasks that are useful to other people.<\/p>\n<p>Yet many of us <strong><em>still think<\/em><\/strong> we progress our career by \u201c<em>fixing our weaknesses<\/em>\u201d and attending to \u201c<em>our areas of development<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>What\u2019s the alternative?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Strengths offer a better approach. Don\u2019t just be content with average. We want excellence, so we want to <u>use<\/u> our strengths and just <u>attend<\/u> to our weaknesses.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How can you do this?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here are some tried and tested tips based on Positive Psychology research and principles:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1) Work out what energises you. Spend five minutes at the end of every day asking yourself these questions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What satisfied me the most today?<\/li>\n<li>Where did I exceed my own expectations on my contribution today?<\/li>\n<li>Where was my performance at its best?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>2) Ask for feedback from your colleagues and manager:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>When do you see me most energised?<\/li>\n<li>Which things do I rush to do, rather than put off or delay?<\/li>\n<li>Where am I a fast learner in my current role?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>3) Plan how to use your strengths tomorrow:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Consider what is in your diary and schedule<\/li>\n<li>Think again about how you could make these activities more motivating to you<\/li>\n<li>Ask for your manager\u2019s support in making this happen.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The business case for strengths<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Still not convinced?<\/p>\n<p>If you need more evidence, take a look at the link between strengths and business performance:<\/p>\n<div class=\"lyte-wrapper\" title=\"Marcus Buckingham presents the Business Case for Strengths\" style=\"width:640px;max-width:100%;margin:5px auto;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_1KeNfhw7bK0\" itemprop=\"video\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\"><div><meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F1KeNfhw7bK0%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"embedURL\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1KeNfhw7bK0\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT12M40S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2011-06-20T18:38:19Z\" \/><\/div><div id=\"lyte_1KeNfhw7bK0\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F1KeNfhw7bK0%2Fhqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\" itemprop=\"name\">Marcus Buckingham presents the Business Case for Strengths<\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/1KeNfhw7bK0\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-youtube-lyte\/lyteCache.php?origThumbUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2F1KeNfhw7bK0%2F0.jpg\" alt=\"Marcus Buckingham presents the Business Case for Strengths\" width=\"640\" height=\"340\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Marcus Buckingham explains how the correlation of key business metrics to employee survey data points to individual strengths as the key to unlocking the potential of any individual or organization. ___ Marcus Buckingham is the author of two of the best-selling business books of all time, has three of Harvard Business Review\u2019s most circulated, industry-changing cover articles, and has been the subject of in-depth profiles in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company, The Today Show, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. After spending two decades studying excellence at the Gallup Organization and co-creating the StrengthsFinder tool, he built his own Human Capital Management company, The Marcus Buckingham Company, and sold it to ADP in 2017. Known as the world\u2019s most prominent researcher on strengths, love and leadership at work, Marcus\u2019s data-based discoveries are unlocking the best in each of us and defining the future of how we work. He is dedicating the next decade to helping individuals and organizations to unlock and focus the most powerful force in business: love. ___ Website: https:\/\/www.BuckinghamInstitute.com Design Love In: https:\/\/www.DesignLoveIn.com Twitter: https:\/\/twitter.com\/mwbuckingham Linkedin: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/marcus-buckingham\/ Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/marcusbuckingham\/ Facebook: https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/marcuswbuckingham ___ Marcus\u2019s Books: Love + Work: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/3ceaF9g Nine Lies about Work: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/2SRhQbP StandOut 2.0: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/33f9qgf StandOut: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/2VnmdKT First, Break All the Rules: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/31V2SmL Now, Discover Your Strengths: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/33fmBxM The One Thing You Need to Know: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/2Ow8JuH Go Put Your Strengths to Work: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/33fmVN0 The Truth About You: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/2pTS0Y6 Find Your Strongest Life: https:\/\/mbuck.co\/30VVm9R\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:640px;margin:5px auto;\"><br\/><span class=\"lyte_disclaimer\">[If you interact with the embedded video above and your browser is set to allow cookies, you agree for this 3rd party service to create and store local 3rd party cookies on your device.]<\/span><\/div><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Your next step<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The strengths approach is not only about doing the things you like, it\u2019s about having the focus to perform at your best. It is also about having a work-round, a plan or a colleague to support any weakness. We live in the real world here. No-one is good at everything and this is where being part of a team can help.<\/p>\n<p>In summary, when your manager asks you to do something new, try to take a deep breath, allow yourself a pause and ask yourself this question:<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>How can I do this in a way that strengthens me?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Using this question with your team is also a great way to <em>strengthen<\/em> your leadership style. The bottom line? Using your strengths can accelerate your career and deliver personal growth, so why not start today?<\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;re ready to build on your strengths and boost workplace performance, <a href=\"\/ps-motivating-skills.php\">a motivation course is a great next step<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Is there a problem here? Logically, everyone knows it makes sense to use our strengths at work, yet not all of us do. Research from strength expert Marcus Buckingham shows that only 12% of professionals use their strengths consistently in the workplace. This can have a huge negative impact on business performance. What does it [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"singular-low-link.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[632,638,633,636],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-leadership-development","category-professional-management","category-professional-development","category-soft-skills"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3956"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7896,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3956\/revisions\/7896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stl-training.co.uk\/b\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}