When your manager asks to have an annual performance conversation with you –you probably get nervous, right? I would.
That’s because traditionally performance reviews have always been about identifying your weaknesses and working on them while ignoring your strengths. Here’s the problem though. No one can be perfect. By default, we are pretty good at some things and suck at others.
Instead – focus first on leveraging your strengths. What’s something that you bring to the table, that no one else does? What’s the skill that you are irreplaceable at? THAT matters. See, you put the effort into improving a weakness – you see incremental growth. You take the same effort and put it into leveraging and improving a strength – you see exponential growth. Exponential vs incremental. Get it?
Work on your weakness only if it’s bringing down your entire performance OR it’s absolutely important to you.
CONCLUSION
WEAKNESSES ARE NOT ALWAYS ‘OPPORTUNITIES’ – The problem with our performance review system.
Year after year, review after review, you have been struggling to mould yourself into a cookie-cutter ideal version of an employee. Side effects? Reduced performance, decreased morale.
Shift to a strenths-based performance – @MarcusBuckingham is all about it – and it works, incredibly well!
Have you leveraged your strengths instead of fixating on your weaknesses before? Comment and let me know!
