I was recently was asked by a friend to help her prepare for a job interview. She specifically wanted to know how to respond to that standard question about strengths and weaknesses. How can you play up your strengths if you aren’t sure what they are? And how can you downplay your weaknesses with a comparable strength? There are many programs and books available to deal with this subject, but I just happened to have a Strengths Finder 2.0 book. The basis of this book is that “Talent (a natural way of thinking, feeling and behaving) multiplied by Investment (time spent practicing, developing your skills, and building your knowledge base) equals Strength (the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance).” Rath, Tom, Strength Finders 2.0, Gallup Press, 2007, p 20.
Purchase of the book gives you access to a program that, after completing a questionnaire, identifies the top 5 areas where you have the greatest potential to develop strengths. (He categorizes 34 areas of strengths referring to them as themes.) Not only does the author give an overview each theme, but he provides examples and Ideas for Action.
The examples are especially useful to gain insight into what motivates someone with a particular strength. For example, I am not very competitive. The book states that those who are competitive are “rooted in comparison” and that, over time, this type of person will “avoid contests where winning seems unlikely.” When you find yourself having to work with someone who is competitive, the author’s advice is to connect with this person by speaking her language, such as referring to the work goal as the “ultimate prize.” You should also find areas within the project or work environment where this person can win. If this person does suffer a loss, it’s best to let the person mourn for a bit, but then quickly move on.
We all have strengths and once we know what they are, building upon such strengths may make our weaknesses less prominent. However, an interviewer will most likely want to know that you’ve identified some of your weaknesses and how you cope with them. Using the above example, a competitive person may admit that she sometimes has difficulty completing ordinary tasks, but add that she's recognized this about herself and learned to pay special attention to those mundane tasks by turning them into achievable goals.
Purchase of the book gives you access to a program that, after completing a questionnaire, identifies the top 5 areas where you have the greatest potential to develop strengths. (He categorizes 34 areas of strengths referring to them as themes.) Not only does the author give an overview each theme, but he provides examples and Ideas for Action.
The examples are especially useful to gain insight into what motivates someone with a particular strength. For example, I am not very competitive. The book states that those who are competitive are “rooted in comparison” and that, over time, this type of person will “avoid contests where winning seems unlikely.” When you find yourself having to work with someone who is competitive, the author’s advice is to connect with this person by speaking her language, such as referring to the work goal as the “ultimate prize.” You should also find areas within the project or work environment where this person can win. If this person does suffer a loss, it’s best to let the person mourn for a bit, but then quickly move on.
We all have strengths and once we know what they are, building upon such strengths may make our weaknesses less prominent. However, an interviewer will most likely want to know that you’ve identified some of your weaknesses and how you cope with them. Using the above example, a competitive person may admit that she sometimes has difficulty completing ordinary tasks, but add that she's recognized this about herself and learned to pay special attention to those mundane tasks by turning them into achievable goals.
The book sounds interesting with wise advice we all can gain from. It's interesting that it gives you insight not only our own weaknesses, but how to deal with the weaknesses of others too.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
This looks like a really good resource, especially for someone like me who has not had an interview in over 20 years. I think I'll try and find it at the library during the break.
ReplyDeleteAll of your posts were helpful, Jean. You need to tell us if you intend to remove your blog. I might have to take the time to copy some of the links you provided.