The phrase for the week is "Play
to Your Strengths”
Don’t
get me wrong, I understand the importance of feedback, but no one ever focuses
on the good feedback, just the negative. The term” plan for improvement” annoys me too. We are hard-wired to focus on the negative. Our brains respond so differently to
compliments and praise. It energizes us
in a way improvement plans don’t. What inevitably happens is that the employee
abandons their strengths to focus only on their weaknesses. If the news is a surprise, they wonder, does
everyone know I have this weakness and aren’t telling me? Are they having secret meetings where this is
discussed? It’s like getting to the end
of the day and finding out that you had spinach stuck in your front tooth all
day.
I’m
not suggesting that you ignore negative feedback. Not at all. We can all grow and become better humans when we are made aware of
our behaviors or work product that are not meeting the mark. What I am suggesting is that you are clear on
what you do well. Find ways to
capitalize and build on those strengths. In the meantime, you determine how you will address the noted
“weaknesses.” This is a great topic of
conversation for you and your mentor or coach.
I always play to
my strengths.
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