Updated July 2020
Being able to speak to your strengths, competencies and accomplishments, is as critical to your career as knowing where you need to improve.
.
Caitlin slogged through the preparations for her annual performance review. We worked on her accomplishment statements so that she could give her manager a great summary of how she’d made an impact on the organization, and position herself for a significant raise.
.
It was like pulling teeth.
.
She resisted the idea of stating point blank what her contributions had been, diluted her work with watered down sentences, and struggled to make the connection to her influence on the organization.
.
I finally gave her an assignment to go through each area of her work, and write a sentence that started with the words:
.
I am really good at…
.
It struck me that someone so bright, accomplished and expert struggled so much coming up with clearly defined statements about how she rocked it at work.
.
But then I remembered I struggled with the same thing for years in my career. Maybe you do too.
.
.
There are many reasons you may struggle with being taking credit for what you’re really good at.
.
♦ Maybe you were taught it isn’t polite to brag when you were a kid.
.
♦ Most of us never learned how. After all, we aren’t taught in school to learn about ourselves and talk in terms of what we do well.
.
♦ A lot of performance feedback is based on corrective action. It’s focused on improving what you can work on instead of acknowledging what you’re good at.
.
♦ You may have never been coached to identify and strengthen your performance assets. And rarely do you get points for doing so.
.
♦ As well, maybe you have some personal baggage or limiting beliefs that make you think you’re not good enough, perfect enough, or competent enough to make these statements. (Let me assure you right now, you are! And if you have work to do on those things, by all means, do it.)
.
♦ Finally we often view our greatest strengths as commodities. That is to say, we think everyone else has those strengths too. [Tweet this.] And when you view what you have as a commodity, you lose the sense of special-ness about what you offer.
.
As a professional, it’s your responsibility to know what you’re good at, as much as it is to know what you need to work on. [Tweet this.]
.
As Caitlin took on the assignment it became slightly less awful for her. It took some practice – and overcoming resistance, I suspect – until her sentences came haltingly, but more easily.
.
- I am really good at identifying gaps in systems and processes and working with cross-functional teams to identify and implement solutions.
.
- I am really good at reviewing large amounts of information from a wide range of sources (international, foreign, legal databases and internet) and honing in on patterns to identify critical issues.
.
- I am really good at taking big complex ideas, succinctly distilling them, and sharing them in a way that non-technical people can understand.
.
Whew! As said, pulling teeth. And, it is an ever-evolving work in progress.
.
So, question for you.
.
Can you write a document, filled with sentences that begin with “I am really good at…”?
.
If not, it’s something I want you to work on as a sound professional career management practice. It’s good for you.
.
Many managers and employees will focus on what needs to improve. That’s all good.
.
But to leverage the value you bring to an organization – or to a prospective employer – and to feel good about the work you do each day and the purpose behind it – you must be able to articulate your conditions of greatness.
.
And, like many, you may resist doing so.
.
5 ways to get started on your list of things you’re really good at
.
“When we build on our strengths and daily successes — instead of focusing on failures — we simply learn more.”
― Tom Rath [Tweet this!]
.
Here’s how you can get started on your list, and make this a focus.
.
1. REVIEW THE FEEDBACK YOU ALREADY HAVE.
Look at every performance review you’ve already received, emails of appreciation, any 360 reviews you have or any feedback about your work.
.
If you’re like me, you’re probably an expert at picking out all the negative comments, and glossing over the good stuff. In fact, the good stuff used to be incredibly hard for me to read. Do it anyway.
..
These reviews contain the nuggets you need to get started.
..
2. ASK 10 PEOPLE.
If you’re really stuck about what you’re good at, ask ten people who know you really. Have them tell you what you’re really good at. Don’t argue with them. Don’t judge. Don’t protest their compliments.
.
Just listen and write down what they say. Start your list there, even if you don’t agree. Look for validation of what that are telling you, rather than trying to refute it.
.
3. PAYBACK YOUR NEGATIVE SELF-TALK.
If I asked you to name 5 things you suck at, how hard would that be? Chances are you could rattle those off quickly.
.
So, in the next two weeks, every time you think a negative, self-critical thought, compensate with one that starts with “I am really good at.”
.
If you’re going to criticize yourself so easily, then you also need to become equally as good the inventory of your greatness.
.
4. TAKE ASSESSMENTS.
I always use two assessments for clients, and I highy recommend you take them if you are struggling to figure out what you’re great at.
Personality Type (Cost: Free)
- Go to 16 personalities.com
- Take the assessment. You will get the same 4 letter type you would from a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Always take assessments when you are rested and relaxed.
- Read through all the type descriptions. Notice what resonates with you.
- Check the interwebs. There are numerous bloggers who write about personality type. Google your type and read the different posts you find. Think about what resonates with you (not everything will).
- After your research, consider how your personality type has already assisted you in achieving positive outcomes.
CliftonStrengths, formerly StrengthsFinder (Cost: $19.99 USD)
- Go to the Gallup Strengths site.
- Purchase and take the Top 5 Strengths assessment. This will give you your top five strength themes.
- Once you have results, read through the descriptions. Don’t assume you know what the strength theme means by its name. You need to read the descriptions.
- Learn more about the Strengths themes you have. Go to this page: https://leadthroughstrengths.com/xxxxx/ . Input your strength theme into the xxxx part, e.g. https://leadthroughstrengths.com/achiever/
- Watch the video on the upper left corner of the page, and read through the rest of the information on the page.
- Think about what “aha” moments come to you?
Once you’ve done both assessments, start documenting stories where you’ve used strengths and type to achieve results. Use this format:
- Challenge you had:
- Action you took:
- Result you achieved:
- How strength + type played a part:
- This means I’m good at:
To be sure, there are dozens of assessments out there! I use these two because they are all about you, and, they give you clear concise words to use to describe how you show up in the world.
.
.
5. START WRITING UNTIL SOMETHING CLICKS.
Get out a notebook and start writing about your best life experiences.
.
When did you do great work that you really enjoyed, where people said you did a great job?
.
Somewhere in there are things you do really well. Keep writing and see what emerges for you. Then talk it over with someone whose insight you trust and appreciate.
.
When you get your first 5 sentences written, let me know what you find. I’d love to see what you do really well. Then, keep noticing, and keep focusing.
.
Your future, your happiness, your well being are all enhanced by knowing what you do well. It’s worth the time – and discomfort – to really sit down and learn how to understand yourself, and talk about yourself in a way that is confident and affirming.
.
It doesn’t come easily to most of us. But with commitment and a action-taking, you can begin laying down a career practice that will serve you well for a long time to come.
.