Silly Strengths
Silly Strengths
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to facilitate a teambuilding event in Cape Town. Typically planning for team-building events is one of my favourite things to do because it allows me to flex my creativity muscle (one of my biggest and favourite strengths).
Activating and doing things that allow you to use your strengths is a powerful energy source and allows us a greater opportunity to deliver exceptional results. That being said, when our strengths are activated in overdrive they can result in us becoming less effective, stressed and even lead to burnout. When used to the extreme, our strengths become a weakness.
On Wednesday afternoon whilst finishing off some last-minute preparations, I felt my nervous system sending alarm signals. I took a few minutes to identify what was going on. I was feeling stressed and did not know why because this kind of stuff is my jam! I was using so many of my strengths: My achiever which allows me to get things done and helps me thrive when I have to work under pressure, my belief because I believe the work we do makes a difference and my deliberation paired with my strategic strength which enables me to navigate obstacles and make a plan.
Here is what was happening: I was in overdrive, going too hard. This is when those talents which make us excel become roadblocks. This often happens when the pressure is on, with short timelines, personal challenges and the added element of travel.
So what was happening? And what solutions did I employ?
- During my self-check-in, I noticed that I was “worst-case scenario-ing” and over-analysing everything in an attempt to be prepared. Solve: I ran through the plan and the controllables. Listed the things that were coming up as potential problems and then categorised them into two categories: things I can control and things I can’t control.
- I was making checklists of checklists, with Post-its everywhere! Solve: I took all the Post-its and compiled a list for me, one for my hubby and one for PJ. My to-do list instantly became much shorter and more manageable.
Doing the self-check-in empowered me to calm down and move forward with a plan. Doing it does require a level of self-awareness. PJ and my husband kept making jokes because they know me so well. They knew I was thriving but also that I needed a reminder to breathe and not overplay my strengths.
An activity that works well when working in a team to ensure everyone uses their strengths towards the best possible outcomes is a quick round of my pantry and my shopping list. Each team member gets two minutes to share their pantry items: the strengths, skills and potential contributions they bring to the table. And secondly their shopping list: what you need from the team to either enhance your contribution or to be able to activate.
As we head into the final exciting weekend of the Olympics, consider these questions:
1. Do I know what my strengths are?
2. How can I make sure that they are helping me and not hurting me?
If you would like to increase your level of self-awareness or you would like better insight into how to use your natural talents, get in touch. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
