What are you good at?

If I were ever to ask a coaching client: what are your weaknesses? What are you not very good at? I bet I would be able to sit back and settle in, while she reeled off a whole list of perceived deficiencies.

But when I ask this: what are your strengths? What are you good at? The [invariably] brilliant woman in front of me often finds it hard to identify and communicate her strengths and talents.

Getting clear on your internal resources and also, on how you can leverage them to your best advantage, can really set you up in designing and pursuing some positive life-change.

Not sure how?

First: get clear on the difference between strengths and talents.

I see strengths as the personal qualities that reflect the very best of who you are. You can find a Strengths Survey here, to help you identify your own.

I see talents as skills you’ve honed: maybe you’re good at PowerPoint presentations or climbing mountains or listening to others or developing great website copy.

Then, get good at expressing them.

• Make a list.
• Practice saying those things out loud. [I’m actually serious about this. Out loud, in front of a mirror. Go on!]

And finally? Identify explicit ways you could use your strengths and talents to your best advantage.

Stuck?

Some world class, evidence-based coaching can help.

Tags: life-coaching, Melbourne