Don’t ignore your weaknesses!
This short series of posts has been about the concept of building your work around your strengths… the things that you really enjoy doing. In the last issue I quoted the executive who said, “I want my staff to work in the areas of their strengths until their weaknesses become irrelevant.” This sounds good in theory, but my experiences as an executive coach affirm the reality that many weaknesses NEVER become irrelevant – they can turn a promotable leader into the “walking dead”!
Don’t let your weaknesses turn you into an unpromotable work-zombie
Here are 5 categories of weakness you MUST address, if you want to continue to be effective and move up the ladder:
1. Professional skills you need for your role. These may not be your “thing” but they are basic to just about any level of professional success: how to manage a project; lead an effective meeting; negotiate a contract; coach an ineffective staff member; read a spreadsheet; construct a realistic budget. (NOTE: this list is not comprehensive!)
2. So-called secondary or soft-skills. These are not in the category of technical skills, but often they will make or break your success in your particular role in the organization: interpersonal communication; social skills; the ability to interact and collaborate well with others; public speaking and presenting; conflict resolution; organizational “politicking.”
3. Personality style. This is the way we are hard-wired in our personality and our preferred behavior. You won’t be able to fundamentally change this, but you will be well-served if you are flexible enough (and have sufficient self-awareness) to make small adjustments in your behavior that will enable you to be more effective in relating to others in the workplace.
For instance…
Introverted, quiet, task-focused personalities become more influential when they smile more; greet people in the hallways; use lunches in the break room as an opportunity to strike up a conversation with a colleague and get to know them better.
Extroverted talkers become more effective when they start to talk less and listen more; ask people for their opinions and ideas; tune into people and really give them their focused attention; acquire better time-management and organizational skills.
Personality style is a major area of development for many of my coaching clients, and these are only brief examples of what I recommend.
Get rid of your personal stumbling blocks!
4. Emotional Intelligence. This area is getting more and more attention these days. Many experts are saying that high levels of EQ are essential to leadership success: high self-awareness; the ability to see how your behavior affects other people you work with or supervise; tuning in to the emotional states and moods of others; the ability to control your own strong emotions and negative moods effectively; and your ability to self-motivate.
5. Emotional deficits. I’m talking about emotional baggage here – the emotional issues we internalize from childhood on: personal insecurity; self-esteem issues; fear of failure, abandonment, or rejection. These inner demons can drive dysfunctional behavior and create addiction; control issues; defensiveness; jealousy; the unhealthy drive to acquire, achieve, attain status, or exercise power over others. It’s not a pretty picture! This is where executive coaching stops and psychotherapy begins. If you are struggling with these, it’s time to get some professional help from a counselor or therapist.
The challenge with these weaknesses is that they often exist because the owner is blind to them. How do you know if YOU are struggling, but lack awareness? This is where a trusted colleague or mentor may be helpful – someone who can give you an honest and objective perspective. It’s also where the support of an executive coach can open up all new possibilities for your success!
If you have been passed over for a promotion; or recently received an unflattering performance review; or maybe had to field some complaints about you from HR…you may be struggling with a weakness that you need to address. We’re here for you! Our executive coaching services can help you break through and move up the ladder. Contact us today and we will show you how executive coaching works and how it can work for YOU!
In the meantime…stay tuned to this blog for more great insight and tools!
Until next time… Yours for better leaders and better organizations,
Dr. Jim Dyke – “The Boss Doctor” ™ helping you to BE a better boss and to HAVE a better boss!
