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Career & Executive Coaching from Hong Kong
Getting Work You Love, Part 5
Key #5: Endorse your greatest weakness.
While most people are constantly trying to either fix their weaknesses or focus on their strengths, it may seem an unfamiliar request to put your positive attention on your short-comings. But there’s a good reason for it…
Write down your greatest weakness and then describe how that links to your greatest strength.
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My greatest weakness? It must be lack of managerial skills, political savvy and communication skills in complex human relationships. I am a simple person and sometimes naive. I work best in a simple & peaceful environment, without too much competitions, also with simple tasks. I am a bit slow in pace at work, but is a pleasant partner to work with, my greatest strength is the ability to connect with people in a pleasant way, and sometimes resolve conflicts between people.I am a peace-maker.
Nice shift, Peace-maker. This is a great example.
Easy – procrastination! That's got to be my biggest weakness, especially for tasks that do not exactly excite me, such as completing RFPs, writing proposals, developing balance scorecards and giving performance reviews.I usually try to embark on one of these tasks and find myself drifting into other things, such as cleaning out my closet, helping a colleague set up a training room, review a channel partner's pipeline report .. and sometimes in this process though I find myself thinking about the task that I've put off, and a lightbulb goes off and I start looking at it from a different angle, and when I do finally sit down to finish the task, it's alot better thought out document than it would have been if I had completed it the first time I tried to do it.
Wow, that's neat. So it's like your brain just craves being creative, and so rather than buckling down to get something done, you let yourself get offtrack and that way capitalize on the creative thinking. Cool.
I have a few “greatest weaknesses”!Extreme enthusiasm for things that I am interested in makes me want to put all my time into something, be overextended and other thingssuffer – I get too excited and then I get over-tired and therefore depressed. This can be a plus as I tend to do good work when excited,and make other people get excited about sb. as well, which can be good for encouraging people do do things etc. (I think that this has helped me in WiPS as president as I have loads of good comments about my job.)Get OTT angry when people are late – However, this means that I always (or nearly always) get things done on time – it's a trust thing and means that I am generally always reliable. This is a good businessstrategem and people remember you if they need a job done.
Two more great examples. I think you know yourself pretty well, Jenny.
My indecisiveness is my biggest weakness. It means that I'm slow in my decision making and that I tend to hang onto things for too long. But it does mean that I'm careful and plan before I make a decision and look at all the possibilities to make sure I've made the right one. I still see this weakness as a huge hindrance though because I get frustrated I can't quick decisions!
Careful people like you are really good to have as part of a team. You can keep the super enthusiastic ones realistic.If you didn't get frustrated by the pace of decisions, would it still be a hindrance? Just curious.
My biggest weakness is indecivesiveness. Because I want to make the best decision, I often evaluate too much before I can make up my mind, and even after I make a decision, I tend to change my mind again. I relate this to thoughtfulness and taking all aspects of one thing into consideration.I worry too much about what others think about me and sometimes get angry or annoyed because of other people's judgement. Deep inside, maybe I am worried that people do not like myself. If this is a strength, then I would say I like to please everyone and make them happy. Actually, I should let it be and tell myself that it's just an observation and that may be whom I really am and accept it.I am afraid to be the attention of a crowd of people. I relate this to support. I can be a good support.I am not persistent and not following through. I give up when I believe that it (an occupation, a relationship) won't last. If this is a strength, I would say I like to keep things and relationships refreshed from time to time.
You're really good at reframing your weaknesses into strengths!
Thank you very much Angela, for this e-coaching.
If I talk about my current situation, I should say that is different than the past because I have been so disappointed with my job research. I have the feeling to be not suitable for the market, I understand that the environment and access are different than in my home country but even all don`t satisfy my wondering !My greatest weaknesses; I am not good at networking which may be a big problem when you are looking for job, especially out of your (country or neighborhood). But that can be a problem too, for getting a job promotion or maintaining relationship with colleagues and customers. In fact, I don`t like to do but I need it !!My self-confident is affected (probably was already) but the current situation grows up the problem!At the moment my indecision, I don`t know which option to chose, either set up a my own business here (which could be a good opportunity to learn new skills and try that) or to stay focus on my job research (which brings more stability and probably better options for the future) references !All of these bring me trouble, but I hope to solve these with you !Chris
I wonder if you can do both? If you have your own business, your first job will be to find clients/customers, right? So in that way, those initiatives are quite similar.Yes, I'm sure the job market is very different in HK in your chosen fields. The good thing is you have discovered where you do not fit. So you can strike those off your list and keep moving with more creativity into different opportunities where you might fit better.What exactly don't you like about networking? Knowing that will let you realize what is your strength.
I have the feeling to ask something to someone when you don`t know the person is little bit too impolite or only interest` oriented !That why, when I meet someone for the first time (as network meeting proposes) we can talk about business but not only depends on the interest of each other !But, I must trough that point then to understand if I can solve a problem or need for someone that is the most important !!Chris
Key #5: Endorse your greatest weakness.What a paradox . . .. but what a powerful concept too!!! I have been procrastinating about this for some days . . . thus my weakness? Or is it? I love deadlines because I know what I am capable of doing in a pressurized environment and can always deliver quality on-time! However, it does up the ante a bit but gives me such an adrenalin rush . .. . and we all love those!!! I guess if I am totally true . .. . I don’t keep relationships, personal or professional . .. at least not for any considerable period of time . .. which means networking is always a game and I usually start at square one. Usually looking for something deeper . . . so start planning earlier and be sincere . . .
Gareth, if I’m reading right, you believe that your weakness is that you don’t keep long term relationships. So what is the strength in that trait? Have you found it?
. . . freedom! [and yes I have] . . .
I am not calm enough…although I look calm and people always commented that it is one of my strengths, at heart I know I am too nervous at times, spend too much time on every details and refuse to let go.I am too result-orientated, without realising enough that no matter how hard I try there will definitely be occassions in life that are out of my control and failure is inevitable…
Even harder question, and fewer responses!
1. Wanting to be liked / try to keep the peace – I cant always please everyone, but I end up compromising my objectives to keep people happy. Looking at this as a strength? – good at facilitating agreement.
3. Don’t like to inconvenience other people in the pursuit of my agenda – similar to 1 above?
2. Impatient with people who are late / don’t deliver on their promises – don’t know how to make this into a strength except to say that I have high performance standards.
3. Easily bored with routine –
4. Micro manager / control freak – related to 2 above!
Hi Jenny,
Yes, a hard question but you’ve made a convincing attempt! For being easily bored, would the strength be that you are motivated to learn?
Wishing you success as you move towards more fulfilling work.
Cheers,
Angela