Identify Your Strengths at Work: Tips for Personal and Professional Growth | Reflect Forward

Hi, and welcome back to Reflect Forward. I'm your host, Keri Siggins, and I'm so glad you are here today. Today, I want to talk about finding your strengths at work. So, this weekend, I was walking with a friend of mine, and we were talking about work, and he said, you know, I'm really struggling. I don't know what my strengths are, and I don't know how I bring value to the organization. And I asked my manager to help me identify my strengths, and my manager just turned it around back to me and said, well, how am I supposed to know what your strengths are if you don't? You tell me. And I really appreciated this conversation for two reasons. One, I could feel his pain. Understanding what you're good at, that can be hard to figure out, and it takes intentional work and time and a little bit of support. I definitely know in my search for figuring out what I was good at, I have felt that way before, too. And then, two, the manager really missed the mark on this. I mean, our job as leaders, as great managers, is to help our employees understand their strengths and really dive into figuring out what they're good at and how they bring value to the organization. But so many people are just not trained to be able to have these types of conversations or really to even be aware of that kind of development that people are looking for from them. While it's not surprising that this person said this, it is still indicative of where so many managers are. So today, that's what I want to talk about is how can you find your strengths when you don't know what your strengths are? And it's your responsibility to understand your strengths. And while it's great to have a manager or a leader who is invested in your personal development and who really digs into this with you, it's not up to them to figure it out. It's really your responsibility to figure out. That's part of what the ownership mindset is, is understanding your strengths and weaknesses and doing that deep exploration. So what I said to him in the moment is, I can help you with this. And let's talk through a couple of things that you can do when you really are trying to figure out what you're going to do. So these are the tips I gave him. Number one, notice when you're in the flow. When you are in a flow state, that's where time fades and you're completely absorbed by what you're doing. It feels like I'm so productive. It is such a powerful state to be in. And it's also a powerful indicator that you're engaging with a natural talent or skill because it feels really energizing and challenging in a productive way. So to tap into this, you want to take note of the tasks and the activities where you are the most engaged. Are there projects or types of work where you feel that deep investment and that you lose track of time? When you're in the state, pay attention to what you're doing or who you're working with and how you're contributing to the value of the company. Flow moments often reveal those intersections between your skills, your interests, and the needs of your role, like how you're bringing value to the company. When you recognize these flow states, you're uncovering these areas where your potential truly shines. So that was the first tip I gave him. And we talked through when he feels like he's just the most engaged and really getting things done. And I saw the light bulb go on like, ah, man, that is what I'm good at. That's what I love doing. And that is when I feel like I'm contributing the most value to the company. And I said, there you go. You just found a strength of yours. To build upon this, I think the next step is to really understand what energizes you and what drains you. And both are equally important. So you know I'm big on listening to what your body is telling you. Your body and mind are constantly signaling you about what aligns with your natural abilities. Pay attention to the types of work that energize you versus what leave you drained. For me, I love talking to people, coaching, mentoring. It's what I'm meant to do. Really helping people explore their potential and achieve higher states of well-being and leadership and consciousness. And work that drains me is anything to do with a spreadsheet. I love spreadsheets because they are so powerful and they make life way easier. But to live in one, to create one, all of the circular references and stuff, like, oh my god, it is so draining to me. What is that for you? What really energizes you when you're working and what leaves you feeling completely drained and demotivated? Tasks that tap into your strengths tend to leave you feeling invigorated and accomplished, while tasks that are outside of your skill set, the things that you don't like to do or that you're not good at, often leave you feeling frustrated or exhausted. Now, this isn't to say that you should avoid work that challenges you, because growth comes from tackling tasks that are difficult. You know how I say, the only way to get good at doing hard things is to do hard things, and you got to expand your competency zone by doing things that you haven't done before. But if a particular type of work consistently leaves you feeling depleted, like working in spreadsheets, for me, it may be a sign that it does not align with your strengths. So, identifying what energizes you will help you recognize those potential areas of expertise where you're more likely to succeed and enjoy the process. The third step is to assess your past achievements. Look back on your career and identify those moments when you felt really proud of what you accomplished. What were the skills, the qualities, and the talents that you used in those situations? Consider both big and small wins when you're doing this exercise. Did you come up with a creative solution to a long-standing problem? Did you complete a project ahead of schedule or manage a team to get great results? These moments reveal where you naturally excel, especially if they involve skills that you can continue to leverage in your current role or for future opportunities. So, understanding those past achievements is really important, and you know that I'm a big believer in this. If you haven't listened to the podcast on the gap versus the game mindset, go back and listen to it. You do want to measure yourself on how far you've come. So, when you're thinking about your strengths, look at those past achievements. Look at how far you've come. When you feel most proud of the things that you've done, what were you doing? It's most likely that you were in the flow, and you were doing work that energizes you, and that's why you were successful in it. So, do more of those things. The fourth thing is to experiment and step outside your comfort zone. Sometimes, uncovering your strengths requires a little bit of experiment. So, stepping into new responsibilities or taking on new projects that take you outside of that routine or out of the everyday work that you do can be incredibly revealing. By exploring new areas, you may discover strengths that you never knew you had. This could mean offering to lead a project, doing something that you've never done before, volunteering for cross-departmental work. I remember the very first time that I was ever on stage in front of a big group of people. I was a junior in college, and my softball coach had asked me to come and speak to the Colorado High School All-State Softball Banquet. It was high school softball players who had been named to the All-State team and their parents coming together to celebrate, and the keynote speaker had canceled two days before the event. He said, you have this amazing story about how you got in trouble in high school, and you buckled down and decided that you were going to get a scholarship to play softball at Colorado School of Mines. You called the coach, and you made it happen. You got the scholarship. You got into Mines. You turned things around, and now here you're captain of the team. I know that the girls and parents would love to be able to hear this story. I had never spoken in front of a big crowd before, but I thought, huh, okay. Well, I guess I'm going to say yes. I'm going to try it, and so I did it, and it was amazing. There were six or seven hundred people in the audience, and there was a line of girls waiting to talk to me after I gave my keynote, wanting to share their stories with me and to ask for advice on how to approach the coach of the school that they really wanted to go play at. It was the most invigorating thing, and I completely stepped out of my comfort zone. I was probably 20 years old. I had never done it before, and here I'm speaking to all of these parents and student athletes, and I could have possibly never known how much I love public speaking if I would not have done that. So that is an example of how to experiment and step outside of your comfort zone. When you have this willingness to test your abilities, it will not only reveal those new strengths that you might have, but it'll also build confidence and resilience. That is absolutely what saying yes to that speaking engagement did for me, and now I speak all over the world and get paid to do it because of that very first thing that I did, and it helped me build my confidence, and it gave me motivation and the belief that, hey, I can speak. I can stand in front of a crowd and do this. When you also get outside of your comfort zone and experiment, you get to know what your limits are, which means that you're probably going to push those limits, and that's such an important aspect of growth. You'll also begin to understand how your unique talents can evolve with experience. And then finally, number five, I do think it's really important to ask for feedback, and I shared this with my friend who was frustrated that his manager didn't help it. At least he brought it up to me in this conversation, and I could help with him, right? We could talk about when he's in the flow and what energizes him and what de-energizes him and how to look at those past experiences and what he could do to push himself outside of the comfort zone. We had all those conversations, and he walked away with the plan, but I also encouraged him, don't hesitate to ask for feedback. And yes, maybe your manager isn't equipped to be able to help you explore these, but that doesn't mean that you can't ask a friend, ask a mentor, ask your peers, you know, what am I good at? Where do you see me excel? How do I really add value to the organization? Others might see things that you don't see, and that's what he was looking for when he turned to his manager to say, can you help me understand my strengths? And so you can ask those people closest to you what they think that you're good at, how you bring value to their lives, whether that's at work or in your personal life. Are you a creative problem solver? Do people turn to you when they need someone to organize chaos or come with a fresh perspective? Do they come to you when stuff just needs to get done and they know that you're going to be that person to get it done? Or do they come to you when something needs to be analyzed or really dug into with detail? Ask them those questions. That will help you understand what your strengths are when you don't know. Now, I would like to remember that sometimes feedback can be challenging to hear, especially if it contrasts with your self-perception. For example, you think you're good at something until somebody tells you, like, no, you're not really that good at. But remember, this feedback is a valuable tool for growth. So explore it. Look for ways to be able to understand that feedback and use it to fuel you forward. Reflect on the recurring themes that you hear from others, as these will often point to the strengths that you can build on. So feedback is really important, even if you're unable to get it from your manager. There's still other people who can tell you what they think that you're great at and where you can improve. All right, so why does all of this matter? Well, first, it's about purpose. When you align your work with your strengths, you create this powerful feedback loop of fulfillment and motivation. Work becomes less about completing tasks and more about contributing meaningfully to your organizational's goals. This alignment increases your sense of purpose, which is so important. That's how we are engaged. Why? Because you are doing work that aligns with your unique gifts. Purposeful work doesn't just increase job satisfaction, it brings a sense of well-being and personal growth, making you an invaluable asset to your team. The reason why I really wanted to talk about this is that I once lived a life that I did not have purpose and meaning in work. I was doing work that I did not like, that was not aligned with my strengths, that I did not feel like I could be great at, and it led me down to a toxic place. When I came to work at StoneAge and I read Marcus Buckingham's and the Gallup organization's First Break All the Rules, which is all about aligning your strengths and talents with the role that you play at work, my eyes were opened. Luckily, I found StoneAge and I got to do what I'm great at, and I love what I do. It feels like I have this much greater purpose that has evolved over the last 18 years, but it took really understanding what my strengths were to align with the work that I was doing so that I could be great at my job and go on to live a successful life and build a successful career. So do not underestimate the power of aligning your strengths with purpose. Another reason why it matters is for career growth. When you focus on your strengths, it not only makes you more effective in your role, but it makes you more likely to progress in your career. Why? Because you're doing things that you're good at. Managers and leaders value employees who understand how to bring their best selves to the table, and you bring your best self to the table when you are aligning your work with your strengths. So when you clarify your strengths, you position yourself as a key contributor to reliably drive those results and elevate the team's success. Also, working in alignment with your strengths often leads to higher levels of engagement and lower levels of burnout, allowing for a more sustainable, fulfilling career. And this is so important because we do get burnt out when we're doing things we don't like to do. Knowing and nurturing your strengths allows you to remain agile, confident, and capable of evolving within your role, which is really needed in today's fast-changing workplace. Uncovering your strengths and integrating them into your daily work is an ongoing process that requires self-reflection, open-mindedness, and a commitment to growth. By recognizing where you naturally excel, you can craft a work experience that not only makes you feel more productive, but it also creates a much more meaningful experience. In turn, this enables you to be able to make a powerful, positive impact on the business, which is what we're all here to do. One that is rooted in authenticity, purpose, and sustained motivation because you are working on your strengths. So to recap on what you need to do to understand your strengths is first, notice when you're in the flow. Second is to reflect on what energizes you and drains you. Third is to assess your past achievements. Fourth is to experiment and get outside your comfort zone. And five is to seek feedback. Hopefully, this podcast helps you and motivates you to explore what your strengths are so that you can embrace being your very best, advancing your career, and being much more happy and healthy in life so that you can step into that role that truly feels like your own. All right, with that, I will leave you to your day. Thank you so much for joining me. I hope that you enjoyed this podcast. If you like it, please write a review, subscribe to it on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform, share it with a friend. It helps with all the algorithms. Thanks so much, and we'll see you next week.