Do you spend too much time thinking about your weaknesses – or what you think are your weaknesses?
If you are often preoccupied with your mistakes or the things you think you don’t do well, you’re not alone. Thinking more about your mistakes than your achievements is called negative bias. In fact, research has shown that negative bias is very real. Most of us are affected by it to some degree.
Do you find it easy to remember unkind things people have said to you throughout your life, but more difficult to remember compliments you’ve received? Do you often shrug off praise, but hang on to criticism and find yourself obsessing about it long after the fact? If so, you might be focusing too much on your weaknesses.
Today you’ll discover why this can be a problem, and you’ll see how to reframe your thinking to focus on your strengths instead.
Can Focusing on Weaknesses Drive Improvement?
Many people believe that focusing on their weaknesses (whether at work, in study, or in life) is the best way to improve. Surely by paying close attention to the things we’re not so good at, we can work to get better at those things?
The problem is that it doesn’t really work like that. One study by Gallop showed that employees actually felt more confident, self-aware, and productive when their bosses focused on their strengths, not their weaknesses. Focusing too much on your weaknesses can lower your self-esteem and ultimately harm your confidence and productivity.
Think about the last time your manager (or a teacher or lecturer, if you’re a student) criticised you for an area of weakness. However gently and constructively the message was delivered, you might have found yourself preoccupied with it or focusing on it too much—even if the rest of the feedback you received was very positive. Instead of helping you grow and improve, this can lead you to obsessing about your weaknesses and putting disproportionate energy into those areas.
Nobody Has to be Good at Everything
Everybody is good at something, and everybody has areas that they’re weaker in.
We can always improve, but most of us are more naturally gifted in some areas than we are in others. This is normal.
If you envy someone else’s athletic ability, they might wish they had your musical talent. Perhaps academic study doesn’t come easily to you, but you’re amazing at building and fixing things with your hands. So instead of comparing yourself to other people, remember that you have your own set of valuable strengths.
Focusing on Your Strengths Does Not Mean Getting Stuck In Your Comfort Zone
You might be thinking, “but if I focus on what I’m already good at, how will I ever get better at anything?” The good news is that focusing on your strengths does not mean getting stuck or ceasing to improve.
Focusing on your strengths is a wonderful way to build on them so that you can truly shine.
If you are naturally weak in a particular area, putting time, energy, and resources into improving your skills in that area might bring you up to a useful average level. You don’t have to be great at maths (or languages, or sport) unless you’re interested in it – you just have to be confident enough to get by and live your life. If you put energy into an area where you are already strong, you could go from “good” to “excellent.” That is a great use of your resources. It will also leave you feeling positive about yourself.
Something that masters and experts across fields all have in common is this: they never stop learning. No-one ever knows everything, so putting your energy into your strengths not just your weaknesses will always help you to keep growing.
Working Together to Complement Each Other
Teams, whether in education or the workplace, function best when they contain a healthy mix of skills and talents. One of the best ways we can embrace our strengths is to work with and support each other, using our skills to complement one another. Teams would be far weaker—not to mention boring!—if everyone was good at the exact same things.
For example, if you’re very creative and good at seeing the big picture, you might want to work closely with a colleague who is good at looking at the finer details. Your different skills and ways of looking at things will work together to create a well-rounded approach to team projects.
Activity: Identify Your Strengths
See if you can spot some of the things you are best at. Grab a piece of paper (or the notes app on your phone) and make a list of five to ten things you’re great at. No downplaying yourself here, just go for it!
Whenever you find yourself stuck on a piece of criticism or beating yourself up over your perceived weaknesses, return to your list and remember all the things you do well.
What can you do to build on your strengths this week? How can you use those strengths to excel in work and learning, give back to others, or push yourself to achieve your goals?
