How to Improve Your Strengths if Everyone Else Sees Weakness

Published by Ryan Paugh on February 22nd, 2008 in Career Development | 12 Comments

The hardest part about having an odd strength is that most people won't recognize the good you can bring to the table. And quite honestly, in some cases, you can't offer anything. But that doesn't mean your strength isn't important.

It's a difficult challenge to embrace your strong-points when they lie in a very unique place. It sometimes seems like everyone else only sees weakness. But if you want to truly be happy with yourself and what you do, you have to stay true to what you're good at.

Here are a few ways to make that happen.

Just be yourself, whoever that may be

A good example of this is the artistic mind. Artists need a lot of endurance to deal with people's lack of understanding. And if they're good at what they do, they learn to embrace the fact that being different is what makes them so special.

Unfortunately, in corporate America eccentricity is not a strong point. Odd behavior is often frowned upon, and consequently, we adapt to fit the mold.

Though the workforce is beginning to change, "conservative" still wins in most corporate environments. And it's okay to conform. We all need to pay our bills. What's important to remember is who we are before and after work.

Be true to yourself in whatever arena you play in. You'll never get the work you're good at by acting like anybody else.

Know when to get out of a bad situation

Whether it's a job, an organization or a circle of friends, never forget who comes first. If you're in a negative situation that you know won't change, get out and find something better.

I often talk with people who are utterly unhappy with their jobs. Most of the time, it's because they're just not being used to the best of their abilities at work. I don't know anything professionally that's more frustrating.

Finding a new job is a full-time commitment. And the transition into a new position can be a huge blow. You may end up lower on the totem pole than you were before and your pay may substantially drop. But if you're looking for a job that's best suited to your strengths, you'll take the leap and hope for the best.

Start networking in new places

Start networking with people who share your personal strength. Contribute insights, build new relationships and get better at what you do. If you do it right, you can't lose.

For a couple reasons social media is probably the best place to start:

1) People with peculiar strengths are hard to seek out locally

2) If you're self-conscious about your strengths, you're likely to be an introvert

Blogging is the best platform to meet people with similar strengths. For every career niche, there's a sphere of bloggers out there who are trading their insights with one another. But don't stop there.

Check out 43things.com, a social network based around people helping people meet their goals. What better way to network with people trying to develop their strengths?

The platform is easy to use. Just sign up, start listing goals and search for people who are striving for similar things. Once you've built some relationships, you can share milestones and pump each other while you're attempting to reach them.