Throughout our careers, we invest to identify our strengths via assessments like Myers-Briggs or StrengthsFinder. And it’s certainly helpful to know what we’re good at, to define the context in which we thrive. Yet, while we might impress with our strengths, it’s through our weaknesses that we connect with others.
Let’s be honest: we don’t like to dwell on our weaknesses.
In fact, most of us could rattle off our strengths more articulately and succinctly than we could, our weaknesses. But here’s why we ought to invest time in considering where we need help.
- If we’re clear on what we’re not as good at, we find others with those strengths. The team is better off and everyone’s happier.
- Beyond the functional, when we ask others for help, we exhibit vulnerability. This opens the door to a meaningful human connection.
While strengths impress and add positive value to the team, they can also intimidate or create distance.
So close that distance and take down the walls between us by asking for help.
Raise your hand, be open when you messed up and share what you learned.
Trust will develop and your relationships will deepen.