Influencing strengths – these are your natural predispositions that make everyone else know what you are doing, what you believe, and for what they should praise/admire you. It is also thanks to these strengths people you need, and you think highly of are likely to join you in your projects and challenges.
#Activator – if you have an activator as your strength, then beginning new tasks excites you, and nothing makes you as motivated as starting something new. It might, however, but unthinkable to you that there are people, for whom it is hard to begin – they may need your energy, determination, or your “let’s do it!” vibe to get through it. – be the fire they need to start acting. But don’t forget to make sure that you complete what’s essential for you, your team, or family before you start something new. In this mission, you may find helpful all kinds of tools that allow you to track your progress or remind you about deadlines.
#Command – you are the one to take the wheel when things spiral out of control. You are good at making and communicating hard decisions. You need challenges to face. You might get irritated with other’s passivity and tendency to avoid confrontation. What you have to offer is clear communication and direction – other people feel safe because they know what’s on your mind. Try always to make sure that your coworkers know that there’s also space for their perspective and ideas. It is even more critical in the age of on-line meetings, where for some, it might be hard to get their thoughts across. You can try and set a rule that every person at the conference has to make a short comment on your speech – it will allow you to make sure that everyone is still on board.
#Communication – you are generally good with words. You tend to make sure if the vital information was successfully communicated and understood – it is never enough that they were simply voiced. Try to support others during online meetings with your determination to “communicate effectively.” Bear in mind to always leave space for others, observe non-verbal signals to make sure you don’t “overtalk.” Every 5 minutes of your speech, ask somebody for a sum-up or an opinion. For your mental health, make sure that you get your daily dosage of human contact – with your home dwellers or coworkers.
#Competition – If competition is one of your strengths, then you tend to measure your progress by comparing yourself to others. In the non-pandemic times, you probably have a person with which you “race” – this person probably impresses you with his or her effectiveness and/or performance. If that is the case, then the whole Coronavirus situation may cause feelings of helplessness, lack of goals to achieve, and generally be a tough experience. How can your talent support you? Change daily tasks into rivalry, look for measures that will allow you to observe your progress – these can be job-related challenges (number of clients you contact, number of tasks you finish) or personal; how fast you can run up the stairs or how many pages you can read. It is crucial that the tasks can be measured and that racing with yourself satisfied you. Do not forget to celebrate your achievements – a contest with no prize offers no incentive or motivation.
#Maximizer – is a talent that allows you to see what’s good. When you notice potential, you are ready to invest yourself into things or people you believe in. You can pick up all that glitters, and you won’t rest until you make it shine bright like a diamond. What you can do now is support others by finding and bringing up their predispositions and talents. You may try to give some clues, which will help to maximize this potential, but even noticing that someone is exceptionally good at something can be enough to give him or her power to develop it even further. Especially since motivation is a thing, most of us are currently lacking. Just make sure that your intention is well understood, and that the feedback is delivered when desired by the receiver. Otherwise may come out as a person who always picks on everyone.
#Self-assurance – this talent makes it easy to believe in and trust yourself. No matter the situation, barriers, or earlier failures, you know that you have it in you to fight (and win) against all the odds. It is also the source of your belief that the decisions you’re making are the best and most suitable ones. You probably don’t need any kind of special help from others, because you tend to excel when self- reliant actions and independent thinking are required. Given that, try to share with others some of your peace of mind and confidence – this will give them comfort and complacency. Infect others with your self-assurance, share your helpful beliefs, and help others acquire them as well.
#Significance – you get motivated by opportunity to engage in challenging, critical, and massive projects. You employ your gifts in such a way that they bring a spectacular effect. Right now, you may use this talent by finding a worthwhile plan, gathering people, giving them your energy and motivation, and simply pointing a direction of action. Invite their unique skills, name them, and show what they bring to the table. Use this time to apply improvements or change the malfunctioning bits – you and your team will both be proud of this achievement, as with your dedication it will be something memorable.
#WOO – the only desire of the WOO (Winning Others Over) talent is to be liked… By pretty much everyone. How to employ that In the day and age of social distancing? Employ your natural predispositions during online meetings, bring your energy and inner light so that your coworkers can’t wait for the next call you’re on with them. Make sure to dose your talent in portions which won’t overwhelm your collocutors – leave the same space for them to express their minds during a discussion. You can also try to share your ways of engaging in meeting members – it will make the time of isolation less boring.
That’s all I have for today about influencing strengths. If you liked this article, please make sure to share it, and if it caused some thoughts or you have your own experience to share, don’t forget to comment.
And if you haven’t yet verified your talents with Strengthfinder or you would like to know more about how to employ your natural predispositions effectively, please contact me via email on aleksandra@jopyk.com
Photo by Elijah Macleod on Unsplash