Does Your Manager Focus on Your Strengths?

Markus Buckingham’s newest book, Go Put Your Strengths to Work has a very powerful insight. What is it? Managers spend too much of their time having conversations with their direct reports about who they are not versus who they actually are.

 

"Most performance appraisals spend two minutes on what you do well and twenty eight minutes on 'areas of opportunity' – your weaknesses! So, most conversations between managers and their people are around flaws and how to fix them. You are talking to people about who they are NOT rather than who they ARE. The world believes the way to achieve success is to find your flaws and fix them. We live in a remedial world fascinated by weaknesses.

 

Actually, you won't get the performance improvement you want by getting people to work on their weaknesses. "

 

Wouldn’t it be nice if companies spent more time leveraging your strengths versus focusing on your weaknesses?

 

Let us know what you think…

 

4 Responses »

1. 

   David Zinger

   March 23, 2007 • 5:58 pm

   Judy

   Strengths make so much sense. We have such limited time and energy that strengths can become a way to determine what to focus on.

   Of course the nay-sayers will have to chime in. I can't wait to hear someone say, "your weakness is that you focus too much on strengths."

   David
2. 

   Heather Young

   February 10, 2008 • 7:59 pm

   I've done Marcus Buckingham's Discover your strengths video serries twice now and it is LIFE CHANGING!!!!
3. 

   Maria Lúcia Esteves

   May 23, 2008 • 8:05 pm

   I live in Brazil and don´t have time to watching Tv. Is it possible receive as a gift your book?
   My adress; Rua General Severiano nº 70 ap.201 - Botafogo - Rio de Janeiro - Brazil CEP 22 290 -040
   Thank you.
4. 

   juliemarg

   September 22, 2008 • 7:16 pm

   I'm looking for a new gig. I've been at the giant corporation where I work for over 10 years. In the position I currently hold, I've been ranked in the top 10% of the national sales force for 5 years out of 6. Yet they are far more concerned about my flaws then pleased about my strengths.

   I'm sick of it.