A new take on personal development

Throughout our lives we can experience societal pressure to develop, to growth, to improve. We often encounter this for the first time at school, in end-of-year-reports and in parents’ evenings. And it continues though higher education and into our work, where the expectations on the conveyor belt of life is to work on improving your weakness, get some training, develop new skills and secure a promotion. So that you can do the same again working towards your next promotion. There can be great satisfaction and fulfilment in doing this for many people. If that’s you, then great! But working to get better at things you struggle with and don’t enjoy doing can be tough. And can feel demoralising, leading to feelings of low self-esteem and not being good-enough.

What would it look like if we took a different approach? Instead of focusing on improving our weaknesses, what can we achieve if we spend that time making the best use of the strengths that we already have? We could go even further and focus our personal development efforts on making our strengths even stronger. Our strengths are our natural talents. We are good at doing some things without really even trying. It comes so naturally to us, that we might not even consider these talents to be a significant strength. But they are. We each have these strengths within us already. And the combination of strengths that we have makes each of us unique.

The first step is to identify what our own strengths are.

Identifying strengths

Determining what our personal strengths can be interesting. My experience working with people on strengths is that it is a feel-good exercise. We might then make connections with experiences at work or what we enjoy doing in our spare time outside of work. We realise that previous successes and job satisfaction is often achieved when we are using our strengths, but we didn’t think about it at the time.

There are many different tools and approaches you can use to identify your strengths. Based on my own use of different tools, I prefer to use CliftonStrengths®. This assessment is based on 34 themes, and by answering the questions you’ll identify your top 5 strengths. Buy the book and you’ll receive an access code which you use to take an online assessment. The online assessment takes around 30 minutes to complete, after which you’ll see what your top 5 strengths are. The book explores each theme in detail with some ideas for action. Book a Kickstart 90 or 360 Programme with me and I’ll send you a book and access code included in the price of the coaching.

But the real potential lies in taking the next step. What can you do with this information? How can this be beneficial?

Personally, I have always enjoyed analysing information, problem solving and seeing the positive impact resulting from my work. In my spare time, I have usually had logic puzzles, sudoku, chess puzzles and a Rubik’s cube somewhere nearby. So while it was no a big shock to find Analytical, Learner and Focus in my top 5 CliftonStrengths®, it helped me understand why I get immense satisfaction from supporting clients in exploring their current situation, consider options and determine appropriate steps for them to take in order to move forward. I also have Relator in my top 5, which reinforces that I am loyal and place a high value on trust. Which again, I recognise throughout my work and personal relationships, and should be a reassurance for clients working with me!

Using your strengths

This is where coaching can help. We dedicate time to exploring what your strengths mean to you. Some of the topics we will cover include: when have you been using them and how did you feel. We discuss how you are using them in your life right now, and what opportunities exist for you to make changes. You might consider whether this new-found self-awareness has prompted to you set a new goal or challenges. And I will support you in determining steps to take and how to stay on track.

I often explore personal values at the same time as strengths-based coaching. In simple terms, ‘values’ are things that remain consistently important to you in your life. They can help with making decisions, and act as a guide for when you are not sure what path to take. We may subconsciously use our values already. But I will support you in identifying your values and how you can use them alongside your strengths. Together, your strengths and values can be powerful self-awareness that you can use at work and in your personal life way beyond the time we spend in coaching conversations.

Strengths-based coaching for neurodivergent minds

It is widely accepted that between 1 in 5 and 1 in 7 of the population are neurodivergent.

Neurodivergent minds process information in a different way to neurotypical minds (the key word here being ‘different’). This enables some neurodivergent minds to look at tasks with a different perspective, and can result in creative and unique solutions that can be more efficient or effective for a business. Some neurodivergent minds can also be great under pressure or in a crisis, when there is hyperfocus needed to resolve complex issues quickly. Some neurodivergent minds absorb new information incredibly quickly and become subject matter experts in their chosen field. These are all incredibly useful assets for a business to have in the workforce.

Unfortunately, much of the language relating to neurodivergent conditions continues to be associated with deficit, disorders and disability. This language can become a part of an individuals identify from an early age.

Strengths-based coaching can be valuable for a neurodivergent individual because it focuses on natural talents that may have been hidden or under-used in life. I help you identify what your strength are, and we then explore how you are using them and what you can do to use them more in your life.

If you are interested in finding out how you can make the best use of your unique talents at work, then book a free call with me.