When last did you check that the skills you possess are the skills you are utilising in your current job? Or, are you winging your way through your daily tasks with a very basic skill set and wondering why you are getting frustrated everyday? Are these frustrations causing you to hate your job and prompting you to look elsewhere for employment?
Over the past 2 weeks we have looked at Gregory Bateson’s Logical Levels of Change with regards to job or career change. We have so far discussed the environmental and behaviour levels. This week we focus on the Skills and Capabilities level.
Let’s do an exercise:
- Write down your top three strengths and passions. For example. “I am very good at organising events and co-ordinating people. I am an excellent communicator and I really enjoy motivating people” etc. Remember these strengths are not necessarily what you are currently utilising in your position, but what you are good at and passionate about doing.
- Are you utilising these strengths in your current position?
- If not, why not? And do you want to?
- If you are not utilising these strengths, then what do you need to do or change in order to start utilising them in your job? What skills would you need to acquire?
- If you are utilising these strengths, do you believe they could be enhanced even more? What additional skills could you master to carry this out?
We often find that when we are utilising our strengths in our day to day work tasks we find the work more engaging and enjoyable. We are more focused, less distracted and more highly motivated to continue with the job at hand. By default we become passionate employees.
So instead of just thinking about your current skills and/or skills you need to acquire in order to get the job done, first think about and define your strengths and your passions. This can assist with re-focusing you within your current position or directing you to the right job and career. Once these are defined then the necessary skills can be learned.
We can all become more skilful in what we do, but if we aren’t passionate about it and building up our strengths then I believe we are doing ourselves an injustice.
Next week we will discuss values and beliefs.
- A business strategy is not enough - June 3, 2024
- Networking – quality or quantity? - February 19, 2024
- How behaviour profiling can work for your business - January 5, 2024
