Turning Weaknesses Into Strengths

We all know many of our limitations. You may feel uncomfortable confronting conflict or criticizing a boss or client.  Almost everyone has habits that limit their performance.  The challenge we face is first to confront our weaknesses and then figure out a way to overcome them. Usually, we are not particularly adept at doing so. According to a recent study, fewer than 10% of employees change habits or behavior following a performance review.

When many people when have to confront a difficult project or engage in situations that make them uncomfortable, they tend to put off the unpleasant or challenging task by checking emails frequently, taking a break, returning calls, etc.  To stop procrastinating, identify what you do when faced with a challenge or uncomfortable situation.  New York Times best selling author Joseph Grenny calls these situations crucial moments.  To become more comfortable, address unpleasant challenges head-on even if you only focus on the challenge for a few minutes each day. 

Practice will make perfect. Not all unpleasant situations will cause you to break out in a sweat.  Practice responses to uncomfortable situations in those incidents that are less taxing.  Afterward, do a debriefing with yourself and evaluate your performance and stress level.  Over time, you will become more comfortable in these taxing situations and those that you typically want to avoid. 

The final key to turning weaknesses into strengths is to have the emotional competence to make unpleasant acts more pleasant or, at the least, manageable.  Before addressing the issue, ask yourself, what's the goal and what do I really want to accomplish?  This will help you to overcome fears and help you to better focus on goal accomplishment.