Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Life as a hapless peon
Bruce MacEwen blogged the question: Build on Your Strengths Or Tackle Your Weaknesses?
There is much support for the position that building on your strengths is the path to success. Janet Dean of Advance Corporate Training delivered a speech last fall on this -- directed to human resources people. I wish Janet would post it.
Today the BBC News reported on a European study. Researchers from Gothenburg University in Sweden have been studying published data on what makes people happy but are not yet ready to publish their results.
But the BBC reports, Averil Leimon, of the British Psychological Society, said: "Hard work is satisfying, but only if it suits you. The work has to use a person's strengths otherwise it can be demoralising." If it does, research has shown that the happiness is not even linked to the rewards that are on offer.
Think about it. How happy would you be in a job in which you exercise only those skills and attributes in which you are weakest? If you are disorganized and hate paperwork why are you a solicitor? If you puke before every jury trial, why are you in court? You won't get happier and while you might get better at the things you hate doing (because you feel inadequate) you will only be coping and working toward burn-out.
Bruce, Yes, work on your strengths.
Bruce MacEwen blogged the question: Build on Your Strengths Or Tackle Your Weaknesses?
There is much support for the position that building on your strengths is the path to success. Janet Dean of Advance Corporate Training delivered a speech last fall on this -- directed to human resources people. I wish Janet would post it.
Today the BBC News reported on a European study. Researchers from Gothenburg University in Sweden have been studying published data on what makes people happy but are not yet ready to publish their results.
But the BBC reports, Averil Leimon, of the British Psychological Society, said: "Hard work is satisfying, but only if it suits you. The work has to use a person's strengths otherwise it can be demoralising." If it does, research has shown that the happiness is not even linked to the rewards that are on offer.
Think about it. How happy would you be in a job in which you exercise only those skills and attributes in which you are weakest? If you are disorganized and hate paperwork why are you a solicitor? If you puke before every jury trial, why are you in court? You won't get happier and while you might get better at the things you hate doing (because you feel inadequate) you will only be coping and working toward burn-out.
Bruce, Yes, work on your strengths.
