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Turning a weakness into a strength is a seemingly tall task. However, with the right approach, it can be quite simple. As a manager, there are many ways you can empower your team to turn weaknesses into strengths, yet you’ll often find people tend not to change much from who they are. What we have found as a successful approach to turning your employees’ weaknesses into strengths is placing them in the positions that best suit their personalities and working styles.
That being said, it’s never a bad thing to work on your team’s weaknesses from a development standpoint rather than a change standpoint. Challenging your team to push themselves and get comfortable in uncomfortable situations will not only make them more well-rounded employees and people, in some instances, it can change a person’s perspective of themselves and their capabilities.
Setting challenges
Encourage your team to challenge their professional capabilities. Too often we find that a person’s best talents are left unnoticed because they were never encouraged to pursue new endeavours.
Encouraging productive failure
Another great way to take on and improve your team’s weaknesses is to jump into the fire. Productive failure can be the best way to either learn how to accept your weaknesses, problem solve a solution or be humble. Each time you try and fail, you are giving yourself a chance to succeed through learning something new about yourself. Empower your team not to run from their weaknesses, but rather welcome them as an opportunity to grow and overcome obstacles.
Find the coinciding strength
In the end – how to turn a weakness into a strength is a matter of perspective. Most perceived weaknesses are merely a personality trait that is a result of a corresponding positive trait. Those who are shy are simply introspective and observant. Workers who aren’t very productive, may struggle as a Financial Analyst, but would thrive in an accounting or bookkeeping role.
Every one of your employees can be a valuable asset to your department if you encourage their professional development and place them in the right roles to maximize their strengths.
For more managerial advice or to empower your team by hiring a new employee, partner with Halcyon Finance & Accounting Recruitment. We have a pool of deeply talented Toronto wide accounting and finance professionals. Contact us today.
How can we help? Please let us know how we can support you or your business?
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