| February/March
2009
For Success in
this
Economy, Tell Someone
your Story
What happens to us during an economic
downturn? Much
of our behavior revolves around �hunkering down� to
weather the economic storm. I believe that from a financial perspective that is the
appropriate response. And I would ask you the question�is
that the appropriate behavior for you in your job? Should
you �hunker down� and become invisible?
My response is a resounding �NO�.
Recently, I was invited to present to
the Raleigh chapter of the American
Society of Training Directors (ASTD).
Cherie Vick, an Instructional Designer for ACS HCMS
wrote an article about my presentation.
In it she explains that the presentation was not on
the latest idea of the month but rather on the �tried and
true� idea of using your strengths to maximize
performance. I
have included below excerpts of her article as a thought for
you to embrace this unprecedented economic change.
Now is the time to get out of the old mindset and
practice effectively touting your strengths each day.
*************************************************
�What is strength?� asked Vickie
Bevenour as she began her presentation at GSK while her
audience munched the sandwiches, chips and cookies in their
box lunches.
A few hands went up as members
identified strengths as the overlap of abilities and
interests.
�Why identify them?� she continued.
One of her slides displayed her logic:
- When
you do what you are good at, you get more natural
results and less stress.
- When
you get more natural results, you�ll have unlimited
success.
In her coaching practice Vickie
encourages clients to not only identify their strengths but
to use them in self-promotion. Opportunities to use strength
statements include:
- In
the elevator, as a short story about you.
- When
someone says �thank you�, answer with a short story
about you.
- As
the tag line for your e-mail.
�What do you say when someone says
�thank you�?� she asked. Most of the audience admitted
that modesty prevented more than �you�re welcome� for
a response. Ok, so now she clearly had our attention. We are
really bad at self-promotion.
Vickie summarized some of the strengths
the assessment shows and explained how to create strength
statements. She gave us a few examples, and then the
challenge: write a strength statement from our own
self-assessment of our strengths.
- What
is your greatest strength?
- How
do you use your strength?
- What
is your title and position?
- What
is a most recent impact of using your strength?
So now we are writing�. (My
Draft #1): creativity,
organization---design learning solutions�instructional
designer�improve retention, save time, no, better
performance�ah�
Strengths are not so easy to boil down
quickly into a few words, Vickie admitted. Did we think Nike
invented, Just Do It in a flash?
And writing some more� (Draft#2):
creative, result-oriented designer for learning solutions,
improved performance� hmm�
She gave us a homework assignment.
- Say
a strength statement to someone at least once a day.
- Develop
a strength-based introduction and always use it.
As I drifted off to sleep that evening,
my alpha brain transposed creativity with organization and
made a few other edits�
I
use disciplined
creativity (strength) to improve workplace performance
(result) through learning solutions (what I do).
Thanks, Vickie, I used it the very next
day in our staff meeting when someone said thank you for my
tutorials. I have also added a statement to my email
signature.
Move over, Nike.
*************************************************
During these tough economic times, I
encourage you to use your strengths to become:
More visible, rather than more
vulnerable.
More valued as a key contributor,
rather than assuming others know your worth.
More recognized for what you do well, rather than
unseen.
Congratulations! You have learned that
it is YOU who must tout your strengths and begin deriving
results from within.
If
you like the tip, let us know but more important,
share it with a friend or colleague. As always,
YOUR SUCCESS IS MY GREATEST PLEASURE.
|
Volume
7, Issue