Before we start this activity, it’s important to clarify what we mean. First, let’s establish the difference between a skill and a strength.
Skills are the things you are able to do, usually developed through training or experience.
A strength on the other hand, can be defined as:
“those activites that make you feel strong”
Buckingham, Marcus (2010) Go put your strengths to work: Six Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding Performance. Free Press, P88.
It may sometimes be that you find you are good at something, but you absolutely hate doing it! That would be the opposite of a strength in Marcus Buckingham’s eyes. A strength is doing something which fills you with energy. You often look forward to it and time seems to fly when you’re actually doing it. When you’ve finished you feel that sense of achievement, even energised. It’s a great position to be in if you can find a job which uses the things you are able to do (skills) with the things which you enjoy (strength).
Reflect on as many examples as you can of times where you believe you were at your best and see if you can spot any skills or strengths. You may notice that you felt positive, confident, capable. You may also have received some good feedback at the time.
Complete the grid below, entering your skills and strengths as they spring to mind. You may find it helpful to think in terms of jobs held and work through each one. Next, repeat for your leisure activities. If you are struggling, enlist the help of friends and colleagues.
Your aim is to populate both columns – your target is to get a minimum of 20 entries in each!
