Strengthen Strengths, Outsource Weaknesses
During the final 2 weeks of December, I typically review my goals for the upcoming year. I enjoy the feeling of cheerful expectancy (as Earl Nightingale used to say) I have this time of year.
Your Strengths are your daily activities (the WHATs of your day) that “make you feel strong” according to Cambridge-educated researcher and author, Marcus Buckingham.
In an ideal world, you repeatedly want to focus on strengthening your Strengths and outsourcing your Weaknesses. Buckingham defines a Weakness as an activity that consistently makes you feel weak, drained or bored.
You get it, right?
I got it about 3 years ago when I started to capture, clarify and confirm the daily activities that made me feel strong (my Strengths) and the activities that made me feel weak (my Weaknesses).
Wow! What an eye-opener that was … and it still is!
I encourage you to do the same. It is WHAT you do that consumes your time. Your efficiency of HOW you do things and your internal motivation behind WHY you do those things are not nearly as important to your success as WHAT you do.
You don’t have to believe me. Just grab a few dozen 3×5 index cards and stack them in two piles. Name one stack as your ”Strengths Pile” (activities that make you feel strong) and name the other as your “Weaknesses Pile” (activities that make you feel weak).
Whenever you do an activity that makes you feel strong, just capture, clarify and confirm it because it’s highly likely that the WHAT you just did was one of your Strengths.
On the other hand, if you engage in an activity that makes you feel weak, make certain you capture, clarify confirm WHAT that activity is because it’s highly likely it’s one of your weaknesses.
The best book I’ve ever read on the subject is Go Put Your Strengths To Work by Marcus Buckingham. I recommend you get two copies. Buy one for you, and one for someone else you trust who can become your Accountability Partner.
As for me, here are the 4 Core Strengths I’m aiming to strengthen in 2009. I will never outsource these activities to anyone because these are the things that consistently make me feel strong:
1. Strategic Planning (marketing/promotion campaigns)
2. Digital Copywriting (blog posts/email broadcasts)
3. Curriculum Design (workshops/teleseminars)
4. Presentation Delivery (teaching/training)
In 2009, I’ll focus to strengthen my 4 Core Strengths and outsource other time-consuming activities to my Team, vendors, strategic alliance partners or colleagues.
I intend to personally undertake my company’s strategic planning, email and blog copywriting, course curriculum design and presentations delivery.
I will never outsource those business activities because those are the most important activities that make me feel strong. They define me and complete me as an Entrepreneurial CEO.
What To Do Now: Evaluate what your own Strengths are. Capture, clarify and confirm which specific daily activities make you feel strong. What about your Weaknesses? What activities make you feel weak, drained or bored?
This ultra simple act of identifying your Strengths and Weaknesses on ordinary index cards can create extraordinary changes in your life and the lives of others who rely on you each day.
There are dozens of Assessment Tools online, but the fastest, easiest and most reliable way to uncover your Strengths and Weaknesses is to take Marcus Buckingham’s advice and capture, clarify and confirm WHAT makes you feel strong and what makes you feel weak.
Do it in writing because the palest ink is better than even a world-class memory. And above all, do what it takes to resist the temptation to strengthen your weaknesses.
As my friend and coach, Dan Sullivan says, “If you spend too much time working on your weaknesses, all you’ll end up with is a lot of strong weaknesses.”
Tags: alex mandossian, blogging, dan sullivan, go put your strengths to work, info publishing, marcus buckingham, marketing, strategic plan, strengths, weaknesses
Unfortunately Alex, outsourcing only your weaknesses leads to the dilemma I happen to be in – Spending too much time working IN my business to spend time working ON my business.
Nearly everyone else is outsourcing their software development (which is time intensive) and their copywriting. I’m not too shabby at either and therein lies the problem. Like the carpet cleaner who’s fantastic at the job, but can’t market when he’s out cleaning carpets, I find myself delivering software projects, writing software, writing copy, etc., but have had a hard time pulling back far enough to make sure I outsource what I really SHOULD outsource (anything that can be done by someone else).
My criteria for outsourcing can basically be summed up as, if it’s not TOO important, and I can easily train someone to do it – outsource. If I don’t get going in this direction, I’m going to spend so much time in the dirt that I won’t be able to scale my services and take massive action.
- Daiv http://Twitter.com/DaivRawks
Great post, Alex! Thanks. Great timing, too as we focus our energies toward the new year.
Alex has been teaching this methodology for the past 2-3 years. It is amazing and eye-opening. It is also very liberating and exciting. Now it’s possible to know why some things are so easy and some things are just absolutely angst-ridden.
This whole “Strengths” thing is an ONGOING EXPERIENCE. It’s something that you will continue to learn and grow from and refine with your business over time. I recommend that you review your strengths and weaknesses ANNUALLY and QUARTERLY with your strategic planning sessions.
You may be thinking, “What if I can’t afford to outsource?” The key word here is YET. If you are a newbie or in startup mode, you may not be able to afford to outsource things yet. But taking the Strengths-based test that Alex recommends gives you a COMPASS to shoot for, so that AS SOON AS you can afford it, then you KNOW what to outsource as soon as possible.
If you are in the right business (“right livelihood for yourself”), then your business is like a snowball rolling down a hill. Over time it only gets bigger; it doesn’t get smaller. Focusing on your strengths allows you to really kick butt on the things that you are best at; then, when you are suffering doing things that you’re not that great at, it gives you more motivation to be successful as fast as possible, so that you will have the cash flow to outsource and stop doing those things that make you feel weak.
This is very important advice, particularly for new business owners. There is no greater waste of time, energy, effort and money than to focus on one’s weaknesses.
It’s important to know what they are, and to be honest with yourself (and others) about it. But it is only by knowing and working to your strengths that you will succeed.
(And life is much too short to live/work any other way.)
Linda M. Lopeke
The SMARTSTART Coach
Alex,
Another great post!! Excellent timing for the upcoming New Year! I’ll take it to heart and start writing!!
All the best,
Jerry
Buckingham’s book “Now, Discover Your Strengths” is also a must-read if you are finally getting down to the hard, but necessary work of finding out who you are and what unique talent do you have to share with the world. We all have something of value to share that is totally different from but just as valuable as what everybody else is sharing. I urge you to find your niche, pursue your passion and change your corner of the world. You will be amazed how quickly a fire can spread. Be brilliant!
Greetings Alex, Happy Holidays!! Thomas Richmond here, the only thing i have a weakness in these days i think is my blogging, i’m an Admin of a famious S.E.O. website and te blog i use http://tmobil8.wordpress.com isnt getting much attention due to the fact i am just now learning from Tellmans technician. The blog scroll is essencial in my advertising catagory, i know search engines love word press.
Alex,
Thank you very much for teaching us this concept. I LOVE the distinction between strengths/weaknesses and “things that make you feel strong”.
I finally GOT this, and the value in not doing everything yourself, just because you can. I have found some incredible contractors on Elance that can do any of the time consuming activities, and the ones that don’t always make me feel strong.
This has allowed me to spend the last few days on the beach, and although quite sunburnt :) I do feel strong, just checking in, while the wonderful team I have formed, edits my next book, and uploads my video coaching campaign with Traffic Geyser.
Thank you for your genius and the quality of life you allow for others.
Happy New Year to all!
Best,
Bonnie Bruderer
Creator & Founder
The One Coaching & Your Best Friend Called
1st weakness, locate 3 by 5 index cards
You’ve got a lot of good ideas and have
studied many people. Thanks for sharing
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You get to choose the zip codes you want to target, low cost solution monthly commissions
Alex, I agree with you 100%! It is so much easier to get the snowball rolling when you focus on the core strengths. The clarification process is what takes the most time. It is fun to start saying “oh that activity makes me weak” and my partner gets it immediately in terms of our own “glossary of terms” and we adjust ASAP! No more frustration. Builds confidence much faster as well.
Thanks also Linda L. (my new smart start coach) for the continued lesson of playing to your strengths.
I LOVE this post! It’s so true we need to be focusing on what we do best and outsourcing the rest. I think it’s good to understand all aspects of your business so you can tell what’s working and what isn’t, but we’ll all be so much more creative beings when we really highlight our gifts. Thanks, Alex!
Lo
Red Hot Copy
The universe is constantly lifting us up when we just take the time to look for the goodness! I had just watched through the Oprah website a piece on Marcus Buckingham and was greatly impressed with this concept of working on your strengths and outsourcing your weaknesses! How awesome to have that message reinforced here with you! Thank you for sharing this concept with us and I look forward to more great information this coming year.
Alex,
Your post is confirmation of what I already knew I needed to do. I can easily identify the things that don’t make me feel strong and enthusiastic. Those tasks arent worth my energy or time because they always take me longer to complete.
Thank you for the reminder. Now I’m ready to add this to my list of things to do to strengthen my business for 2009! Happy New Year.
Alex,
thanks for this! Its a great exercise, and makes me feel better about being weak at bookeeping!
Good point, Alex.
Thx for another great post. It’s so true that wasting time on non-profitable, menial, out-sourceable (is that a word?) is a beautifully liberating achievement for our businesses.
I’m determined that over the next 6 months, I’ll only be spending time on the most important stuff, and nothing else.
Oops…
:(
I meant “NOT” wasting time on these menial tasks!
I’m sure you got what I meant.
This is probably the second biggest mistake made by marketers next to lack of focus. Although minimizing your weaknesses is a smart practice spending endless hours on a non-productive task can only be harmful to your income.
I’m a success coach who focusing on helping individuals apply spiritual principles to their day-to-day situations. Your advice is in harmony with what I teach.
“You attract into your life those things that are in harmony with what you feel.” (LIke attracts like.) So if you’re focusing on your strengths you’ll be feeling positive and attracting more people and events into your life that are positive. It’s how you are feeling at the time that acts as the magnet that draws positive things to you. Knowing the difference between what you believe and what you actually feel is the trick.
To your continued success and happiness,
JP
I have to agree with you wholeheartedly Alex:-) I spent months trying to do everything myself (an exercise in frustration and time waster)! Hopefully as a small business owner, there is some budget to outsource those things that are really not up your alley. I do not enjoy the technical end of it at all and am working with a website designer for my new site who also will set up the shopping cart, etc. Not only does it save you time and frustration, but it also give you that energy and “jazz” to work on the areas that you love:-) and will let your expertise shine…thought-provoking post for this time of the year.
You’ve just pointed out my dilemma, Alex
I’m a writer who’s learning new skills that help me take 100% responsibility for marketing my 1st novel–instead of writing my next novel.
Could learning and using new marketing skills be viewed as strengthening my weakness?
Without big budgets to outsource marketing, authors, business owners and service providers must learn these new skills, even if it takes time away from strengthening our strengths. Do you agree?
Hadley Finch http://tribeofblondes.net
Alex,
Read about our strength and weaknesses and its principle behind it. What ever it may be can either direct us to the right way or the wrong way.
The reason I’m saying this is because sometimes the things we our weak in brings us to a reality
check. To recognize(weakness)it is the first step to recovery. So all that is weak may help in the long run.
Then comes our strength to compensates our short comings(weakness).As we all know that there’s always adjustments we have take in this business. To consider change in our strengths that has to be flexible to the times we our in. I’m not saying that our strengths our bad ideas
but being cautions that it doesn’t interfere with the goals of are business.
Sometimes when people see our weakness but regardless we our still determine not to quit. People our more to accept you because you relate to them. (In your weakness)
By being transparent about yourself doesn’t mean your weak. Even thought we have weakness in our life’s. It just part of the process we all have to go through.
So there has to be a enter strength within us to bring us balances. That which is good, acceptable and perfect. So our minds setting is very important in these moments we face.
We have hear what ever we feed ours minds to will come to pass.
By reading your article is refreshing to the soul and mind. Its very helpful to us to remember these principles. Not to forget the basics the foundation that kept this business going. Of course the foundation is YOU!!!!
That bring value to your business.
Thank You:
Have a Happy New Year 2009
Thanks Alex…
The virtual world provides us with unprecedented opportunities to outsource our weaknesses and/or the less productive tasks.
But sometimes we have to inwardly check out our “comfort zone” factor to make sure we aren’t confusing a strength with a function we feel “nice and warm and comfy” with, but really we should be passing it on to someone else, and push ourselves (perhaps out of our comfort zone) to focus on more strategic tasks.
You method provides us a great opportunity for a reality check – if we’re honest with ourselves LOL!
Happy and Prosperous 2009!
Thanks Alex,
what a powerful way of start
creating an amazing 2009.
Best,
Javier
http://twitter.com/javierriverodia
I’ve not done much outsourcing yet but I’m beginning to see the wisdom of it. I do like to learn new things but that isn’t always the best use of my time. The little outsource I’ve done are for things that I don’t think are a good use of my time.
Outsourcing weaknesses would be good as long as you can trust who you are outsourcing to.
Betty Fellows
http://www.bettyfellows.com
Brilliant! I’m a huge fan of Buckingham’s work and appreciate your clear and concise description of what a strength and weakness feel like and how to track them. Definitely going to use the 3×5 card tactic!
Be blessed,
-Josh
I appreciate you, Alex, for this end-of-year focus on “outsourcing.” From Gay Hendricks, I learned that “outsourcing” (or what he calls “delegate it”) is one of “three” primary choices to make when looking at tasks-to-do for a business. The other two are “drop it” or “develop your skill in it.”
In our Genius Course Online, we introduce some techniques that help you get clear on when to do each.
One element that we have found useful, and this relates to your “strengths” argument, is that at any given time there are things we do that we are …
1) Incompetent at
2) Competent at
3) Excellent at
4) Genius at
Our research shows that delegating (or outsourcing) is a useful strategy with anything that is #1-3. These are the things that others do better than us like “accounting” (#1 incompetence), things that we can do OK like “social media” but others can do better and are experts at (#2 competence), and things that we do better than most, and often get positive strokes for, but are not in our genius zone like “writing books” (#3 excellence).
For these #3 areas, we suggest the 3 “D’s”: delegate it, drop it, or develop your skill in it.
Our research has also discovered 3 caveat’s to this:
1) Look to outsource to the person who loves what they do (#4 genius). This applies to landscaping as much as graphic design.
2) Only outsource to people who live in integrity with themselves and others (i.e., make and keep their agreements, communicate, etc.)
3) “Develop your skill” in an area (maybe a weakness) instead of outsourcing it if it supports your creativity and business mission or if it is “just plain fun” … adding value to your spirit (could be #1, #2 or #3). Examples: blogging, Tweeting
Hope that was a little helpful. Fun to explore! Thanks for starting … or ending us forward!
Phil
Thanks Alex. Your advice applies both to business and to personal lives. If men and women are to have the powerful relationships they want that produce powerful lives, they need to focus on their strengths – those things that make men feel good strong and alive and those things that make women feel good, strong and alive.
It’s great advice that applies in all areas of life. Thanks again Alex. Happy New Year!
Jason Krausert
http://www.GenderCoaches.com
As always I enjoyed your thoughts on working on your strengths. I appreciate you sharing with us your focus for 2009. Keep up the great work Alex.
This is good advice. Spending time on our weaknesses not only holds us back but keeps us stuck. Outsourcing frees up more time allowing me to be more creative, thus increasing my energy level.
I also believe that we should outsource things that are necessary but that we dislike doing even if we are very good at doing them, because doing things we do not enjoy, especially in business can often zap our energy.
Bobbi Henderson
Nulife Coaching,LLC
Thanks, Alex!
Last week my 23-year-old son had a meeting with one of my partners from a previous business that we sold.
My son is currently selling life insurance and doesn’t like the sense of isolation during the day. He prefers to work with a team of colleagues or at least an environment where he can enjoy more interaction with people during the day. My ex-partner advised him to “tough it out” because my son is financially succesful. You have to stick with it … even (or especially) if you don’t like it.
Needless to say, I told him that I didn’t agree with my partner and that he should pursue something that would make him feel strong and good. You’ve just reaffirmed that I gave my son the right advice.
Hey Alex,
Good words. I happened to just review the strengths/weaknesses sheets and other documents you gave me during our one day session last year. Great info. I have been working with a personal assistant this last year and outsourced my weaknesses (contract writing, admin, etc.) and have created a whole new space of time in my business development.
I write my checks to her with love.
Happy New Year.
Waldo
I really like your blog.I will return to it often
for mentorship.
Great post Alex….
I recall something of the same sort as a post last year…. I so very much enjoyed reading this submission…. :o)
Philip J. Mutrie
Systems / Internet Engineer
Hi Alex
Simply stated, take action on these tips for a Very Fine ‘09…
Jeff Herring
http://www.ArticleMarketingBlog.com
So true!
Worrying, replaying old “stories” and living in the past has been my weakness.
I am strengthening myself by living in the now, accepting the past is gone. I now am really loving and appreciating all that I have learned while lving in the now.
Dianne
http://www.CanWeGetAlong.com
http://www.Life-LoveMoney.com
Thanks for sharing that Alex.
I think this will be of great value to me and others.
I am curently trying to develop my own list of core strenghs and will outsource all of my weak activities no doubt.
By doing this, it will help the my business growth much quicker and allow me to be more productive.
Dan
http://www.DanBriffa.com
Alex,
This was not a new concept to me but the way you articulated it in your post I realized I do waste time on those things I am weakest in. My husband is stronger in those abilities to which I find my weaknesses so becoming more of a team is a great dream we hope to accomplish this year. I’m very grateful for your postings. Have a great beginning to 2009!
Kellie
Eureka!
Superb advice for getting 2009 off to a great start. Thank you!
Alex,
This is so very true and so many of us (okay me) miss it! Definitely a course of action to conquer in the new year.
Thanks for the invaluable reminder.
melissa
http://www.twitter.com/prosperbydesign
predictably, Alex is timely with his end of the year message, well meaning & on target.
Alex here are 3 questions I review at the beginning of the year & review every quarter.
1. What is it I aspire to stand for – my core values
2. What is my purpose for being here on this earth – this fits in with your core strengths
3. How do I define success and it isn’t money driven
Being open and sharing your purpose helps you find common ground, creates new values thru good conversation with others.
When I first learned about this concept of focusing on building your strengths rather than exhausting yourself trying to fix your weaknesses, I was taking a career coach training course. It was a BIG eye-opener for me, and was very liberating. I teach this concept to all my clients.
Thanks for reminding us that we all have truly unique strengths and should celebrate that fact.
Thanks for the sound advise on how you get ready for a new year. As someone starting out, your comments are most helpful.
Gerald
Great post, Alex. And so true.
We can easily run ourselves ragged trying to become marginally acceptable at the things we have no business doing in the first place — we work hard and long and still never really quite measure up to the standards of those whose strengths those things are. It’s a losing game if there ever was one.
How much better to take the approach you recommend and focus on the things we can do well and really getting those to a level that leaves others in awe. How cool is that too! Much more motivating. And a much better use of our time.
I also appreciate Andrew’s comment — what to do if you can’t (yet) afford to outsource? His advice to work towards it and have it as a goal is great.
Thanks so much,
Elisabeth
this is to thank you very much for sharing with me the strength and weakness so as to pla ,act and study the result .its very important that each of us have to iditify his strength and weakness and after that he should concentrate on maximising his strength and minimising his weakness all the time in doing so he will succedd in real life .
once again i would like to thank you for telling us how to concentrate on our strength and at the same time how to eliminate our weakness and outsourcing it if its possible.
best regards and god bless you dear friends.
mahgmoud suleiman
Great Reminder..Alex, Thank you!!
Focus on strengths and get the team work to help weak points..?????
Thanks, Alex!
Happy holidays!
sune
Everyone above seems to be refering to people with new or small businesses. I am one of them. Again, it may seem easy to find ones strenght, but in practical terms it is not easy. Looking back now, I can see clearly some of the things I did in 2008 which I know makes me weak. I also can see some of the things I did which gives me strenght. For those my strenghts, I want to continue and improve on them. example: strategic planning, business improvement, writing my copy.
But one thing is clear: I must think more about my weaknesses and see if I can stop involving myself in them outrightly not just outsourcing.
My concern is, as a small business, when you outsource, you may loose the business outright with time, clients get to know you are outsoucing, they may prefer to deal with the real guys directly.
Your post is right on. We are in the process of doing exactly this, and it is REVOLUTIONIZING our business… and out lives.
Excellent post Alex. I like your idea about using index cards to write down your strengths and weaknesses. Writing it down is critical for me especially when I go off track or spend far too much time on a project.
I can always take a moment to look at what I have written down and get re focused.
For me personally I have a white board in my office with my VERB in big bold letters on it and written beside it is what that verb means to me.
After taking Teleseminar Secrets I realized quickly that outsourcing the time consuming projects was faster and a great investment because I could then focus on my strengths like driving traffic to my websites and in return recoup my investment more quickly and make more money.
I have found for me that staying on track and focused allows me to excel more quickly which in turn keeps me motivated and strong as well.
Thanks,
Chris Robertson
Alex, this is excellent, practical advice! I sharpened my understanding of my core strengths five years ago. It made a huge difference in the corporate clients I attracted, the types of engagements I accepted, and ultimately the value that I brought to the table.
I used to refer to a weakness as an undeveloped strength, but now I believe that playing to our strengths is the way to go!
Your post is a great reminder that the entrepreneurial power inside all of us is ready to be tapped. I now outsource my weaker areas and allow others to play to *their* strengths.
Thanks for the great reminder!
Dee McCrorey, Risktaking for Success LLC
Corporate Entrepreneurship Guru
Alex,
I agree with your thoughts regarding the importance of outsourcing your weaknesses. I too plan to do the same in 2009.
I find that I get frustrated doing things that I’m either not good at or that I don’t feel contribute directly to my bottom line. I like to create and deliver my service and the little details can be done by someone else.
Thank you for the reminder of such an important topic that will contribute to my success!
Happy New Year!
Julie Van De Wyngaerde
http://www.SelfCenteredMoms.com
Alex, thank you for timely reminder that we need to outsource. Like Daiv, however, I think it’s not only weaknesses we need to outsource. Another guide on what to outsource is the cost and effectiveness of having someone else doing doing the tasks. Be careful not to have to spend more time supervising the outsourcing, as this defeats the purpose of outsourcing. Outsource when it’s cost effective and when it will free your high cost time to focus on business development and strategic planning for your business. This will ensure your business is more effective at delivering a high quality service to customers/clients.
Veronica Broomes
Trainer in Personal Development and Leadership
Very good advice and so timely. I am currently working on goals for 2009 and this information will help me to focus. I have no problem knowing what my weaknesses are but sometimes lack the confidence to recognize and enhance my strengths. Thanks for a great post.
http://terriforehand.synthasite.com
http;//heartfeltwords4kids.blogspot.com
Alex, you said it all and you said it right!
Now, if we can just give ourselves PERMISSION to LET someone else do “the dirty work” — trying to remember that THEY may find that what we DON’T want to do (our weaknesses) are their strengths, and exactly what they are good at and want to do.
Great timing Alex, this is what I need. I had listened to a tape on identifying your strengths and weaknesses by Marcus Buckingham about a year ago with my son. I did not do much with what I heard but believe that this is not a coincidence that I am hearing a similar message about a year later.
I will definately be using the index cards to help me clarify where to concentrate my energy this coming year because I have felt like I have too much on and too much to put to work for my success.
Here is to a more focused and prosperous 2009 to all. Weaknesses do leave you running around with too many wanna get theres, and “I’m a gonna” do that better next time.
As the leader of a multi-virtual assistant team, I often find myself on both sides of this coin. Our clients outsource their tasks to us as a company. I, in turn, have to choose the member of my team with the talents and strengths to best handle each project. However, sometimes it’s hard for me to “let go.”
Great thoughts, Alex.
-Karen
Alex,
Thanks for the planning advice. I learned to understand strengths and weaknesses very well in 2008. I met you at an ETR event in April, where I was exposed to many ways to make money. I have since chased some gurus, and found myself overwhelmed with information. Yes, I felt very weak! But, I did manage to follow one strength of mine, writing. I completed my paperback, “The Secret to Creating Your Romantic Standard of Love for Life”, in October. Then, I knew I had to focus on marketing both an eBook and paperback. I had watched several of your modules, and knew I have what I need to market my book. So, I am Strengthening my Strength, as I am finally participating in your exciting Teleseminar Secrets Training. I have joined 4 others in a MasterMind group and when we meet this week, I will remind them of this additional technique for success. I am focused on an Ask Campaign for a doctor and our high school band’s fund raising efforts. You are a very generous man. I thank you for this advice and for sharing the joyous laughter of your children in the Holiday message.
Jill Reed
“It is the simple little things in a romantic love relationship that matter. Not the things you choose to make big.”
http://www.ask4romance.com
There are lots of advice out there that ask you identify your strengths and weaknesses, however the most important difference here is the link to your activity which then connect you to your feelings of strength or weakness, not something abstract. Love what you do and do what you love is the key to success.
Ahtee
Thanks again Alex for a great post. I’m great at leading my business, creating content and running live events and I find if I get caught up in the whole “managing” side of my business i.e. answering un-important emails, sending parcels off at the post office and pointless person to person business meetings … nothing gets done!
Thanks again for sharing your advice and making the next online millionaire!
Alex Coulson
http://www.datingworkshops.com.au
Hi
I absolutely agree with you that weakness are one of the demotivator and one becomes less productive when involved to doing something that I am not interested in doing but have to do it as there is no choice. strength. I have to think of another method that will not weaken my strength or do whatever activies that wil strengthen me. I will start to monitor the weakness and strengths in me into order to improve my situation.
Thank you so much for your tips.
regards
Kamla
For years I tried to improve my weaknesses in business so I spent time doing things I pretty much hated because I was not good at those things. How frustrating is that? Imagine how I felt at the end of a work day!
Now I teach coaches how to market their coaching business and get coaching clients. This work let’s me do many of the things I do best like teaching, writing, using my sales training and skills, and helping others make more money. I love everything about what I do and I am good at it too! Loving what you do and being good at is is a lot more fun!
Suzan Schmitt:The Coach Marketer
http://thecoachmarketer.com
http://zeecoachmarketer.com
Right on the money alex!
This is some great information for business owners and great timing for the new year. I myself have already done this exercise with my management team and this really helped us solidify our Dream, Vision, Purpose, and Mission for 2009.
I also have adopted your 4 hour time saving productivity and this has greatly helped me and my management team.
Thanks again for some great business tips,
Ja’son Manwill
The Trainer’s Coach™
http://www.communicatemoreeffectively.com
This is something I have been learning to do lately myself. I sure have spent way too many hours in the past on my weaknesses and I am determined to make this year different and outsource those things I am weak at and focus only on what I am good at.
Blessings,
Lori
Hi Alex,
While I had heard of the concept in the form of assigning the right person for the right job or task,
the twist here is the feeling more specifically the empowering feeling that you discuss.
Upon reflection for me that is critical.
The momentum that this empowering feeling creates, as well as the strengthening of one’s mental attitude towards challenges that one encounters during the business day is vital.
Alex, I liked the simple strategy of listing the tasks on 3×5 cards.
Thanks for the post.
Thank you for posting that article Alex. I work with and teach a lot of people that are just starting their own commerical embroidery business and at the same time just learning how to use a computer. It can be very challenging at times.
Your simplistic method of the 3×5 cards is excellent. I am going to take that concept and use it with my students.
Thank you so much! Learning from you is always great!
Joyce Jagger
The Embroidery Coach
http://www.embroiderytipsandmore.com
I am voting for 2x’s Why? The time for me in the day is 10:44 am. I am a morning person so that is late if I follow your advise and get to my strengths.There is too much info from all sources to follow it all 2x’s is great.
I always advise my clients to write, journal, make lists, take notes, but it’s the one thing people resist the hardest and it’s the one thing we can do that has the power to bring us the most clarity, the fastest growth, the best answers!
I love your quote, “The palest ink is better than even a world-class memory.” I’m going to use that one from now on and give you credit, of course!
Thanks for this great post, Alex!
Randy Sandknop
http://www.practicehappiness.com
Alex,
That was very interesting knowledge that I had
learned from you . And I plan to practice in year
2009. And I think you really doing on your strength side right now. Because you are the Super Master of Teleseminar. Your voice , the way
you delivery very clear and organize. I’m glad to
learn from a top master like you.
Tina Shin
Alex,
Your formula fits my philosophy: What’s ahead is what matters–as any old octogenarian will tell you. And your zest and unbridled curiosity inspire us all to move things up a notch.
Count me among the 101+. I write well; I speak well. I’m counting on your savvy to help make these talents work for me
The Best Year to Come for you and yours.
Hi Alex,
Play from your strengths! What a great central focus to kick off the New Year! I read your post and immediately ordered Buckingham’s book.
Andrew offers some good advice on an approach to outsourcing if you think “you can’t afford it” yet. This is similar to a challenge faced by our clients who are parents of school age children who struggle with lack of organizational skills.
During the elementary, middle and high school years many things are required of a child during the school day that cannot be easily “outsourced” by the child. As children progress through the higher grade levels increasing demands are placed on them to organize and manage books, materials, assignments, directions, homework, tests and projects. And of course almost everything has to be done at a certain time.
In order to prevent academic success from being derailed by these weaknesses I developed a comprehensive “Instant Organizer Notebook System” for students which automates the process of organizing school papers and materials and handles time management. While this system does address strengthening a weakness it eliminates the damage done by that weakness and allows the student to more fully apply and benefit from personal academic strengths. We use a 4 step approach:
1. Evaluate (the root cause of the snag)
2. Automate (create a tool or system)
3. Navigate (observe and steer around snags and uncovered potholes)
4. Cooperate (build support interactions)
The “cooperate” step would be the first place to look when deciding what to outsource in a funded business but is our last step with students for 2 reasons:
1. Classrooms are usually structured for each student carry the full range of responsibilities for each assignment or activity including all management of time, information and materials.
2. Success in these areas builds self confidence and self reliance and supports the student in focusing on and fully exercising personal strengths.
We support a small but growing movement of parents and teachers who want to bring a strengths based curriculum to all classrooms.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. And thanks for bringing us yet one more world class tool for success.
Columbia
See above: 3x. Even though, to get it all, I gotta stay up later.
Carl
Thirst for knowledge.
As for me, I think 2x is enough. I attempt to read your blog but not as dilligently as I should. Instead, I read to catch up!
I read looking for the next golden nugget to be a better marketer and person. I still need time to do the other things of life. Yes I know the trap! It is a constant struggle to not work on the busy stuff that does not make me money!
My vote is a “No”!
Question:
Is there a way to create a peer to peer daily accountability program? Let’s see what your solution is for this question!
Ernie
Fontana, CA
Alex, Thanks for the link to the strengths assessment. It was interesting and I look forward to trying the ideas there.
Thanks for this post, Alex!
For me, this is simple to outline.
My strengths: ideas, networking, & communicating.
My weaknesses: technical implementation.
I have others help me with my weaknesses; teaching me while they implement. I, in turn, teach them what I know in terms of marketing.
Best,
-K
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