MANAGING WEAKNESSES INTO STRENGTHS

Far too many people accept their weaknesses and fail to make the effort to manage weaknesses into strengths.Thomas Wolfe said if you have a talent and have not figured out how to use it you have failed yourself. If you have a talent and only use a portion of it you have again failed yourself. If you have a talent and learn how to use it to its fullest potential you have triumphed. It is a satisfaction few get to know because they don’t try.

The same thinking applies to your weaknesses in business. The challenge is to first identify them, and second, to learn to manage them to the point they stop being a negative and become a positive. In my book “Theory You” I point out that a person’s best strength is often their biggest weakness. I used the phrase “honest to a fault” to illustrate the concept. The concept is relevant to any weakness you might possess. It will remain a weakness until you start to manage it. When you manage a weakness you have the potential to convert it to a strength.

MANAGING YOUR BIGGEST FEAR

I have known a number of people in business who were excellent at their job and contributed positively each and every day. These same people struggled with public speaking of any kind. The thought of getting up in front of a group frightened them. I’ve read that fear of public speaking is the most common fear shared by people. The ability to speak brilliantly, intelligently and convincingly to a group of four or five in a small meeting did not translate to speaking to a group of 50, 100 or more. The fear translated into a weakness.

Years ago I took over an ad agency that needed new business. We were soon given the opportunity to pitch an important account. In prepping for the presentation we could not find a problem in the advertising program currently being run nor did we hear about any relationship or financial problems between the client and its current agency. The account was one that had to be open for bid every five years, or less. I concluded we had zero chance to win the account since no apparent problem existed. However, it would be a great opportunity to pitch the account and learn the new business strengths of my new team. I asked our best account executive to take on a most important role in the presentation – the presentation of our research, strategic thinking and strategy. She was instrumental in preparing the material but was very nervous about presenting in the meeting to about 25 people. She had the same fear that most people possess: fear of public speaking. I told her I would work with her and would jump in if she needed help. That did little to allay her fear but she reluctantly agreed to make the presentation.

At the rehearsal the night before the presentation I asked everyone to present as if the clients were in the room. The biggest concerns were timing and consistency. I also wanted to see everyone as close to being in action as possible. The woman making the strategic portion of the presentation was nervous in the rehearsal but got through it quite well. I met with her after and told her she did a splendid job and the nervousness she exhibited would be well received by the prospective clients – it showed she cared. She presented the next day and was both nervous and professional. When we talked after the presentation I told her she was terrific. She was both relieved and excited. She knew she had done well, and was thrilled she had overcome her fear to perform so well under pressure. After that we made several new business pitches together and had a good track record. We also made a number of presentations together including speaking at a major meeting for a major client. By this time she was confident and looked forward to public speaking…and did a superb job! She managed her weakness into a strength.

THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS

The talent was there. She had to work through a process that allowed her to convert what she thought was a weakness into a strength.
– She identified it
– She discussed it with her supervisor
– She committed to a plan to address it
– She practiced
– She overcame a fear and made a weakness a strength.
She stopped “failing herself” and started on the road to a triumph. Managing your weaknesses can convert them to a strength. They don’t have to consistently hold you back. Once they become a strength they can greatly improve your career path.

Weaknesses come in many forms and sizes. But they can be overcome. Public speaking is our most common fear yet I know many people who are superb public speakers and still shy and quiet when not “on”. If we can manage and overcome that weakness we can manage and overcome almost any other weakness.

Be willing to take the first step and you might amaze yourself. If you can move your smallest talent to its full potential it can be a superb addition to your personal balance sheet; a liability moved to the asset side of the ledger.