A recent Harvard Business Review “Management Tip of The Day” provides excellent advice for each and every person who desires greater success.  The management tip was adapted from “Five Steps to Assess Your Strengths” by Bill Barnett.

To grow, achieve and enjoy greater success in any area of your life, you must know and understand your strengths.  You must also be able to concisely and effectively articulate your strengths.  If you don’t know your strengths, or if you are not able to effectively express your strengths, how will the major influencers and enablers in your life know and understand them?

The Harvard Business Review “Management Tip of The Day” suggests the following:

•   “List your strengths.  Include skills and knowledge you’ve acquired through experience and education as well as softer intrinsic strengths, such as insightfulness or empathy.

• Ask for input.  Ask colleagues for honest feedback.

• Revisit past feedback.  Reread old performance reviews or think back on coaching from previous bosses.

• Modify your list.  Adjust your original list to reflect what you’ve learned.  Make sure the strengths are specific so that they are credible and useful.”

No matter how successful or unsuccessful they may be, there is not one person in the entire world who cannot improve by following this simple, yet powerful formula. 

List your strengths, ask for input, revisit past feedback, and modify your list.  Then focus on implementation, execution and improvement of your strengths.  Do this and you will positively change your life and your success, and also impact the lives and success of those around you!

Copyright © 2012 by Dan Nielsen