Everyone has a strength, some people have several strengths. It is important you and your colleagues are aware of one another’s strengths. Within the work environment it is sometimes easier to focus on people’s weaknesses and how to manage them. Training sessions on how to improve certain skills, or meetings about communicating with others, are important but, what’s even more important is to play off of one another’s strengths, not always try to improve weaknesses.

There are several different kinds of strengths that can be used as a positive influence in the workplace. The key is to know what strengths work with others. For example, someone whose strength is focus will work well as a leader and reach deadlines. Those whose strength is focus need definable goals. Once those goals are in place, they march with the steps to reach the goal. Someone whose strength is adaptability will work well with someone who is focused. That person can step back and be productive within several different situations. They don’t mind being led by someone, and they have the ability to think outside of the box, which is helpful for a focus person because they can’t remove themselves from a situation and see other solutions. If you pair these two strengths together you are likely to have a really efficient team, which is why it’s crucial to understand the strengths of your coworkers and how to relate to them.

It is human nature to focus on weakness and how to develop those weaknesses so they become strengths. Instead we need to strengthen the strengths. No one is good at everything. People will always have weaknesses, instead of focusing on those, focus on what your coworkers are good at and make sure they are in a place where their strengths will be put to use.