Why improvement potential is not everything

Many companies and people tend to focus on their own shortcomings in comparison with others. They are constantly trying to correct weaknesses and close the gaps they see in themselves and in comparison to others. Systems and culture are often too one-sidedly designed to find faults and potential for improvement.

The problem with this is that companies and people overlook the strengths they already have. By trying to do “everything” well, they get stuck in the average and miss the chance to become exceptional in one area. In addition, perfectionism is often not economical.  

Why a strong focus on weaknesses is misleading 

How often do you recognize your own strengths and specifically promote them? Do you appreciate what you are good at and what you have? Or is your everyday life characterized by mainly seeing the things that are not good or missing?

If you constantly focus on what you lack and what you are not good at in your private life, you will never find out where your true talents lie. You will also feel chronically unhappy.  Imagine if Mozart had concentrated on becoming an average mathematician instead of putting his full energy into music – he would never have become the genius we know today.

How to specifically promote your strengths

Consciously take time to identify your strengths and develop them further in a targeted manner. Of the endless potential for improvement, only identify those that are really hindering your further development.

By specifically training your strengths, you develop core competencies over time that make you unique in a niche and set you apart from the crowd. Using your strengths at work automatically makes it more fun, which in turn promotes success. As the saying goes:“If you do what you love, you won’t have to work another day“.