As an undergrad, one of my favorite professors had us complete an assignment called “Me at my best.” It was designed to help us think about our strengths so that we’d be able to place ourselves in situations in which we excel. That assignment taught me one of the most important lessons of my undergraduate career, and I was reminded of it this week while reading a book called First, Break All the Rules. In one chapter, author Marcus Buckingham distills the wisdom of thousands of talented managers down to this great nugget:

People don’t change that much.
Don’t waste time trying to put in what was left out.
Try to draw out what was left in.
That is hard enough.

Everyone has a different set of talents and weaknesses, and you’ll find the most success by taking advantage of that fact rather than fighting it. Great managers understand this about their people, and you should understand it about yourself. Continuous improvement is important, but too often we focus only on areas of weakness to improve upon.

What if you decided instead to pick out something you’re already good at and really take it to the next level? You could work toward becoming the Excel whiz at your office. Or be the person all your friends go to when they need help designing their website? Maybe you really *get* social media, and can find a way to turn it into your job.

Being average at everything is a sure-fire way to fly under the radar. The people who get noticed are the ones that know what they’re good at, and constantly put themselves in a position to use and improve on those skills. They find the sweet spot.

Need help figuring out what your strengths and talents are? Let’s try the ‘me at my best’ exercise:

1. Grab a pen and some paper and write down 3-5 things that you’re good at, things that come naturally to you. Think of skills like communication and organization, or characteristics like reliability and work ethic.
2. Find five people that know you well, from a variety of settings: family, friends, co-workers, bosses, etc. Ask each person to write you an email or letter describing your strengths, and the situations in which you excel. Encourage them to give specific examples of times that you’ve exhibited these skills.
3. Compare your list with the ones you’ve received from others. There will be some common ones, but there’s a good chance they’ve listed some strengths that you didn’t even realize that you had.

Now you have a better sense of where your skills and talents are, and when you’re ‘at your best.’ Start taking on roles and responsibilities that play into these strengths. You’ll feel much more confident in your abilities, and you’ll be better set up for success. As you continue to hone these existing strengths, you’ll find it easier to articulate exactly what you’re good at. And people will definitely take notice.

When are you at your best?

Photo credit: Savannah Grandfather on Flickr