To look inside us for better understanding who we are, who we would like to be, the steps to take to make our dreams come true.
How many times have we been told that these are the steps for true happiness? And yet, it’s not an easy analysis to make. When we take time to ourselves and begin to reflect, easily all the bad traits of the behaviour, the fear of failure or of the future take place. These have been the topics of the Freudian psychoanalysis for years. But what about the most exciting traits of the behavior, the strengths, the values? According to Roberto Assagioli, the precursor of modern positive psychology, to always been thinking about what it doesn’t work inside us and with our life is like having a beautiful house with many floors, but spending all the time in the basement. It is on the roof that the light comes and, out of the metaphor, this is the room for people potential and real talents. This insight was followed in the 80s by Martin Seligman, the father of the positive psychology, who postulated that psychologists should pay attention on what people “already do excellently” more than on weaknesses and fears. This was how the strength-philosophy was born: a method based on discovering and valuing people strengths for inner joy and happiness. The word “strength” has two main meanings: what we are very good in doing and what strongly motivates us.
If to know and to value personal strengths is important for people in order to find their happiness, companies can’t do differently. The company is indeed a gear in which individual mechanisms must operate simultaneously and operate harmoniously, otherwise the final result will be compromised. Strengthening employees, helping them to achieve inner balance and increase their self-trust, allows companies to achieve goals otherwise impossible to think.
Let’s think for a minute how frustrating is to do something we are not very able to do. If we don’t spend time to acknowledge and value our real strengths, frustration and discouragement will be very present in our lives.
The question that probably is coming to your mind is: “how can I know my personal strengths?”.
Of course a professional may help, a coach or a consultant, but you can begin the job even by yourself. Alex Linely, the founder of the Center of Applied Positive Psychology, identified some questions which can help. Before answering, I suggest you to create a comfortable place, maybe you can put some relaxing music on, and just relax thinking about your past, the present and the future. When you feel calm, you can reflect and take notice about this: what do you remember doing as a child that you still do now – but most likely much better? What activities give you and energetic buzz when you are doing them? See what activities come naturally to you, and at which you excel – sometimes, it seems, without even trying. Notice the things that never make it on to your “to do” list.
In a world which drives us to ask “on what am I wrong?” or “on what can I improve myself?”, the real innovation is to focus on values, strengths and motivation.
A change of perspective behind which lies the secret to live a more fulfilled life, aware of our own resources and of what really makes us feel good. And, returning to the business context, build complementary teams, where the limits of each individual end up intersecting with the strengths of others. In other words, to find our own way to ensure that even our weaknesses prove to be winning weapons.
Giulia Imbastoni e Tommaso Crocoli