Reminding you about Linkedin’s statistics
- In February 2018, there are 530 million users on linkedin: are you one of them?
- There were 10 billion of endorsements on Linkedin in October 2016. How many endorsements and recommendations do you have?
- Linkedin users with at least 5 skills listed on their profile receive up to 17 times more profile views: what skills have you listed on your profile?
- 80 % Linkedin users consider professional networking important for their career success. How do you use Linkedin to network?
Here are a few examples of recommendations:
- His level of patience is commendable
- She is hard working
- She is very helpful
- He is very well organised and can multi task
- She is instantly likeable
We all come with a specific set of strengths that makes us unique. Yes you are unique as you have your own DNA. And at one point or another, you’ve probably been told what your unique strengths are by your line manager, your colleague, your friends, your family. Now imagine being able to use these attribute and Shine bright like a diamond.
Showing you the research
Research by Gallup discovered that managers who received strengths-based feedback improved their productivity by 12.5%. Jim Clemmer, President of the management consultancy The Clemmer Group quoted Drucker’s book We can’t build on weaknesses, you can only build on strengths. It’s foolish and irresponsible to do so — a weakness is a limitation and nothing else. Clemmer also cited research from Martin Seligman and Michelle McQuaid, whose work in the area of positive psychology has had a major impact on organizational management and psychology.
Start your own roadmap here. As an Executive Coach, here are some questions that I would ask you to think about:
- Tell me about your first achievement.
- What are you most proud in your life?
- What are your top 5 personality strengths?
Let?s figure out your strengths: a SWOT analysis
STRENGTHS
| WEAKNESSES
|
OPPORTUNITIES
| THREATS
|
Write down key words/exemplar situations anything that comes to your mind while you are brainstorming the SWOT analysis. You could decide to do this exercise over a few days and use a large A3 sheet of paper. You may want to start with just key words using different colours to organise your thinking.
Finally it is important to do to others what we do for ourselves. Gratitude is simple and means a lot to others.
Writing a recommendation for someone
A great exercise is to start writing a recommendation so highlighting the strengths about someone else, your colleague, your line manager, a trainer… Try writing a recommendation using the following 5 steps:
| [Descriptive phrase] is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about [name]. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing [name] for [length of time], during which [description of your working relationship]. Above all, I was impressed with [name]’s ability to [description of what makes person really stand out]. And, of course, his/her [personality trait]. [Name] would be a true asset for any positions requiring [1-2 skills needed for position] and comes with my heartfelt recommendation. |
Every day is an opportunity to leverage your strengths no matter what role you play. Go for it!
You may want to read more about coaching. Here are some articles that I wrote:
- 6 ways an Executive Coach can make you more successful
- 8 ways Executive Coaching can help you
Nadine Powrie is an Executive Coach who helps leaders in organizations to manage change effectively. If you would like to have more information on Executive Coaching, please contact Nadine at npowrie@nadinepowrie. She would love to hear from you.