Strength Based Thinking

[Matthew Sherborne]

In this video Marcus Buckingham discusses how to use Strength Based Thinking in your life or those of your children
can make a radical difference. Instead of constantly trying to fix your weaknesses, Marcus advocates focusing on
leveraging your strengths.

Interesting take on how to use your inner strengths and capitalize on them to achieve more success.

[NoTrouble]

Using strength based thinking does sound like a good idea in theory. It's one that the people in the audience in this video (Yahoo), could use. I'm not sure I hear too much more than theory though... Any more links to how this works?

[Alexis Froehlich]

This is definitely no theory. I fully stand by strength based thinking. I especially endorse strength based teaching.

Buckinham was right on. Especially about the focus on schools.
I'd say 99% of the teachers I worked with all taught using strength based teaching, although we use the phrase "positive reinforcement" instead.

Buckingham says it's instinctive... I'm not sure I agree with that. Three of my four years at UOP was focused on learning how to see the positive strenghts in kids, how to praise what was going well, and how to pinpoint one thing that needed to be worked on next, while encorporating a "can do" and "it's ok to make mistakes, you just need to fix them" attitude. After 3 years, it became more or less a habit. And when I teach, I certainly think of all those things with each word that comes out of my mouth. So now it's instinctive, but it's also concious, and good universitites are defintely focusing on teaching based on strengths.

Buckingham is correct: the schools aren't strength-based. I've worked with a few principals that were, and they always seemed at conflict, primarily becuase the school system wasn't mirroring the principal's core beliefs.

Some schools have discipline standards (tallie system, flip your card system) but my favorite schools to teach had no 1-system-fits-all. I could do my thing and not have to use the negative discipline that comes from the school admin.

I firmly stand by strenth based teaching. It works. I can count on one hand the disruptions in my classroom. We had a great relationship because they craved the positive attention and praise I'd give them. They learned a lot and had a great time, and felt good about themselves.

[2BFree]

I really liked this video about strength based thinking.

He struck a chord with me when he said the most effective people at work spend a disproportionate amount of time doing the things that compliment their strengths.
I also liked when he said "make the best of your job into most of your job" I'm going to try that on Monday.

Alexis - that was interesting about the teachers at schools. I wonder if the kids are able to keep that thinking as adults?

No Trouble - maybe the people at Yahoo are the guinea pigs for this theory
If we see some awesomely cool stuff coming from Yahoo, we can assume strength based thinking works

[NoTrouble]

Here's an interesting article I found about, How To Use Strength Based Thinking, that I thought was interesting. I have the rights to use it here

If you want to excel at any of your skills or talents you need to live with the mindset of strength based thinking. This way of thinking will allow you to live up to your full potential. It will focus your energies to use the talents you have and give you the power to change any bad habits.

Using strength based thinking allows you to acquire new skills and fully harness the skill sets you do have. This will enable you to improve your productivity, performance and the quality of your entire life.

What makes a high achiever in the first place? Is it luck, intelligence, talent, dedication? All of these things figure in - they all make a difference. But we all know intelligent, talented, hard-working people who do not consider themselves very successful or even happy. And we know people who are not exceptionally bright but seem happy and successful.

So there must be something else, some secret to success. Actually there are several secrets to achieving your peak performance - living up to your full potential.

Your success at love, investing, sports, business, friendship, it can be anything you try - is largely determined by your own self-image. You choose your level of unhappiness at all times. So, you're thinking no one chooses to be unhappy. Well, it could be - but you have to consciously choose to be happy, successful and self-confident.

Happiness is often hard to find when we go after it directly. As well as self-confidence. Both seem to be more "by-products" than something you can achieve in itself. So how, then, can consciously choosing to be these things be of any value? Well, the secret is to focus on other things.

First, focus on your potential. Begin by making a complete and accurate assessment of your potential. To do this you must take an inventory of yourself - you will make a few lists. Sit down and make a list of all the things you can do well. Be honest with yourself. When that list is done, make a list of all the things you like to do, even if you think you can't do them well. Then, make a list of all the things you would like to do, if you could. Now list your hobbies.

Then, go back to the list of things you can do well. You are probably being much too hard on yourself. Most of us are. We have this little voice in our heads telling us things like: "You never do anything right," or "You can't learn that," or "You're not so smart," or similar negative things. And even worse, we listen to that voice as if it's telling us the honest truth. So now, turn off that voice, it's not so hard, and add a few more items to the list of things you do well.

Let's look at it from the point of view of your best friend - it's amazing how much more forgiving we are with our good friends than we are with our selves. From your best friends perspective, you should be able to add a few more actions to your "do well" list. Be honest though - don't list things you feel you really can't do well.

Next, go to your list of things you like to do but you feel you don't do well. Speaking as your own best friend, do you think there are some things on this list that could be moved to your "do well" list? There probably are. If you like to do it, chances are you do pretty well at it. Treat your hobby list in the same manner.

Next, go to your list of things you would like to do if you could. Ask yourself, "Why can't I do this, if I'd like to?" Put your reasons on another list. OK. So you have a lot of lists going - what good is that going to do? Well, you have just made an assessment of yourself.

Hopefully you were honest in making your lists, it may even be a fairly accurate assessment. Probably it isn't, but that's alright. This assessment isn't carved forever set in stone. It's always subject to change. But for now we will work with what's on the lists. At least you have a place to start.

Look over your lists again. You are focusing on all the things you feel you can't do and the reasons why you can't do them, right? Well, don't.

Focus only on what you can do and your own potential. Use strength Based Thinking to make it happen... Make it a habit to focus on your strengths. Don't forget to include your undeveloped potential, as well. Teach yourself to focus on your utmost potential instead of your limitations.

Now that's not to say that you should ignore your list of reasons for not doing some of the things you would like to do. Not at all! But look at them from the viewpoint of your strengths. For instance, you'd like to make money online but you think you are too old to use the computer well, so you don't even try. In this case, you are looking at it from the viewpoint of your limitations.

Now, when you look at it from the viewpoint of your strengths, you would say, "Well, I may be pretty olden then some, BUT I am intelligent. I can have worked for many years in a particular field and have a lot of information to share. I have a knowledge that many people would like to know. I can't change my age, but I can refuse to let any limitations overcome my strengths."

You see the difference? Focusing on your limitations lets those limitations make your decisions for you. Focusing your thinking on your strengths lets YOU make the decision. To go back to our example: when you've decided to overcome your negative thinking based on your age and making money online - something you really want to do, you will be more enthusiastic to develop your strengths to compensate.

Thinking about your strengths will make you completely focused on developing the full potential of your strengths. Very few people concentrate on fully developing any of their strengths. That's where you will have the edge. You know your true disadvantages but your determination, your singleness of purpose and promper mindset will bring true happiness.

[smithspeakstruth]

I storngly believes and follows by focusing on your strengths and use it coreectly all the time leads you to decline the problems occur because your weakness. Nice video though.