“ Can you tell me about your weaknesses ?”
It ’ s a question asked time and time again in job interviews — a tactic to uncover a limitation in someone ’ s skill sets , a reason to pass on the candidate , an indicator that he / she may be unqualified for the open position . In fact , analysts posit that as a society we are so focused on weaknesses and shortcomings , we have become a society characterized by weakness orientation .
“ It seems my entire life people have had no problem pointing out my weaknesses ,” explains Carousel Chief Client Officer Tim Hebert . “ They compliment my innate desire to innovate , create and evolve , while lamenting my perfectionist qualities that lead me to believe that good is never good enough ; they point out spelling errors in my communications , not always realizing I am severely dyslexic . So , like many , I ’ ve long subscribed to the belief — or fallacy — that if I could ‘ fix ’ my weaknesses everything would be all right .”
But a number of philosophers , psychologists and researchers contend that instead of focusing on weaknesses , we should start centering on our strengths . After all , those who choose to play to their strengths enjoy a wealth of benefits like : heightened levels of professional performance ; increased fulfillment ; and higher levels of engagement with work and personal pursuits . It ’ s a notion that is commonly being referred to as strengths-based psychology .
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