Strengths in the Workplace

No matter what industry you’re in, effective management is essential for an organization to run smoothly. Leadership qualities come naturally to some, but others are required to work harder at becoming a leader. Regardless, anyone seeking a management position must have them. However, valuable leadership isn’t exclusive to management alone. Such a strength is useful in all professions and often manifests as:

• Strong communication skills. True leaders communicate goals and assert expectations with constructive clarity. This involves active listening, answering questions, reception to input, and accepting constructive criticism.
• Responsible delegation. Efficacious delegation of tasks is essential to strong leadership, though it’s often challenging. This ability requires solid prioritization when assigning tasks to subordinates, whom the leader must understand as persons with their own particular strengths best suited for certain duties. Such a leader must step back from the delegated project and trust their team.
• Leading by example. Possibly most important is the ability and willingness to influence and motivate with a good attitude. Empowering others to approach challenges with self-confidence is not done in word alone. A leader’s actions set unspoken precedents which actively demonstrate expectations and the qualities of a productive team member.

Learn more: Developing your leadership goals  

Dependability is about trust and reliability. It doesn’t mean being a “yes man” or taking on every responsibility alone. Rather, it’s a matter of only taking on as much as you can handle, following through to your commitments, and giving each project your best effort. Here are a few ways this strength shows up in the workplace:

• Perfect punctual attendance: Whether your boss makes your schedule or you set your own hours, sticking to a schedule is an expectation. Arriving at a job on time or sticking to deadlines promised to clients when you’re supposed to is a demonstration of your commitment, consideration, and time management. It is the best way to earn trust in your professional network.
• Give an honest effort: No matter your title or rank, your work impacts the company’s success, and others depend on your hard work.  Attention to detail and consistent skillful performance make you a dependable team asset.
• Deadline management: Deadlines are essential in maintaining productivity and can even encourage teamwork. The ability of a team to complete tasks on time strongly lends to the organization of a company, and your ability to meet your deadlines proves your efficiency and time management.

Problem-solving is a ubiquitous workplace strength that requires both analytical and creative thinking. When challenges arise, employers value those who can devise and employ effective solutions. Problem-solving often presents in the workplace in people strong at:

• Teamwork. Although good problem solvers are often self-starters, understanding the value of outside perspectives and collaboratively seeking solutions is equally important.
• Active listening. Listening may sound obvious and effortless, but really listening for retention, or “active” listening, is central to how you communicate with others. Active listening enables you to absorb, process, and act on information rationally, which is all essential to effective problem-solving.
• Creativity. Possibly the most important problem-solving tool, creativity applies original ideas to problems that need fixing. Unconventional approaches can be especially helpful in solving common or recurring problems.

Self-reliant employees who require little-to-no supervision and can govern time responsibly are employer favorites. Possessing self-management skills is to be independently productive, which exhibits leadership potential. Self-management subcategories include:

• Stress management. Composure in high-pressure situations shows emotional intelligence, self-control, and enables effective, goal-oriented communication.
• Resourcefulness. Seeing potential utility in the tools at your disposal and in tools overlooked by those incapable of imagining them functioning outside their primary use is the mark of a resourceful person. These capable creatives see the abstract possibilities found by thinking outside the box, and can therefore anticipate problems and implement precautionary measures in advance. They forsake their pride and thus the fear of failure and asking for help to be successful.
• Internal motivation. Employees who self-manage well are often more driven to perform at their best without incentive or the motivation of a reward.

Perhaps an understated workplace strength, resilience is a key component for handling stress, workplace conflict, change, and even competition. In short, it describes someone’s capacity to respond to pressure, disappointment, and tension. A demonstration of resilience may look like:

• Acceptance of criticism. Whether constructive or just plain mean, criticism evokes emotional responses from most people. It’s unavoidable in the workplace, but someone capable of accepting it as a chance to learn can temper their responses, compartmentalize the facts of the critique without emotion, and gratefully remember to improve. They allow themselves grace, too, which is equally important.
• Commitment. Resilient employees have a sharp focus on getting through. They remain committed to their goals through adversity and the unforeseen, knowing that they are accountable for the outcome regardless of these challenges. Viewing failure as a learning experience and identifying as a survivor post-victimization are traits commonly exhibited by resilient minds.
• Healthy work relationships. A key component to all healthy relationships is mutual respect. Respect among colleagues leads to open communication, efficient problem-solving, and healthy competition. Accepting both success and defeat with humility and grace comes more naturally when the stakes don’t feel so high.

Workplace communication is one of the most integral parts of a successful business. It’s important for conflict management, client relationships, team efficacy, productivity, and maintaining strong working relationships at every level of an organization. Truly powerful communicators often:

• Empathize. Loosely defined as the ability to relate to the thoughts, emotions, and experiences of others, empathy in the workplace can create genuine connections among colleagues. Feeling like you agree with your coworkers boosts team morale and productivity.
• Listen more. Though mentioned already, active listening is an important indicator for many valuable strengths in the workplace. Paying close attention, asking questions, and reiterating what you’ve just heard are key components of active listening, and they facilitate understanding.
• Give constructive criticism. The ability to offer honest feedback to someone without making them feel the competency and character are under attack is hard. But employees who can direct a struggling colleague down the path to success with a new perspective or helpful advice are not just strong communicators, but likely the best.

All professional industries share one rather ironic constant in common. Ironically, that constant factor they’re all mercilessly subjected to is change. Change keeps industries alive over generations, but only when those within the industry show an ability to adapt to it. This flexibility enables professionals to stay right beside the world’s ever-changing expectations, circumstances, and demands. To be flexible, one must:

• Put in overtime. Extra time after business hours to complete a project on time, staying late to help a coworker meet a deadline or learn a skill you excel at, or covering for a colleague who suddenly fell sick isn’t exactly glamorous or fun. But the willingness to adjust your schedule to accommodate the needs of others, your company’s success, or fulfilling a commitment shows your masterful flexibility and desire to do the best job possible on the timeline you committed to.
• Keep learning. Whether it be social learning casually with a mentor or peer, industry conferences, or continuing education courses, a flexible professional never stops learning. An employee so flexible and motivated that they incessantly learn difficult new skills in order to not drown beneath the unpredictable tides of change would be an asset to any professional team.
• Accept new roles. Change is stressful for many, but it doesn’t have to be. Relinquish some control for true flexibility, then allow your mindset to reconfigure accordingly. After all, change is all that’s constant. So we change alongside it, beginning with our perspectives. Uncertainty and nerves are natural, but shouldn’t rob you of the excitement for what’s to come. Embrace change and identify opportunities it brings, such as building a portfolio with recent work or adding a stellar reference to your resume. Diversify your strengths and become the boss.

Recognizing your strengths in the workplace is not only helpful for resumes and job interview questions. Nurturing your greatest strengths and understanding how to best apply them in the workplace will enable you to choose a career path that’s right for you, and succeed in that career. Looking for a new job? Start here