A Common Notion Sheds Light on Workplace Performance

“A person’s strengths can become their biggest weakness.”

You have probably heard this phrase used in many different situations, and its truth is often seen in our daily lives. You might know someone who has a great sense of urgency, but is just too impatient at times. Maybe they have road rage or refuse to stand in long lines. Or, someone with a great sense of security in life, but becomes overly possessive. Perhaps they have a hard time trusting someone else to take care of their children.

Have you wondered how this applies in the workforce?

Often times a strength in employees or applicants will determine their success. For example, an outside salesman may be very good at understanding the product and keeping up-to-date on research, competition and statistics, which is very important to sales success. However, if their drive to obtain that knowledge keeps them in front of the computer and not in the field making the sale, they have let their strength become their biggest weakness. What good is all that product knowledge if they don’t use it to make a sale?