<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->

There has been a long held credo regarding success at the workplace which says that each employee should focus on individual weaknesses and improve upon them to be successful at his/her job. Prima facie, the philosophy sounds flawless and there seems everything right about correcting on one’s weaknesses. However, what is not visible upfront and what is damaging in this philosophy is that it completely ignores the strengths of an individual. Instead of trying to invest energies in overcoming weaknesses, which is sometimes not possible too, one can be much more productive if one builds upon inherent strengths.

This does not mean that weaknesses have to be overlooked and have to be put up with. This means that success mantra is not simply changing what is bad about you but keeping your focus on your strengths and building upon what is good about you. If one were to survey employees across age groups, industries and locations, an overwhelming number would agree that they are stuck in the wrong job. Now what does a wrong job mean? No job is wrong in itself. It just means that you are a wrong fit for that job because that job does not let you do what you are best at. So, your wrong job may be the most right job for someone else who loves doing what the job demands.

Once you have identified where your natural interest lies, you can enhance it and join a career that best suits that interest. For instance, if you are someone who simply loves to talk and play with language, trying out for a vacancies in communications, content writing or journalism will do justice to your interest. If you simply love reading newspapers, books, magazines or love watching movies and TV and cannot think of anything else, media jobs or a career in entertainment is best suited for you. If you are interested in computers, you can opt for an education course that can help you find employment in software jobs or IT related field. You can pursue education related to this field and build upon your strengths. Once you have identified what interests you or challenges you the most, you can simply choose from career options in that particular field.

Trying to suppress your natural likes and dislikes to fit into a mould that is not made for you will take you nowhere. You can surely work on general traits like trying to get more organized or managing your time better but trying to like something that is not your natural taste will only leave you unsuccessful. So, for instance if writing is something that you have never done or don’t enjoy doing, you cannot learn writing and force yourself to do it. If talking is what you are best at, your focus should be polishing your communication skills instead of trying your hand at something that you have never enjoyed doing.

Once you realize your potential and the areas of improvement, you can be highly successful. Areas of improvement are those that you are already good at and can be improved. Just imagine how much the productivity will increase once people get into the jobs that they are good at.