Know Thy Weaknesses

Listened to a great talk by Peter Drucker on my way to Charlotte this past weekend. It was so good that I listened to it again on the way home.

By the time we're 30, we should know what we're good at - and perhaps more importantly - what we're bad at. Few of us actually do, however. We live in fruitless oblivion. The solution is to do "feedback analysis." To look at the results of our efforts... not our misguided interests.

I did an analysis of my life on the back of a magazine:

- I'm a communicator... but not a teacher
- I'm an encourager... but not a shepherd
- I'm an entrepreneur... not a manager
- I'm a producer... not a specialist
- There's more of course...

It's taken me a long time to know myself based on results... rather than passions.

Now you...

Comments

[Josh Wilcox]

"By the time we're 30, we should know what we're good at - and perhaps more importantly - what we're bad at. Few of us actually do, however. We live in fruitless oblivion."

That last part is probably my biggest fear in life.

[Ben Arment]

we should all fear it

[Terrace Crawford]

How old are you Ben? Great post. I think about this stuff all the time. I think I have a few about myself nailed down... but still scratching my head on others.

--Terrace Crawford
http://www.terracecrawford.com
http://www.twitter.com/terracecrawford

[Ben Arment]

Surprisingly, I'm 19

[Clayton Bell]

As I'm turning 30 tomorrow, this has been on the forefront of my mind. I think there's also a danger in trying to determine what we're good/bad at too early without trying lots of stuff and getting feedback from people.

But I agree; as I hit 30 I want to be in my lane, plowing appropriately, not just wandering through job after job, home after home. And I hope to know what that is by the end of this month.

[JFRadosevich]

What do you do if you don't believe in your strengths?

Is it ever time to ignore your strengths because it's just not time for them right now?

[Ben Arment]

are your strengths creating successes for you?

[JFRadosevich]

They have created success for me, but I talked with some people this weekend and realized that I haven't used one of my biggest strengths in a year.

[gail]

ben- do you have a link to the talk?

[Bethany]

Ben, would you be willing to flesh out the differences within each pair? Would love to learn more. esp. interested in your understanding of the diff between communication/teacher, encourager/shepherd, and entrepeneur/manager. Thanks for this post!

[Ben Arment]

If you search "Managing Oneself" and Drucker on iTunes, you'll find it.

Bethany, I once heard a great talk by Hybles that described the teaching gift. So eye-opening for me. Helped me realize I don't have it. I love to communicate, exhort and cast vision, but not exegete scripture or study for it.

I have the gift of encouragement (I think =), but I don't seek harmony among people. I actually like to disrupt it. =) Afflict the comfortable.

And I'd rather create the menu idea and name it for Applebees than be the manager who executes it day after day...

Among other things...

[Greg Atkinson]

Wow. We have very similar descriptions. Kinda scary how close they are.

[Jason Young]

good word bro. i discovered and narrowed down the few things i do really well and recognized what i do not do well. this helped tremendously. the age factor peter drucker mentioned...my discovery was around 28. i learned through failures, mine and others. i learned through triumphs. i learned through time searching and then being okay with me. in fact, God created me to be okay being me in Him.

[tony sheng]

In reference to JFRadosevich's comment...
I think context is very important when it comes to talent and strengths. You may find that your talents simply aren't the right fit for your context and/or timing right now.
But you've got to push to find that right fit. And this goes back to Ben's original thought - you've got to know your talents before you can find the right place for them.

[ross]

This audiobook combined with Godin's "The Dip" and a spiritual gifts inventory would make a pretty strong combination. Thanks for passing this along.