Up until a few years ago, I never gave much thought to my natural talents or strengths.  I knew I loved brainstorming and had a knack for coming up with catchy names and ideas for clients, but that was the extent of my self-enlightenment.

Then I took on a new client; a commercial carpet manufacture called Bentley Prince Street.  I had a great deal to learn about carpet manufacturing to be sure, however I learned so much more.  This company has a great culture, based on the wellness of its associates, and much of that wellness commitment has to do with employee strengths. I was invited to take an assessment and discover my own top strengths and this new information about myself was very enlightening. I found myself fully engaged in this new language.

I have always believed you should follow your passion in business and when I learned my top strengths included communication and ideation, it definitely validated my career choice.  More than this, I discovered what my worst strengths were and learned to surround myself with a team that possesses what I do not. 

I didn’t realize what I was onto until my company presented to a potential new client and for the first time incorporated our strengths into the pitch.  We laid out our top strengths and how these talents would translate to success for their business.   Due to budgeting, we did not win this business, but the client told me that our personal infusion of strengths had made the difference and tipped things in our favor.  Darn budgets!

So how do you identify your top strengths?  Here are some ways to go about it:

·       Purchase the book “Now, Discover Your Strengths” by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton and you will receive a code to take the online assessment. I wholeheartedly recommend this.

·       Next time you’re in “the zone” identify what is making you so successful in this moment.  Are you writing an article or blog post and time is just flying?  Dig deeper and find out why.

·       Ask people who are invested in you to help identify your strengths.  Investors are family, friends or coworkers who want you to be successful. Ask them the following:

o   What are my greatest talents?

o   How do my strengths benefit you?

Once you know what you do best, you can put your talents to work. Always focus on your strengths, rather than your weaknesses.  And help others around you do the same whenever possible.  

My strengths guru “Coach” Cathy Frial says:  “Focusing on your talents is the best chance for success, so stop spinning your wheels on weakness and let your brilliance shine.”

What I have learned about myself has helped me build a solid foundation for work / life balance and now I am developing goals for the future that I   had never before thought possible.  I set goals and I see them through a  new lens.

My top 5 Strengths are Positivity, Activator, Communication, Ideation and Arranger.  This basically equates to my always focusing on the bright side; jumping into all tasks feet first; talking way too much; being a brainstorm junky; and color-coding my closet!

Have you identified your strengths?  Please share your top talents with me below.

 Angela Moore’s positive approach to her work at Starfish PR is evident and infectious. Her enthusiasm for her clients and team spills over into everything she does. A self-described “marketing geek”, Moore has a combination of strengths that allow her to seamlessly brainstorm creative ideas and then put those ideas into action. Moore also prides herself on being able to build relationships with all types of influence-rs, which is a testament to her professionalism and character.  Moore is passionate about the clients she serves and using her love of public relations to tell their stories. When not storytelling, however, she can be found dreaming about her next trip to Jazz Fest, or during football season, rooting for the Denver Broncos. Connect with her on Twitter where she is known as @ledgedancer.