Strengths at work: how to find yours and use them more

Examples of strengths at work

These examples are grouped loosely. Many strengths sit in more than one group, and the lists are only a prompt. Yours may not appear here at all.

• People: listening well, explaining things simply, encouraging others, resolving disagreements, building trust, welcoming new colleagues.
• Thinking: spotting patterns, solving problems, learning quickly, asking good questions, seeing the big picture, checking details.
• Doing: finishing what you start, organising tasks, meeting deadlines, working carefully, making things, fixing what is broken.
• Steadying: staying calm under pressure, being reliable, being honest, keeping confidence, handling change, giving a straight answer.

Pick the ones that make you think 'yes, that is me'. Be careful with the ones you think you should have. Strengths you only wish you had will not help you much.

How to find your strengths at work

You do not need a test. Most of the answers are already in your own working week. These steps take about an hour of writing, spread over a week.

1. 1For one week, jot down the moments when time flew, you felt proud or you finished a task feeling more awake than when you started.
2. 2Note the opposite too: the tasks that drain you, even when you do them well. They tell you what not to build on.
3. 3Ask three people who know your work, such as a colleague, a manager or a friend, 'when have you seen me at my best?' Ask for a real example, not a label.
4. 4Look back at feedback you have had: reviews, thank-you messages, things people keep coming to you for. Underline the repeated words.
5. 5Write a list of ten things you do well and enjoy. Use the strengths list worksheet if it helps you start.
6. 6Pick your top three and write one recent example for each. If you cannot give an example, move it down the list.

If you want a questionnaire as well, there are well-known ones. The VIA Survey on viacharacter.org is a free questionnaire about character strengths. CliftonStrengths is another well-known one, and it may cost money, so check first. Treat any result as a prompt for your own thinking, not a verdict on you.

How to use your strengths more in your job

You often cannot change your job title, but you can sometimes change how you do the job. Researchers Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane Dutton wrote about this in a 2001 paper in the Academy of Management Review, calling it job crafting. Their paper describes employees actively shaping their own work, for example the tasks they do, the relationships they have at work and how they think about the job. It is a theory paper, so treat it as a useful way of looking at your job, not as proof that it will work for you.

Here are small ways to try it:

• Tasks: look for one task a week where a strength fits, and offer to take it on. If you are good at explaining, offer to train a new starter.
• Tasks: trim or swap a task that drains you. Even a small change, such as batching it into one slot, helps.
• Relationships: spend a bit more time with people who bring out your best, or who work in the way you want to learn.
• How you see the job: write one sentence on who your work helps or what it makes possible. It can shift how a dull task feels.
• Ask: bring a specific suggestion to your manager, such as 'I would like to do more of X. Could we try that for a month?'

Start with one change and see how it goes. The professional development plan template can help you turn it into dated steps.

Strengths and weaknesses: what to say in an interview

A plain, honest answer with one real example is easier to believe than a polished, vague one.

• Strength: name one that fits the job, then give a short real example. 'I explain complex things simply. Last year I wrote a one-page guide that new starters still use.'
• Keep it to one or two strengths. A long list sounds like a sales pitch.
• Weakness: name something real that is not central to the job, then say what you are doing about it. 'I used to put off asking for help. Now I set a time limit and ask once I pass it.'
• Avoid fake weaknesses such as 'I work too hard' and avoid anything that rules you out.
• Practise out loud once or twice. Your first try is rarely your best.

A simple shape for each answer: what it is, when you used it, what happened. Read the job advert first and pick the strengths it actually asks for.

When a strength becomes too much

Any strength can be overused. Being careful can turn into never finishing. Being helpful can turn into never saying no. Being direct can feel harsh to someone who needs a gentler touch. This is not a research finding, just a common pattern worth watching for in yourself.

• Check the cost: is this strength leaving you tired, resented or slow?
• Check the effect on others: has anyone hinted you take over, hold on too tightly or go too fast?
• Dial it, do not drop it: aim for 'a bit less' in the moments where it is not helping.
• Pair it: if you are very quick, ask someone steady to check your work. If you are very careful, set a deadline to stop.

If saying yes to everything is part of it, the guide to setting boundaries may help.

When to get more support

A careers adviser can look at your situation in a way a guide cannot. In England, adults aged 18 and over can use the National Careers Service (nationalcareers.service.gov.uk) or call 0800 072 0288, 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. In Wales, Careers Wales is on 0800 028 4844.

If work stress is affecting your sleep or mood, or you feel low most days, see your GP. That is a health question, and a new job or a new strength will not always fix it.

If you ever feel unsafe or have thoughts of harming yourself, call Samaritans on 116 123 (UK and Ireland), 988 (US), or find a line at findahelpline.com.