5 Reasons you should use your Strengths at work

I’ve been banging on about Strengths for over 3 years now and there is a good reason for that. As someone who is neurodivergent, understanding and leveraging my strengths has been a game changer.

Remember that Strengths are our natural talents and abilities and when we use them wisely, we can see an increase in our energy, performance, and overall confidence. This is especially important for people with ADHD because we have spent a lifetime trying to harness and focus our capabilities and often we have felt alone, misunderstood and unsure.

This has almost certainly resulted in low self-esteem, confidence and a whole lot of masking and imposter syndrome. It’s a shit show.

Why does it matter at work?

When I lose focus or I’m working on something that doesn’t light my fire, I think about how I can leverage my strengths to reignite the energy either for that task or another.

Remember - for someone with ADHD, BOREDOM = KRYPTONITE (source: E. Hallowell and J. Ratey “ADHD 2.0).

I often like to sandwich Strengths based tasks with boring tasks to keep the flow going. This has resulted in a stronger ability to manage client work and the continued development of my own business - which is bloody hard work.

5 Reasons Why?

When you have spent a lifetime receiving a tonne of negative messages, your self-belief has taken an absolute beating. When we focus on Strengths and not Weakness we start to change the language we use. We focus on things that use our strengths to get work done - not the weaknesses which are so much harder.

There are 5 key reasons that I recommend ADHDers use their Strength Superpowers (and not just the generic ADHD strengths).

1. Job Satisfaction: When people with ADHD use their strengths at work, they get a stronger sense of purpose, accomplishment, and satisfaction. This turns into better engagement and performance.
2. Improves Performance: When people with ADHD focus on their strengths, they can harness their natural talents and abilities, leading to improved performance and productivity. This can help them stand out as valuable team members and enhance their career prospects.
3. Helps Manage ADHD Symptoms: Focusing on strengths can also help individuals with ADHD manage their symptoms more effectively. By playing to their strengths, they can develop strategies to compensate for their weaknesses and increase their confidence, reducing the impact of ADHD symptoms on their work performance. Remember boredom = kryptonite.
4. Job Satisfaction: Using strengths can also boost self-esteem and confidence in people with ADHD. When they excel at tasks that align with their natural abilities, they can feel more confident in their abilities and better equipped to tackle challenges in the workplace.
5. Encourages Self-Acceptance: By focusing on strengths, individuals with ADHD can shift their focus away from their weaknesses and embrace their unique strengths and talents. This can help promote self-acceptance and reduce feelings of shame or inadequacy often associated with ADHD.

Using Strengths is Good for Everyone

All employees, regardless of whether they are neurodivergent or not, should have the opportunity to leverage their Strengths at work. It’s our job as leaders and employers to make sure we know what they are and direct those individuals towards that work.

This is a win for Brain-friendly working.