What Makes You Tick

Ever wonder what makes you tick? Better yet, ever wish you knew what makes your co-workers tick? When it comes to personalities, I'm very curious, so I started exploring a variety of different assessments that reveal motivations and behaviors. During my career, I've spent a lot of energy working to shore up my weaknesses. In my study, I discovered that one's focus should not be on improving weaknesses, but instead on taking full advantage of strengths.

I've done some coursework that helped me observe activities that energize me, as compared to those that drain me. Have you ever stopped to notice those activities that allow you to lose track of time? Those are the things that are fueling you -- they provide you with renewed energy. I bet you've also noticed those tasks that feel like drudgery and seem to take forever to complete. For example, I learned that the tasks I have long disliked (yardwork!) were detailed tasks I was simply not suited for. Strategic projects were the kind of thing that suited me. So now instead of dreading lawn work, I hire a service and am really enjoying working on a landscape planning project for 2009. I am now able to see clearly which tasks zap my energy and which fuel my excitement, both in my career and in my personal life.

I was so impressed by the difference this knowledge made that I extended an invitation to our employees to take the TriMetrix analysis. TriMetrix has proved to be an invaluable tool in the hiring process, too! If you haven't taken this kind of assessment, I encourage you to try it out. Click here for an overview of the tool, and if you're interested in some guidance in this area, I recommend The Performance Group. I'd also be happy to discuss TriMetrix with you -- leave a comment on this blog, or e-mail me at awestmeyer@rmarketing.com. I believe it's important that we all invest in our strengths, which starts with understanding what energizes you.