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Continuing on with my research quest for personal development action, I came across an article about Positive Organisational Scholarship (POS) and the idea of the Reflected Best Self (RBS). The premise of the research is that you should stop focussing too much on your weaknesses and learn about what you do well. Only then can you find a fulfilling role that makes the most of your unique talents.

The researchers don’t discount that negative feedback has a place in your own reflections about your behaviour. But they stress that we can be too caught up in what we don’t do well that we forget about what comes effortlessly. It is claimed that people remember one positive emotional memory for every four negative ones. Thus, people respond better to praise rather than criticism. As a parent of two young boys, I have been trying myself to reinforce good behaviour and emotions through positive commentary and less negative feedback. It is hard work, however, when they do things, particularly dangerous things, which try your patience! I think it can be hard to dish out positive feedback generally. I think we can often critique people based on an emotional reaction that has not been fully thought through, particularly to people who are very close to us.

Morgan Roberts et al (2005) claim that RBS helps you to discover your “best possible self” though requesting feedback from a wide-range of people on what you do best. The feedback can come from family members, ex work colleagues, current work colleagues, alumni or volunteer positions, but they must back up the commentary with examples of the value you added. The researchers claim that by doing this you can develop a plan for more effective personal development action. It is not meant to be an egotistical, navel-gazing exercise.

Once you have gathered your feedback, step two is to find common themes and analyse them. Think about what the examples say about you and how they related to your life/work. Did you realise that you were good at these things? Do these traits make you happy?

Step three is to write your own self-portrait that summarises this information. It should be an insightful narrative beginning with the phrase: “When I am at my best, I…” By working out your best “possible self”, we are more likely to make positive changes in our lives.

The last step is to redesign your job. I find this step quite difficult to accept. I don’t think many people will have the luxury of being able to change their current job to what they do best. Granted, I understand in theory that it is obviously better for you to highlight your strengths and take on projects that maximise your input. But in reality, I doubt very much that a lot of people can do this.

For example, factory workers, self-employed people, and non-professionally qualified staff may have a hard time changing roles or self-determining their tasks. The researchers argue that most jobs have a degree of flexibility about them and the trick is to work within the confines of the system so it works better for you.

Also, if a complete mismatch between your strengths and the role you perform occurs, how many people will be able to leave and start afresh in a new position or industry? It can take a long time to find the best fit role, and cynically speaking, how many companies actually live up to the expectations they sell in the interview process?

Nevertheless, I plan on trying this technique out and seeing how my friends, MBA colleagues, and family perceive me. Let’s hope my ego can take it!

Reference:

Roberts LM, Spreitzer G, Dutton J, Quinn R, Heaphy E, & Barker B (2005). How to play to your strengths. Harvard business review, 83 (1) PMID: 15697115