Every job interview eventually gets around to the question about your greatest strength. You’ll say you’re detail-oriented or a team player, and they’ll smile and pretend it’s the first time they’ve heard either answer.
Psychologist Alice Boyes has a different way of looking at what we’re good at. Writing in Psychology Today, she suggests considering the “things you’re willing to do that 95% of people aren’t.” She gives the example of a manager who happily spends six months figuring out office politics before pitching an idea. Her coworkers could do the same thing, but most would rather get on with their lives.
Some strengths aren’t especially impressive on paper. Maybe you’re the person who doesn’t mind filling out paperwork for four government agencies, or you can work with the office narcissist without wanting to put your head through a wall. Other people might have the same abilities. They just have absolutely no interest in using them.
And there’s a reason to figure out what yours are. Gallup research found that people who use their strengths daily are six times more likely to be engaged at work and three times more likely to report an excellent quality of life.
Boyes recommends asking yourself five questions, each a little harder to answer than the last:
- What am I willing to do that 50% of people aren’t?
- What am I willing to do that 70% of people aren’t?
- What am I willing to do that 90% of people aren’t?
- What am I willing to do that 95% of people aren’t?
- What am I willing to do that 99% of people aren’t?
At 50%, you might come up with something fairly ordinary, like paying attention to details. By the time you reach 95% or 99%, you’re looking at habits that other people find exhausting. Someone who hates repeating a task might spend hours inventing a way around it. That could save everyone time, or drive the entire office insane.
Boyes also suggests getting away from descriptions like “resilient” or “risk-taker.” She describes a woman working in commercial real estate who gets excited whenever another obstacle threatens a deal. Most people would be ready to throw their laptop out the window. She’s already figuring out what to try next.
And if nothing comes to mind immediately, that’s fine. Boyes recommends sitting with the questions and noticing what you’re willing to put up with over the next few months.
You might discover your greatest strength is something you’ve spent years assuming everyone else could do, too.
The post 5 Questions That Could Reveal Your Greatest Hidden Strengths, According to Psychology appeared first on VICE.
