It's about doing meaningful work that is true to your values

Tag: strengths

Enjoying what you do well

By on March 31, 2021 in Meaningful Work with 0 Comments

I’m nearing the end of a big project that is one of the most enjoyable pieces of work I’ve had in years. I was thinking about why it’s going so well, and realized that I have autonomy to use a cumulation of skills that were learned in different projects over the years. Just as I’ve done many times before – although not necessarily for the same program – I’ve scoped plans, developed messaging, delivered training, triaged issues, and communicated with a broad set of stakeholders.

Not everything has gone according to plan, but it hasn’t been too difficult to work through problems because I’ve dealt with similar things in the past. I actually felt sense of accomplishment instead of stress when I was able to quickly untangle a complex issue and resolve it, because I knew exactly how to approach it based on previous experience.

It’s great to continuously learn and expand existing skills. But right now, I’m grateful that instead of stretching my capabilities, I can relax and enjoy doing the type of work that I know very well.

Playing to our strengths

By on March 31, 2019 in Living Your Values, Meaningful Work with 0 Comments

Yesterday a nonprofit that I volunteer with hosted their annual fundraising gala. I enjoy participating but I also feel a lot of stress around this event.

One issue is feeling bad for not procuring enough items for the silent auction. I didn’t procure any this year, agghh! Another is struggling to invite people to attend because I feel awkward asking. Fellow introverts: tell me you can relate!

Part of my guilt is that the agency asks board members to do these things and I hate failing to meet an expectation. This was bothering so much that I had to find a way to resolve it.

I decided to remind myself that I contribute in other ways by volunteering on a committee and spending time on other projects and programs every month. But I needed to reinforce this idea so that I fully believed it. There was still a part of me that thought “Yes you do those things, but you should also do more for the fundraiser.”

So, I shared how I was feeling with another volunteer while we were setting up the room in the morning. He said that he also has a hard time asking people for donations and that events aren’t his strong point. Then we spent a few minutes talking about a few volunteers who are very good at it: they have great event planning skills and enthusiastically seek out services and items for the auction. We are grateful for them and know how much the agency needs people like them.

But as we continued to talk, we agreed that the agency needs volunteers that offer varying strengths. We need people who are great at fundraising and events and we also need people who are good at policy, project management, public speaking, and skills that are core to the agency’s mission. We can’t all be good at everything, but we need everyone’s individual strengths to cover the components that are critical to the agency.

I’m sure I’ll continue to be nervous about helping with the gala. But I’m finally at peace with my contributions. Staying focused on my strengths is more helpful than using my available time and energy trying to be less bad at fundraising.

The same is true in our careers. Not everyone is good at talking to clients or tracking budgets or documenting processes. Making the most of our strongest abilities will have a bigger impact than being devoted to turning a weak skill into a mediocre skill.

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