Identifying Strengths & Weaknesses - PPT Download

Dear All,
All the time we say that Strengths and Weaknesses must be identified in our employees to take various HR decisions.
But how we can differentiate between strength and weakness? Sometime a perceived strength is a weakness and a weakness is a strength overlooked. E.g. a person who is calm and cool in the tense situation may be perceived as resilient, but when that person is storing, supressing all the negative emotions arising out of the tense situation then it can later burst out and then we have to say that oh! I misunderstood this person!
Now the point is, can we really identify a person's strengths and weaknesses or they are contextual, change according to the situation?
Thanks!
Manish

Dear Manish,

Strength or weakness are not contextual. These are seen over a period of time. Anything that changes with the situation is not a strength at all. Exceptions are always there. Consistency in responding to a situation determines whether person has a strength or weakness.

Suppose you have a requirement to draft a long agreement? Why would you like to approach some person? Because you perceive drafting skills of that person as strength. Why you do not approach any other person? Because you perceive it as his/her weakness.

To assess, strength and weakness there is a perfect questionnaire. You circulate that questionnaire to other team members. This 360 degree feedback will give more accurate opinion. However, perceptions play here prominent role. Please make a note of this.

By the way, you need to have end result of this SWOT analysis. Knowledge of one's weakness is the biggest strength but then you need to have action plan to take care of your employee's weaknesses. This action plan is nothing but HR intervention.

Few HR interventions are instituting mentoring programme in your company, doing career planning for each and every employee etc. However, both the interventions requires lot of organisational maturity in general and maturity of HR professionals in particular. Lest these may do more harm than good.

Ok...

Dinesh V Divekar




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Dear Dinesh,
Thanks a lot for your response! :)
Do you have such questionnaire? 360 degree feedback mechanism?
Also you said that strength and weakness can be seen over the period of time. But what if we see something as strength and take decision on that basis about that person and later we realized that actually it is weakness?
Regards
Manish

hello dear,
pls attached herewith attached 360 degree performance appraisal method. I hope its importance for you.

Dear Manish
I just want to say that soemtimes it is too early to judge the strengths/weakness of a person.One has to have good skills to judge people from their actions and behaviour and for this they need to watch them very closely. Such people do not need much time to know about others. When you interact with more and more people you will notice that you are in a better position to judge ones strengths/weakness.

Dear Manish,
Practiclly, you could use some assessement which easily identify strengths vs, weakness of your people.
But don't belive this could be your all answer cause these are cognitive concept thought sometime it's too difficult to
distinguish. But current HR only can use a certain type of assessment tool.
Regards,

Dear Friends,

Hi,
I agree strengths and weaknesses are contextual. They are dependent on role, industry and culture of the company. Being forthright and open with your ideas can get you fired in one company and get you noticed in another company.
We have to differentiate between the Skills and Attitude in strength and weaknesses. Skills can be unlearned and learned. However attitude is much more difficult (and take time, which is not a priority for most organizations)
So as the old adage goes, hire for attitude and train for skills! (Unfortunately too often the reverse happens, leading to attrition :P )

Hi Navratna
Firms like Educomp are already implementing it in schools with their EduIgnite programs

Dear Manish, I agree with your comments its not quite as black and white as strengths and weaknesses (I hate that word). A model that may be more balanced and fair and one that I created is called the SAND analysis.
S = Strengths A = Achievments N = Needs and D = Demands. This model enables you to consider an employees strengths, achievements, his needs when demands place stress upon him. His needs may not be a weakness they could be a consequence of the environment and a development need that should be addressed.
Hope that helps
Joy