Have you felt like things are out of control or that you are just going in the wrong direction?
On the website “www.driving.ca , there was a story of an 86-year-old who unintentionally entered the highway in the wrong direction. The headline read, “OPP stop wrong-way driver on 401 in Windsor”.
An officer in a marked patrol vehicle was able to intercept and stop the vehicle in a live lane of traffic before having the driver move to the highway shoulder.
Within the melting pot of multiculturalism, we often approach things from different perspectives and norms. For example, I have seen how common it is for students in Canada’s colleges and universities to run into each other in crowded halls. Students that are accustomed to driving on the right hand side walk on the right hand side while walking to classes. Yet, students familiar with left-handed driving cultures follow the left side while walking to classes. The result: many crashes while students gaze at their phones in their hallway travels.
Experts indicate that it is important to stay in your lane or to focus on your strengths.
Organizational Design experts indicate that it’s important to stick to what you know and what you are strong in.
The specialization, knowledge and competence principles warn that those who jump outside their strengths will decrease the company’s effectiveness.
Even branching into new fields can be detrimental to their company’s branding (eg., imagine a tow truck company offering executive Uber rides or a local coffee shop offering first class dining banquet service).
Consider how behaviourial experts emphasize the importance of people looking at their personality strengths. According to the “father of strengths-based psychology”, Don Clifton found that looking at what works best for people, instead of what’s wrong, empowered success. After seeing enough of the negative affects of a world war, in 1949 Clifton established the Nebraska Human Resources Research Foundation at the University of Nebraska to spend the rest of his life doing good for humankind.
Today, the Clifton Strengths Finder’s website highlights that “understanding your strengths unlocks your potential and leads you to greater performance”! This is the premise behind many career assessment tools – to unlock your potential within a career that will fit well with your strengths.
Staying in your lane accelerates your growth, your performance and your fulfillment.
When we get out of our lane or are heading in the wrong direction, it becomes a hazard to others. When this occurs, pull over and ask for some help. Someone else may have the strengths you need in your time of weakness.
In our social media world today, there are so many “armchair critics” that have a comment about everything! Yet, because some are in the wrong lane, it’s challenging to discern what is good research and what is a lame opinion. However, without going through a peer-reviewed process approved by a research ethics board (unless it excludes human involvement), all opinions are not equal.
As a former pastor I worked in a church where many congregants voiced their opinions on a variety of matters that were outside their immediate family. I realized this was spurred on by leadership’s lack of knowledge or research. In an effort to “fix things” and save embarrassment, some were offering unfounded opinions about what went wrong. In turn, it only bred to more finger pointing. Yet, as I reflected I knew the solution was to build on one another’s strengths. Instead of letting a few doing it all, we needed to figure out how to work together for a stronger future. That would involve getting out of the lanes we didn’t belong in.
This is what led me to design a Discovery Seminar that would allow people to identify and grow in the use of their strengths. Looking at their personality strengths, their spiritual gifts, and their talented experience was a breakthrough in seeing how we could build together. Building on the DISC career assessments and other strength identifiers, we looked at how we could grow smarter.
So What? How does this help you today?
Staying out of other people’s lanes may just give you respect for those with expertise, knowledge, and giftings. Others may appreciate you more for your strengths as well.
What are you good at? Where are your strengths? How could you make your life more fulfilling by using your strengths?
Putting aside the weaknesses could be liberating. If you are weak in an area, get help from someone who has that strength. When my vehicle needs repair, I go to the mechanic. Their strength in expertise, tools, and experience will take a lot less than me to figure things out. If you write out a letter in your non-dominant hand, it will take you double the time and double the effort. When I operate in my strengths I can make more money than struggling in my weaknesses to save money. Operating in your strengths will feel easier, will be more efficient, and will accelerate things.
What are some lanes you can get out of to allow someone else to help you? You can let go of the things dragging you down. You might just be encouraging someone else to step forward with their hidden talents because they feel needed.
Getting back in the right lane can accelerate your growth and the growth of others. You might just enjoy it more too!