Why Enthusiasm and Collaboration are great strengths for right now

If you have enthusiasm and collaboration as strengths you will be well placed to make the most of March as we embrace spring and take our first steps out of lockdown.

For many people spring is a time of new beginnings as the days get longer, the weather a bit warmer and everything starts to grow.  This year more than ever there is the opportunity to start afresh, build on what’s gone before or give things a really big shake up. I could argue that nearly all of the strengths from the profiles we use are useful right now especially as no two people have experienced the same over the last 12 months nor will be facing the same challenges and opportunities ahead. That said, I think the strengths of collaboration and enthusiasm in particular will stand you in good stead to make the most of the coming months.

Being able to utilise enthusiasm and collaboration has been difficult for many people, including me, during the last year. Remote working, social distancing and the doom and gloom of the pandemic has put some very big obstacles in the way and it isn’t going to disappear just yet. That said, I do feel that now is a time to shake off the zoom fatigue and start looking to the future, make plans and moving forwards. I certainly havent always felt that.

Back in May 2020 I wrote a piece about not wanting to return to normal. It started like this:

“I don’t want 5 top tips to be productive when working from home or a strategy to move my business online. I don’t want to maximise this opportunity to expand my network. I am not interested in getting to the other side and back to normal. I want to follow a wonky path, appreciate this time and find a new and better normal. Easier said than done, especially now the novelty of working from home, home schooling and furloughed husband has definitely worn off.”

Safe to say at that point in the pandemic my enthusiasm and collaboration strengths were not being used their max!

I went on to write about being motivated towards something positive rather than away from something negative or doing it because I think I should rather than want to:

“Whilst the demons tell me I should be surging ahead with planning and strategy for the “other-side” I am practising the first two principles I will be holding tight to – that of gratitude and reflection.

I want to fully appreciate everything I have and enjoy, including doing jigsaw puzzles mid afternoon and turning the laptop off to read a book. I want to understand what it is I gain, what to keep with me and what to leave behind. When I have worked that out I might then write the strategy to ensure I am never back in the normal world!”

I did all that and have remained true to it and benefitted from it as I realised I needed to refocus my strengths. The profiling tool we use,  highlights your seven strengths and we work with this to help you maximise them buy tapping into their indivudial and combined impact. By chance collaboration and enthusiasm are 2 of mine strengths and now is the time to get them to work.

Collaboration – finding people who are keen to collaborate with you is a gift. You can easily generate win/win situations, new ideas, energy and ultimately great outcomes. You will benefit practically and emotionally from yours and others input and create a more generous and giving environment.

Enthusiasm – outward passion and energy. Using enthusiasm to communicate goals and ideas creates momentum and interest from others making it easier to execute your ideas. Enthusiasm is contagious uplifting and free!

Put them together and they just continue to feed each other. The enthusiasm encourages the collaboration. great collaboration fuels further enthusiasm.

Who else has enthusiasm and collaboration to share around? Come and join in the fun.

Want to know which of your strengths can help you in these strange times, just get in touch and we will be happy to help.