Have you ever been asked in an interview to describe your strengths and
weaknesses?

After answering (and asking) that question for years, I finally
realized that strengths and weaknesses were really different sides of the same character
traits. 

Am I impulsive or a quick decision-maker? Am I impatient or action-oriented?

I’m all of those things – it just depends on where I am!  

There are really no such things as strengths and weaknesses. There are character traits and context.  The same trait that serves you well in one situation
can handicap you in another.

The key is to understand where you are and what you need to be
successful. If a situation arises in
which you know your instincts are not going to serve you well you need to consciously
manage your behavior.  

Make sure you get the counsel and support of others whose character
traits are different from your own. That
will require you to be reflective and open-minded.

Perhaps a better interview scenario is to ask someone about their
character traits and present them with situations in which their traits may be
a liability. How would they manage those
situations? What would they do to
increase their likelihood of success? 

 

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