Turning the focus onto ourselves

I’ve had a thought-provoking couple of days.

It started with me joining a webinar hosted by the engaging David I Eriksson, talking about the importance in business of relationship-centric thinking in this digitally driven world, something at the core of my own mentoring and coaching. It’s always great to listen to the views of others when they are so passionate about them and so creative in their thinking.

That was followed up by me reading an article by my friend and colleague, Kim Searle. Kim wrote about her own experience in getting help evaluating her core values and, as a consequence, completely re-evaluating the position she found herself in with surprising outcomes.

This is why I talk so often about the importance of being outward looking, seeking the thoughts and energies of others and building relationships and collaborations of real value. We cannot take on the world today, even our small corner of it, on our own! If we want to achieve our goals then we need the right people alongside us.

These two excellent coaches got me thinking about just how important it is that we take time out to think about ourselves. I talk a lot about the power of understanding your personal vision, values and goals and how these need to reflect in your business.  David and Kim have reinforced this for me with their own thinking.

As accountants, we are familiar with the concept of SWOT analysis: looking at the strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats that lie within a business and building core strategies accordingly. Have you ever applied this approach to yourself though? Not to your business but to your own human self?

What are your strengths – not just as an accountant, director or manager but as a person, as a human being?

What are your personal weaknesses (chocolate doesn’t count!)?

What opportunities could your personal strengths bring to your business and business relationships?

What threats do your personal weaknesses bring to your business and business relationships?

Thinking about your own fundamental strengths and weaknesses as a person, not just an accountant, can help you to shape more powerful and effective business strategies.

Ask yourself:-

·      Does my business and my working day reflect my strengths and make the best use of them? Does it focus on magnifying my strengths?

·      Have I done enough to minimise the impact of my weaknesses and the threats and disruption that they bring? What steps can I take to minimise the impact of my weaknesses? Are their things that I can do personally to eradicate them?

Sometimes, looking in the mirror isn’t enough. Most of us will do it every morning but a mirror only reflects you and your thinking, it doesn’t challenge you on it. It doesn’t talk back and push you to go deeper, think harder. The mirror only throws your strengths and weaknesses right back at you.

Talking to others and listening to others is how you face up to your true self. Only by being the best that you can be will you bring out the best that your business can be. Taking time out to address that is probably the most important piece of SWOT analysis that you will ever do.