Using your “Superpowers” to get through the new Financial Year

How to find the energy to motivate yourself, and others, to get through these very interesting times.

When thinking of the topic of my next blog we were nearing end of financial year and we could see the exhaustion of yet another challenging year on the faces of our clients. You could almost hear the energy seeping from their body like a puncture in a tyre!

That was pre lockdown and another wave of COVID-19 here in NSW, Australia. We thought we were tired then but now we’ve welcomed a new financial year full of hopes and fresh strategic plans to only be knocked down. This may not be the case for some, but for many this is the reality and we are digging deep into those buckets of resilience that we have built up over the last 18 months.

So how do we pick up and keep moving forward with the energy and nous that we so desire? I’m going to share with you our thoughts and experiences on how to find the energy to motivate yourself, and others, to get through this financial year in still very interesting times.

1. Recognise the power within! 

Sounds a bit corny right? Wrong. Each and every one of us have neurological “superpowers” that give us energy, make us feel good and perform well. That’s right! You’ve already got them but you may not know it or know how to use your superpowers – yet!

I am referring to our Strengths. All of us have strengths and weaknesses. It’s a fact of life. And I bet many of you sat in your end of year performance reviews talking about the 3 things you did well last year and the 3 things you need to improve on or your weaknesses. But when was the last time you changed perspective a little and wrote a list of the things that energise you and the things that drain you? Probably not often.

Chances are when you are feeling energised, motivated and performing well you are using your strengths. We need to reflect on these moments, capture and label them and try to understand how we can dial up these strengths when we need them most to give us energy. There are some fantastic tools that can help you unpack and understand your own strengths. Unleash your superpowers!

2. Stop trying to fix all of your weaknesses 

I can imagine people thinking to themselves how silly and unrealistic this statement is. But think about it. If we asked you to sit every day in your role at work and spend 7, maybe 10, hours a day on something you weren’t good at, you didn’t like doing and left you feeling completely empty of energy, satisfaction and motivation, how long do you think you could function?

Sure, some people may be more persistent than others and some may have a huge carrot at the end but for most people and organisations, this ends up being a great contributor to lower levels of performance, productivity, wellbeing and engagement.

So here’s my advice on weaknesses – know them, understand how they drain you and then ask yourself do they matter? Is it critical for your role to rectify this weakness? Is there someone that you can partner with that has a strength in this area to lighten the mental load? Find the best ways for you to plug that leaky drain.

3. Conduct regular Strengthspotting! 

The thing I find fascinating about our brains is that when we look for the strengths, those neurological superpowers in others, it produces those great chemicals that give us an energy boost to top up our own fuel tanks. Sounds easy – it is.

Strengthspotting is exactly as it sounds. Looking at those around us – our colleagues, friends, family – and “observing” the things that they do well and that energise them. Because we rarely pause to reflect and check in on our own fuel tanks, it can be the best gift you can give someone and you benefit directly as well – win win!

My challenge to you after reading this is to go and do strengthspotting – it even works on zoom so no excuses. Watch someone, see how they behave when they are feeling energised and are performing well and then tell them what you see – don’t forget to take a moment to notice how this impacts you!

So as we embark on a new financial year of what will be challenges with hopefully wins and excitement woven throughout, tap into your superpowers and map out your business case for how they might work for you and others. We know they offer a huge return on investment, they are well within budget (because its free) and it will only positively contribute to engagement.

Awareness Co. is a Wollongong based HR consultancy, providing HR solutions that go beyond just work performance, and focus on developing individuals and teams to thrive in work and in life. Awareness Co. use the latest evidence-based tools to improve wellbeing, resilience and performance transforming the way you think, feel and behave at work. To learn more about Strengths-Based Leadership, visit https://www.awarenessco.com.au/strengths-based-leadership