Build on strengths
For whatever reason, human beings always seem to focus on the negative and weakness of a situation and others, rather than on the positive or what can be done at the time.
Peter Drucker, when talking about what characteristics made up the most effective executives, mentioned how they built on their strengths, others strengths, or strengths within the situation itself, i.e., on what they could do, rather than what they couldn't do.
Why this is so instructive and important to understand is the focus on what can't be done at the time is a sure way to not only make things harder to accomplish, but psychologically adds a huge weight to an already difficult situation; in other words, it doesn't help.
When talking about this, realize we're talking about how things are done as situations present themselves, not ignoring things that obviously need to be done. It's prioritizing from the point of view of what we can do immediately and the strengths we or others we work with have.
We must start from what we can do rather than what we can't do. If we can discipline ourselves and others to do that in our businesses or divisions, we'll create an atmosphere of success and confidence, rather than the lethargy and discouragement that accompany focusing on what can't be done at the time.
There's nothing more frustrating or counterproductive to our businesses and people than turning their focus away from what they are able to do. Getting some momentum going through taking action that can be effective now, is the key to all this, and those managers that understand this will go a long way toward encouraging and drawing from what they and their people can do, rather on reminding them of what they can't.
Once that is done, the solutions to what can't be done aren't that hard to find, as the positive accomplishments make them less formidable in our eyes, and creates within our company a sense of the answer being out there.
All of this is precipitated by building on our strengths and what we can to immediately, and then letting the other things to be solved afterwards. The most effective executives work in this fashion, and motivate their people through the building blocks of successful answers and solutions.
Other Peter Drucker Resources:
The Man Who Invented Management
Beyond the Information Revolution
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