We are all a mixture of things we enjoy doing and are good at – our strengths – and things we do not enjoy doing and struggle with – our weaknesses. Strengths are assets; weaknesses are deficits.

Oddly, the whole business of identifying so-called development needs tends to be orientated towards weaknesses. The word ‘needs’ is used as a euphemism; a polite way of suggesting that there are things that you need to improve without actually calling them weaknesses. Most training needs analysis exercises identify strengths and weaknesses but then concentrate on fixing the latter. This is also true for most appraisal discussions, where more time and attention is given to performance shortfalls, and agreeing actions to address them, than working out how to capitalise on the things people already do well. This bias towards weaknesses is widespread. It is much easier to notice someone making a hash of things than it is to spot what they are doing well.

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