Evaluation of Personal Strengths and Weaknesses

Everyone has special qualities about themselves that give them their individuality. These qualities can be dissected into specific qualities called strengths and weaknesses. To grow as a person, we have to identify our own strengths to help us overcome our weaknesses. Understanding the learning types and behaviors of each makes me more aware of how I should pattern myself to learn more effectively, and not punish myself for thinking one way of learning would be better than another. I will discuss my personal strengths and weaknesses and explain how I plan to overcome my weaknesses in my personal and professional life. My strengths have always allowed me to be successful in everything I have attempted in my life.

EVALUATION OF STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Life is a never ending learning experience. One of the most important lessons we can ever learn from comes from within. As we go through life, it is important that we learn who we are, and have the ability to identify and grow from our own personal strength and weaknesses. Knowing what we are good at and what we are weak in is the only way we can truly grow as individuals. This knowledge helps us to achieve the goals we set for ourselves in life. Through taking this personal inventory of my strength and weaknesses, I have determined what I need to do not only to better understand who I am, but how to improve my life. In order to assess my strength, Skill audits assessment has shown me where I can play to my strengths, and bring in others to fill my weaknesses. (docshare.com)

Marcus Buckingham (ezinearticles.com), a bestselling author and business consultant, defines strengths and weaknesses by the emotions that they evoke. Paraphrasing, he states:

“Strength is something that makes you feel stronger after you complete the task. It energizes you. A weakness, on the other hand, is something that physically drains you- in other words, you may very well be good at a particular task or skill, yet when you complete it, it leaves you more tired than when you started.” (ezinearticles.com)

I would like to show evaluation of my strengths and weaknesses below on the basis of the skills audit which is finished and submitted:

Communication:- “Any act by which one person gives to or receives from another person information about that person’s needs, desires, perceptions, knowledge, or affective states. Communication may be intentional or unintentional, may involve conventional or unconventional signals, may take linguistic or non-linguistic forms, and may occur through spoken or other modes.” (unm.edu)

I consider as strength my communication because I communicate effectively with the guest, colleagues and my managers. I understand the guest need either speaking or in writing. And I deliver the service according their need. As I work in Room Service so most of the time I communicate to the guest via phone. My colleagues and managers understand clearly what I am trying to say to them and there is more verbal communication than writing in my job profile and have never misunderstandings in communication with my colleagues and guests. Sometimes I write emails and reports effectively to my manager so it shows that I communicate effectively.

Working with Others:- A tight knit team is a group of competent individuals who care deeply about each other. They are fiercely committed to their mission, and are highly motivated to combing their energy and expertise to achieve a common objective. (ezinearticles.com)

Usually I worked in Room Service. But I helped in the restaurants and bar as team member. I have always enjoyed working within a team of individuals that have come together to be more productive. Since joining the hotel, the experience of working within a team has enhanced my ability to work with others in a wide variety of situations. I often provide assistance to fellow employees when they are in bind. I am appreciated by my peers for always lending a helping hand when needed. If someone criticised me I have accepted because it helped me to learn from criticism because you won’t do same mistake again next time. I always kept me looking for the opportunity to be involved in a productive team.

Improving Own Learning and Performance:- I have handled my studies, part time job and social life because my college attendance 95% and I never got late to my job and social life is fine as well. As I worked in R/S alone without any supervisor but I worked in restaurant and bar as well at the same time. It shows us that I performer several task and I have ability to work alone. I always plan my own work and completed my work within deadlines. Sometimes, I achieved my goals but most of time I didn’t achieve goal due to no time management and other reasons. But unfortunately I never got any delegate task. I always am willing to learn from my studies, managers, colleague and work. Therefore, I am able do multitasking job in F & B depts.

Problem Solving:- Problem solving is a set of activities designed to analyze a situation

Systematically and generate, implement and evaluate solutions.(training.fema.gov) some time I have to dealt with awkward guests so, first it is necessary to understand the guest that what the guest is wanting and accordingly I deliver the service/solution to, while keep in mind my hotel policies and values. It is important to keep you calm in under pressure because it gives you strength to handle the situation effectively. It is important to identify the problem carefully and to think about best solution with alternative solution as well before you take any action or decision because it gives you more choices of solution to help you making good decision. I made good decision most of time but when I took wrong decisions then I tried to learn from them and converted into right decision. I consider problem solving is my strength.

Application of Numbers:- it is necessary to make the appropriate calculations or interpret data when serving customers because it helps you to understand how many customer are coming to your restaurant and you make yourself ready accordingly in terms of Mise n place. Sometimes I do breakfast shift and I calculate early in the morning from the room occupancy/ guest list that how many guest will do breakfast today then I tell to chefs and they cook the breakfast according to the no. of guest which saves the energy and food wastage. I believe that its one of my strength.

Information Technology Proficiency:- Information Technology (IT) has not left untouched most aspects of our business and life. Therefore it is necessary to have knowledge of IT for everyone in competitive world. I consider IT as strength of mine because I am very proficient while using Microsoft office and PMS. I know how to create chart and tables on MS Office. I use IT for making report, presentation, writing Email to guest, order taking, billing etc.

Motivation:- Internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested in and committed to a job, role, or subject, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a goal. (businessdictionary.com) I am very motivated personally as well as professionally. It helps me to achieve the goals. I always try to learn new things from my manager and colleagues. I work every shift according to the Rota. I always show positive attitude to my managers. I believe in honesty and hard work which make me stronger at work.

Flexibility and Adaptability:- “A role with flexible boundaries can be enacted in various settings and at various times” (Ashforth, Kreiner, & Fugate, 2000, p. 474) another one of my strengths is my ability to adapt to nearly any type of environment, which allows me the flexibility to be comfortable talking to many different levels of people. I always shows can do attitude to my manager and keep positive attitude to work at any time and any place. I work according to Rota whether its morning or evening or night shifts. I learn new things being flexible and adaptable at workplace.

Leadership:- Warren Bennis’ definition of leadership is focused much more on the individual capability of the leader : “Leadership is a function of knowing yourself, having a vision that is well communicated, building trust among colleagues, and taking effective action to realize your own leadership potential.” (www.teal.org.uk)

I do leadership sometimes but not often. Actually I do supervising in breakfast shift. I take responsibility my own work, whether it’s correct or not. Whenever, new entrants join the restaurant or R/S. I always approach and try to help effectively to new colleagues when they needed. I believe that leadership is my strength as well.

Creativity & Initiative – Creativity is marked by the ability or power to create, to bring into existence, to invest with a new form, to produce through imaginative skill, to make or bring into existence something new. (uwsp.edu)

I am creative and take initiative at work place. I like to give new ideas to my supervisor and managers. I have taken initiative to change my Room Service menu. I got an opportunity to rectify the breakfast setup. And I took initiative to set right setup of breakfast, lunch and dinner in R/S which was appreciated by my managers.

Self Confidence:- Giacomo Casanova states that ” It is only necessary to have courage, for strength without self-confidence is useless”. (brainyquote.com) I am highly confident personally as well as professionally to talk and handle the customers. I got appreciation on comment card by guest so many times. I am confident enough to talk diplomatic way with my colleagues and managers when needed.

On the other hand, I consider judgement and sensitive issues as a weakness due to lack of experience because sometimes I could not able to take right judgement. I couldn’t able deal with sensitive issue. My time management skill is my greatest weaknesses because I know that this causes me great stress in my professional life. I often tend to stay up all night late. This leads to some fairly exhausted day. The home environment is just full of distraction, which cause me to procrastinate. There is always a reason to watch television, spend time with my friends, clean the house etc.

My other negative trait would be that I likely to be a perfectionist. When I do things I do them in such a methodical way that I am not satisfied until they are just right in my eyes. When working on group project, I sometimes get frustrated when other does not put forth the same level of effort that I do. Often I find myself losing patience with those who don’t share my same ideas.

Conclusion

Research has shown that life is a learning experience. The strengths and weaknesses I have discussed are part of what makes me an individual. By identifying them, I am able devise a plan to improve my areas of weakness, while using my strength to my advantage. My objective is that through reinforcing my strengths and overcoming my weaknesses, I will be more successful in both my personal and professional life.

Recommendation

I would like to recommend myself that I should have to check my strength and weaknesses time to time in order to check my strength and weaknesses in order to achieve my goals. I should set a personal goal aimed toward correcting my weaknesses. I should decide to work on my time management skills. I should plan to start this process by pushing myself to dedicate more of my free time to college work. This is the area that is most negatively affected by my delay needlessly. I will also try to be more effective in the way I manage my schedule at work. I should plan to work on my patience and understanding of others’ different styles and perspectives. Last, I should work on my judgement as well.