Teamership: What are you like at your best?
If you don’t know what you are like at your best, how will you be at your best more often? Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash
What are you like at your best?
It’s an interesting and valuable question for each of us to consider. In the context of being a great team member, where the aspiration is to bring out our best and bring out the best in others, it is essential. If you don’t know what you are like at your best, how will you be at your best more often? How will you be able to get support from others?
Many of us will find it easier to rattle off what we are like when we are not at our best. Personally, I can tell you that I am distracted, overwhelmed, disorganised and passive. I could fill the rest of this page with more - including specific examples. There is value in understanding our weaknesses and our tendencies to behave in ways that we don’t want. It helps us to address potential limitations in our performance and continuously improve.
The flip side of being aware of our weaknesses is that many of us pay too little attention to what we are like at our best.
A tendency to focus on the deficit is why the question of “what are you like at your best?” can be so valuable. It forces us to take a deliberately positive perspective as we reflect on how we are showing up. It does not deny that there are areas for us to improve. It does, however, help us to recall times when we have made a positive contribution - and because we have done it before, it helps us believe that we can do it again.
It is also valuable for groups and teams to explore.
Whenever I ask this question in a workshop or program, there is a tangible shift in energy as people share what they are like at their best. People are smiling and listening intently as their colleagues describe what they are like at their best. There are often laughs and the volume rises. If they know each other, participants can often affirm or add to what others see in themselves. It’s almost always a challenge to get people back to move to the next part of the session - which I consider to be a good sign.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that asking this question elevates the energy in the room and makes it easier for us all to bring our best.
Some people find it challenging to answer this question, so here are a few different questions for you to consider in order for you or others to describe what you are like at your best:
How would your best friend describe you?
What is a compliment that you have received that resonates with you?
When do you find yourself energised despite working hard?