Bruce MacEwen at Adam Smith, Esq. leads us to an article recapping a talk by Marcus Buckingham’s at the Wharton Leadership Conference last June. Buckingham, co-author of First, Break All The Rules advised that managers should focus on employees’ strengths rather than on their weaknesses. He also mentioned a poll of workers in which 59% believed they would be more successful if they worked on their weaknesses. Clearly, Buckingham disagrees, as does Bruce. One should be aware of their weaknesses in order “to prevent failures; but it will never help you attain excellence” Bruce writes.
That is an important life lesson, I believe. And the same applies when considering your strengths and weaknesses in the arena of legal marketing. If you are a poor at public speaking, then don’t put seminars at the top of your planned marketing activities for the year. In short, pick something you do well, e.g., writing, networking, organizational activities, etc. and plan your marketing accordingly.
That is not to say that you can’t work on a weakness, of course. Since seminars are in fact a good marketing tool, and if you have the desire to speak, then join Toastmasters in your city. However, you’re better off going with your strengths. As Bruce reminds us, it is easier to swim downstream than upstream.