Assessing Your Strengths

Assessing Your Strengths Module 1 - in this course will focus on finding your strengths. First, we're going to help you figure out what your talents are. We'll take you through a process of understanding what you just naturally excel at doing. When you put your efforts into the things that you already do well, you'll actually get greater benefit than wasting a lot of energy on the things that aren't your strengths. One of the characteristics of highly-successful people, is that they've learned to build on their strengths, not try to improve on their weaknesses but at least accept them.

This Assessment Will Help You See Where Your Strengths Lie I can effectively help you take those strengths and integrate them into your restaurant. Some people seem to be naturally skilled at a particular role or task. Many of the skills that are beneficial in the restaurant industry can be gained in non-professional areas, such as hobbies, volunteer work, extracurricular activities, or even the performing arts. Matching what you’re passionate about with Your Strengths, Talents, and Personality can give you an advantage as restaurant owner. Being a restaurant owner is like a shape, you need to find one that fits you. One you will do well at, the one you’re most comfortable in, and the one that gives you purpose. Let’s get started!

Assessment Areas Natural Talents Developed Skills Experience Achievements Qualifications Current Studies Awards Hobbies Your Weaknesses

Natural Talents Chances are you already know what these are because you’ve had them your entire life. People have commented about them. You are naturally good at some things. If you choose a career based on your natural talents you will be more productive and happier as an owner. Researchers have found that certain personality styles tend to do well in certain businesses. The closer a person’s style matches the businesses their interested in the happier, more productive and less stressed they will be. Depending on your personality style there are some businesses that just naturally fit you. This assessment is based on helping you discover if you have a natural fit for the food industry.

List Your Natural Talents Natural talent means you didn’t really have to do anything besides use them, and you were good at it.

Developed Natural talent means you didn’t really have to do anything besides use them, and you were good at it. Developed skills are a bit different. Developed skills are things that you may not have been good at to begin with. But you worked on and turned into a skill. In fact, these are often better than natural talents. If you can combine the two, of course – a natural talent that you also develop and improve over time – that’s what leads to being a successful restaurant owner. Think about your past and what you’ve actually worked on over time to get good at.  

List Some of Your Developed Skills

Experience Look at what you’ve done. Have you had any unique experiences, whether good or bad? It could be anything from traveling to recovering from a disease to some sort of unique family experience. Write them down as potential strengths and potential advantages.  

Achievements Achievements are always about results. Anytime you achieve something it means you’ve done the work and you’ve been rewarded. If that outcome is designed by other people, then it gives you an advantage. Maybe you’ve been employed in a certain role at a job and you’ve won awards. That could help you translate your employment award, developed skills, achievements etc. into a business ownership statist. This is an advantage, because you can say you were awarded this special something that qualifies you as better than everyone else, and that is an advantage. It gives you a strength you can use to build a successful restaurant business. Write these potential strengths and potential advantage down.

Qualifications Qualifications are not as effective as achievements because nowadays people don’t care so much about your qualifications as about your results. That being said, qualifications still matter. Certainly in some fields it’s a lot better if you say you’re a Ph.D. or a qualified doctor or a lawyer. Those sorts of qualifications help, but if you worked in a restaurant and bar tended during college or as a summer job, that type of qualification will help you if you’re going to go into owning a Bar and Grill. So think about your past and any kind of qualifications you’ve got and make note of them.  List Your Qualifications  

Current Studies A current study means maybe you’re just at the part of your life where you’re developing your skills through actual formal studies. That’s an area you can also write down because you might find in a year or two as you open your business, your studies help you advance to the point where you’ve got some developed skills. So anything you’re currently studying, anything you’re currently working on has the potential to become a strength. It may not be one yet, but it could be one soon. List Current Studies  

Awards Awards are potentially amazing! For example, if you’ve won an Olympic medal that’s a great point of credibility, but you might have some simpler awards too that you’ve won within specific industries. Maybe you’ve been employed in a certain role at a job and you’ve won awards. That could help you translate your employment award, developed skills, achievements etc. into a business ownership statist. This is an advantage, because you can say you were awarded this special something that qualifies you as better than everyone else, and that is an advantage. List Your Awards

Hobbies I suggested that people look at their hobbies to begin with because that’s a good place to find your passions. You have to be careful with hobbies because they might lead to things that are passions, but not necessarily strengths. When you do look at your hobbies, make sure you’re looking at things you’ve actually developed over time into those developed skills. List Your Hobbies

Reality Check-Your Weaknesses Write down the things you’re not good at. Avoid anything that you’re not good at and hire someone who is. Example - I wasn’t strong in baking, I knew offering homemade signature desserts and breads would help us stand out among our competition, I made it a point to hire a cook with baking experience and skills. You can’t be everywhere and do everything in your business! Putting people in the right positions is critical to your customer’s satisfaction and your success. Maybe you’re not good at writing but you still want to have a blog, on your restaurant site have one of your employees help you and give them some kind of incentive. Make sure you’re very aware of what’s not a strength, and find ways to stay as far away from those things as you can.  

List Your Weaknesses

What experiences have got you to this point in your life? What journey did you take to get to this very moment in your life? It will lend credibility, experience and strengths to be a future restaurant owner. Write Your Story

When you have finished the assessment, review your answers be sure you haven't missed any thing that could be a an asset to your business. You may even want to have those or someone close to you look it over you never know they may remember something you have forgotten about your self that could add to your strengths. I look forward to reviewing your results from your assessment. I will focus on what you do best and draw a conclusion from these results. A FREE One Hour coaching call will be scheduled after you receive my response of your assessment . At which time we will discuss together where your strengths lie and where you will be the most naturally productive and confident in your restaurant. Email your results to www.startyourestaurantbusiness@gmail.com