I can’t catch a ball to save my life. I suspect that if a Very Bad Man had an automatic weapon aimed at me and demanded that I either catch a ball or a bullet, I’d fumble the ball and get a bullet right in the kisser.

Fortunately I’m not a sports player or a likely target for deranged gun-owners, so there are very few times where that particular weakness of mine matters. Another of my weaknesses is that I like to be in control and have a tendency to think very logically, which sometimes strips away any spontaneity. Someone hurtling into my well-constructed plan could well be on the receiving end of a frosty reception as I hastily refocus and replan. The impact of that can be pretty harsh, both on me and other people

What I’ve learned is that my creativity and my need to have a whole load of fun can be a great way of dealing with that particular weakness. I recognise that planning everything and looking at everything coolly, is, well, just plain dull. I need to laugh myself silly and I need to allow myself to wing it sometimes.

I’ve got bags full of weaknesses and bags full of strengths, and I’ve learned a whole lot about both. I’ve seen too often that people are always quick to beat themselves up for their weaknesses, and that negative focus can quickly strip away your self confidence and self esteem.

Just as you need to be confident in your strengths, it can be a real eye opener to get to know a little bit about your weaknesses and learn some simple ways to kick them into touch.

Suzi was a client of mine whose promotion in her marketing agency meant that she had to travel around and deliver presentations to clients. She was terrified. She’d presented once before and had frozen solid, so her level of confidence about having to present regularly was zero.

She waxed lyrical about how badly organised she was, how badly she’d screwed up and how she just wasn’t a good presenter. She was really just focusing on her weaknesses (some of which she’d blown up out of all proportion) and creating her reality exclusively around those weaknesses. That’s where her focus was so that’s what her experience became, and her confidence suffered as a result.

In one session I took her through my strengths exercise, and we found that she was actually pretty brilliant creatively, had a huge amount of energy and determination, and was fantastic at connecting with people one-to-one both socially and professionally.

So what we did was find ways for her to play to her strengths in her new role. She looked at her presentations as a playground for her creativity which suddenly allowed her to enjoy what she was doing. She used her strengths in connecting with people to shift her thinking from having to present to a room full of strangers to presenting to a room full of individuals she could connect with.

Suzi’s still presenting, gets amazing feedback and absolutely loves it.

Your can more than compensate for any weaknesses you might have, so don’t beat yourself up or feel less than for having them. Here are my 4 strategies for managing them.

1. Transform them. Just like Suzi did, how can use your strengths to overcome your weaknesses? What strengths can you apply that will transform your ability to deliver? Your strengths are more than a match for any weakness, don’t let yourself think otherwise.
2. Eliminate them. Do you actually need to do what you’re weak at? If you don’t need to do it, why do it and beat yourself up about it? Like me playing catch, if you can eliminate the activity without dodging responsibility or eliminating something you enjoy or something important, by all means go for it.
3. Delegate them. Is there someone else you can give the task to? Can you outsource the activity or give it to someone who’s stronger at it than you? Again, if it’s something you can delegate without it being a way for you to dodge responsibility or avoid screwing up, then go for it.
4. Minimise them. How can you minimise the weakness? Is there something you can learn that will improve it or the impact that it has? What’s a way that you can practice or get better at something that might be a weak point? Remember, you’ll never excel at a weakness so know when to call it quits.