1. Exercise - Discover your own core
qualities and pitfalls step by
step Step 1 - my core quality
Step 1 of the core quality exercise
The model is simple. Basically it is a four quadrant model, which
means you start with drawing two axes. Then enter a core quality
in the upper left quadrant. And remember this has nothing to do
with skills - it is something fundamental that permeates who you
are as a human. It is linked to values and often it is what other
people will tell you, are your talent.
Ask yourself questions like; what are my core quality or my special
talent ? What do other people say about my core qualities ?
Step 2 - my pitfall

2. Step 2 of the core quality exercise
Every core quality has a downside. The downside is often a result
of exaggeration of the core quality. This is your pitfall, something
that you must be careful of not to do. It is a pitfall because
people, who do not know all sides of their talents or core qualities,
might experience that others perceive their otherwise postive
qualities as something negative.
So think of what too much of your core quality would lead to ?
What happen if i exaggerate my core quality ? Write this down in
the upper right quadrant.
Step 3 - my challenge

3. Step 3 of the core quality exercise
After you have identified the pitfall that relates to the core quality,
you can now find your challenge. Your challenge is something
which doesn’t come quite natural to you, it takes an effort. But it is
very important to do.
Think of the positive opposite of your pitfall - and write this in the
lower right quadrant.
Step 4 - my allergy
Step 4 of the core quality exercise
The last step in the model is to identify your allergy.
Your challenges may grow so large that they develop into
allergies. An allergy is a property in people that triggers a negative
reaction in you.
You could say, that you develop an allergy to a particular behavior
linked to a particular core quality, because it is precisely this
behavior, that represents your own challenge.
It is often quite useful to consider why you are allergic to other
people's core qualities. Often it turns out that what triggers an
allergy in you, is someone who have the core quality you lack
yourself.

4. Think about what too much of your challenge would lead to. Also
ask yourself what behavior by others that triggers a negative
reaction in you. This is your allergy, so write it down in the lower
left quadrant.
Now the circle is completed and you will hopefully have gained a
little more understanding of yourself.
When you work with your core qualities it sharpens your
understanding of, not only yourself, but also others. Maybe you
will start to see why you have negative reactions towards some
people and instead start to learn from those.
Your greatest potential is without any doubt in your core qualities
and therefore you should be aware of them so you can draw on
them every day. But remember to take responsibility for the rest
of the quadrant - even the part you might not like so much.
Remember that all core qualities have a backside and that no
human is perfect.
References
Daniel Ofman (2004). Core Qualities - A gateway to Human
Resources. Cyan Communications
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