Areas of opportunity: what are they, what are they for and what types are there?

What are areas of opportunity in personal and professional life? How to detect them?

Opportunity areas are aspects on which we can work to improve. In this article we will know their main characteristics and we will see the areas where we can find aspects to improve and to harness, inside the companies.

What are opportunity areas?

Opportunity areas are groups of skills and competencies linked to contexts with goals to achieve, and that can be developed to reach those goals in a more effective way to reach those goals more effectively. There are basically two types of opportunity areas: personal and business. Let's see in detail what each of them consists of.

Personal Opportunity Areas

Areas of opportunity in the personal sphere consist of certain aspects of our way of being, personality and behavior that can be improved. Through them, we are strengthened and we learn about facets of our personality that we did not know before. They also show us that we can achieve much more than we thought we could, and that we are stronger than we thought.

That is to say, they focus on "weaker" aspects of ourselves; if we work on them, we can increase our potential and progress in different areas (especially on a personal level).

Often, if we do not know how to detect these areas of opportunity if we do not know how to detect these areas of opportunity, problems can appear that can harm us in some area of our life. However, if we work on them, our quality of life can improve.

Thus, the first step that we will need to apply is to know how to detect these areas of opportunity that allow us to improve as people. Once identified, we will start working on them, either individually or with the help of a professional (psychologist, coach...). To start working on them, it will be important to design the steps to implement in order to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves.

Characteristics

The areas of personal opportunity have a lot to do with our weaknesses, but also with limitations that we have set for ourselves, with frustrations not overcome, fears, insecurities, etc. Identifying these small weaknesses or "potholes" that prevent us from developing our potential to the fullest will allow us to feel more confident and better about ourselves.

Why take advantage of our areas of opportunity? Doing so will allow us to obtain individual changes and in turn achieve success in what we set out to do. These improvements can be translated, for example, into higher levels of individual responsibility, more commitment, perseverance, etc.

Steps to develop them

There are some steps proposed by Patricia Behisa, SEO and digital marketing specialist, to take advantage of the areas of personal opportunity that we propose. She specifies 7 steps, which are interrelated.

1. Knowing ourselves

The first step is essential to know what areas of opportunity we have. Knowing ourselves will make it easier to detect these areas, and will allow us to start working on them.

2. Analyze our past experiences

Our past as individuals defines us; this does not mean that it limits us, simply that what we have done or lived in the past, says in part how we are. Sometimes, by analyzing these by analyzing these experiences we can find answers that allow us to strengthen our areas of opportunity.

3. Emphasize our virtues

The third step involves highlighting our virtues, our strengths. Just as we must know our weaknesses, we must also know our strengths and potential. This can give us clues on how to work to increase our personal security and to enhance our capabilities.

4. Targeting our skills

The fourth step proposed by Patricia Behisa is to write down our skills, what we know how to do. This also includes our interests and capabilities, and can guide us in improving our areas of opportunity.

5. Ordering the above skills

We must be able to order the above skills; that is, make a list that orders them according to the degree of dominance we have.

6. Select the best skills

After writing the list, we will proceed to select those skills that we are best at, or of which we have a more advanced level of knowledge or practice. This will allow us to know which one (or ones) we should put into practice first.

7. Let yourself go

The last step Behisa proposes is to "let go", to flow. Now we know what we are best at, what skills we have; It's just a matter of putting them into practice based on our areas of opportunity.

Business opportunity areas

The second type of opportunity areas are the entrepreneurial ones; that is to say, the ones we can detect and work on in the company, those that we can detect and work on in the workplace. The line of work will be similar to the previous one; first we will have to detect our weak points to start working on them.

Thus, the business opportunity areas are actually similar to the previous ones but in the work field. They consist of "gaps" that we can observe in our business, in opportunities for improvement. In this way, they are not only "mistakes", but aspects that we can enhance. For example, competitiveness, initiative, efficiency, profitability, etc.

Once these areas of opportunity have been detected, we can work on them. But... what for? Fundamentally, to improve our company or organization, to obtain greater benefits, etc. In addition, these areas are often sources of losses (e.g. economic) for the company; if we identify them correctly, we can achieve the opposite effect (earn more, improve certain conditions or aspects of the company, etc.).

How to develop them

We propose 4 major areas (or areas, facets) where we can find areas of opportunity in our business (although there are many more):

1. Innovation

The area of innovation allows us to create new, fresh and creative ideas that add value to our company. These ideas can be related to processes, products, services, etc. Finding areas of opportunity in this area or sector will allow us to create original and unprecedented ideas.

2. Customer service

This area refers to how customers are served and cared for. Within it we can find many areas of opportunity that improve the customer experience, increase the quality of the service offered by our company, etc.

3. Human Resources

Human Resources are another key piece within any company, and it refers to human capital, to the people, to the company. Being able to identify, attract and hire talent, that is, people who add value to the company, can improve many aspects of the company. Having good workers is always a positive aspect.

4. Image

On the other hand, the image of the company, its reputation and its references can lead to more or less clients, people being more or less satisfied, etc. people will be more or less satisfied, etc.

As in the previous areas, good areas of opportunity can also be found in this one, which can improve the company's image both externally and internally (the employees themselves). This can also enhance customer loyalty.

Bibliographical references:

• Avia, M.D. (1995). Personality: cognitive and social aspects. Madrid: Pirámide.
• Benson, T. and Mugarura, S. (2013). Livestock development planning in Uganda: Identification of areas of opportunity and challenge. Land use policy, 35: 131-139.