Leveraging Your Strengths

I had the immense pleasure this past week of traveling to Chicago to become formally trained in Gallup strengths coaching.  In the next month or so, I will complete the requirements to be formally certified and will be an official strength-based coach.  While I don't usually thrive in large group training environments, diving into strengths for four and a half days with some amazing people turned out to be such a transformative experience for me.  Not only did I learn so much more about myself, being able to dig in and understand my strengths and how each combination contributes to my success, but it also allowed me to see ways that others misperceive me and vice-versa.  It has fundamentally changed the way I think about efficient teams, and it has even further provided insight into employee engagement.  From a hiring and training lens, I have a whole new appreciation of teamwork, a strengths-based approach to learning and development, and maximizing performance.  While I have been able to coach and consult with some teams informally in the past, I now have greater clarity and experience to draw on from this training.  Perhaps most encouraging to me is how much better it is going to help support my career coaching conversations moving forward.

​There is certainly so much data and information to share; I actually feel like I could go on, and on, and on, and on, but a lot of the insight from Gallup research is available on their website so I would encourage you to check it out.  Instead of diving in too deep, or just providing a surface level overview, I thought I would include some of the distinctions, golden nuggets, and ah-ha moments from my experience.

• When we talk about "strengths", that is not to say that you are not good at what's not on the list (or if you have the full 34 themes, what is at the bottom of the list) - it means those are the talent themes you possess that come naturally and provide you with enjoyment, ease, and enthusiasm
  • ​These strengths provide you with energy; whereas the ones lower on the list may be things you are good at, but require more energy to complete
• ​There are no "best" strengths to have or any particular ones that are "required" to be a CEO of a company 
• You are not a strengths buffet, trying to improve everything; instead, focus on really flexing those top themes because those are the ones that will help you be your most productive self
• ​There is a difference between improving in terms of getting better at your job responsibilities (areas of development in your role) vs. improving and maximizing your strengths
  • ​Ideally, you are finding ways to improve your professional performance using your top themes 
• There are 5 experiential clues to talent:
  • ​Yearning: The activities you are naturally drawn to and likely connect with
  • Rapid learning: The activities you quickly learn how to do (and often with ease)
  • Flow: The activities that you often automatically know the steps to and/or you find yourself 'in the zone'
  • Glimpses of Excellence: The activities of subconscious excellence, which often come through as the moments when you wonder, “how did I do that?”
  • Satisfaction — The activities you want to do again and enjoyed
• ​Strengths-based managers aim to help employees discover, develop and use their talents to promote team engagement and productivity
• The 'sweet spot' for management is a team of about 5-10 (ideally no more than 15)
• Globally, only 13% of employees are engaged, the rest are 'not engaged' or 'actively disengaged'.
  • ​Engaged: Committed to and drive the organization, love what they do, build your brand and their energy goes back into the organization
  • Not Engaged: Don't always do [parts of] their work or invest energy back into the organization, and are often quick to jump ship if they think something better is coming along
  • ​Actively Disengaged: Unhappy, complain, destroy the brand, and are vocal about their dissatisfaction 

I wish I could be in your brain while you're reading this, because I would love to know if your thoughts were similar to mine; and like I said, this is just a snippet of our week-long conversation.  You may have also had similar experiences to me, where I was able to think of specific colleagues or individuals who fit some of information or data. I think that these are some of the many examples that promote the importance of moving to a strengths-based approach in an organization, especially if you manage people.  As we start to see the workforce made up a millennials (and soon, GenZ), having a strengths-based approach to managing, development and culture could have some very positive effects, after all, their needs and desires are very different than those before them.  Consider how your current organization accommodates Millennial's career desires, in general, from this list (-- and spoiler, can be much easier to facilitate with a strengths-based approach!):

• A job connected to purpose over a paycheck
• Looking for a coach, not a boss
• Opportunities for growth and development, rather than just satisfaction 
• An emphasis on strengths, instead of only emphasizing weaknesses
• On-going performance conversations, not just annual evaluations
• Value of life (flexibility, purpose, etc), over just having a job

Knowing that, I would encourage you to ask yourself if you currently work in a culture where this growing generation would want to work, grow, achieve and stay.  

Is there high turn over?

Are there employees and/or colleagues who you can think of who are 'not engaged' or 'actively disengaged'?

​Do some of your teammates or colleagues feel misunderstood or undervalued?

If the answer is 'yes', consider how reframing and investing in being a strengths-based manager, organization and/or team might be a good start!