By Michael W. Hill, Mobius Vendor Partners Executive Consultant, Author of Measuring to Manage
All of us perform better when we are using our strengths. Some of those strengths might be unique to the individual and some might be very similar to what others in the organization exhibit.
Regardless of the level of uniqueness when we are using our strength(s), we are more engaged, productive, and more open to increasing those strengths.
A Harvard Business Review study confirms that playing to an employee’s strengths can be beneficial to your business objectives. Workgroups that received a “strengths intervention” saw a 10 to 19 percent boost in sales, a 14 to 29 percent increase in profit and a 22 to 59 percent decrease in safety incidents.⁷
So, if identifying someone’s strengths is so important, how do we do it? First, start by identifying those strengths needed to achieve outstanding performance. Communication skills, planning ability, problem solving, and ability to handle stressful situations are a few of the strengths that might be needed.
The first step in the identification process is to ask the employees. In what situations do they feel that they at your best, fully energized? What tasks do they enjoy doing? What task accomplishment(s) do they feel come naturally to them? Another possibility is for the employee to take an assessment, here’s a warning: they don’t all measure strengths! A third source could be other employees or mentors.
Once these strengths are identified, put the employee in the work situation that need these traits and watch the employee’s performance soar.
You probably noticed that I point out that you need to ask your employees for their input. Maybe a survey would help? You might be making some assumptions that are just not correct! Get your employees involved! Become known as a company that helps employees discover their strength and then your organization puts them in positions to use these strengths. This then is a win-win, for the employees and the company.
You may want our help.
At Mobius’ Employee Experience – EX Consulting Employee Experience – Mobius Vendor Partners (mobiusvp.com) – we have the software to survey your employees so you can make the best decisions for your company and respond to your employees’ needs. Contact us to get started.
Mike’s book: Measuring to Manage is available on Amazon.
