Focus on Employee Strengths for Better Business Results

Once a year, in most parts of corporate America, employees make the dreaded trek to their manager’s office for the annual performance review. Although the document, or format, or timing may differ, for the most part the components of the conversation are the same: “Here’s what you did well; here’s where you need to improve; here’s how we’re going to reward you” (or not).  Any development prescribed as a result of this conversation typically focuses on “fixing” the perceived weaknesses, some of which may not even map to the employee’s role or responsibilities.

A better alternative is to focus instead on the employee’s strengths. Identifying them and helping employees use those strengths every day. Not only is this a more positive and motivating approach for employees (think employee engagement) it is actually better for business.  In their recent report, State of the American Manager, Analytics and Advice for Leaders, Gallup found that a strengths-based approach is associated with greater levels of employee engagement and well-being, and team productivity and profitability: People who use their strengths every day are 6 times more likely to be engaged on the job.  

The Gallup report, based on an extensive study of 2.5 million manager-led teams in 195 countries and engagement measures of 27 million employees, also indicates that:

·         Teams that focus on strengths every day have 12.5% greater productivity, and

·         Teams that receive strengths feedback have 8.9% greater profitability

Employees who use their strengths are not just more engaged, they’re healthier overall. And healthier employees – physically, mentally, emotionally – lead to a healthier organization. An article in Psychology Today pointed to a “growing body of research” indicating that employees who are able to use their strengths at work are happier, less stressed, more energetic, more confident, more creative, learn quicker, and have overall more satisfaction in their work and their lives.

So if that’s the case, why isn’t every organization switching to a strengths focus? Granted, it’s difficult to make the paradigm shift from “fixing weaknesses” that is so ingrained in our performance management philosophy.  And addressing development areas can be a positive thing if it aligns with the individual’s role and career goals, and is not done at the expense of developing and leveraging strengths.  Yet when managers create and support a work environment where individuals and teams can use their strengths every day, the benefits far outweigh the effort to change the current performance management mindset.

Here are some tips to get started.

1.       Identify strengths. Strengths are those innate or well-developed characteristics, skills and behaviors that help people do what they do well. Often employees are not aware of their own strengths, especially if they are in a role that doesn’t enable them to use those strengths. Using an assessment tool such as Lumina Spark is an effective way to help individuals and teams discover their strengths. Lumina provides an in-depth portrait of the individual in their 3 personas: underlying, everyday and overextended.  As you capture someone’s strengths, it’s important to consider all facets of their personality, not just what they think you want to see. What Lumina calls the “underlying” persona is who the person is at their core; the “everyday” persona is how they show up based on their work or their environment; and the “overextended” persona is how they behave under stress. Whichever assessment you use, it should be sophisticated enough to examine the complete, multi-faceted person, or you will miss core aspects of talent, and opportunities for engaging your employees.

2.       Recognize strengths that integrate opposites.  An individual may be strong in one quality, and also exhibit strength in an opposite quality.  For example, they may be a strong logical thinker (facts) yet also be strong in empathy (people). At Lumina, we call this ‘embracing the paradox.’ This concept helps individuals and organizations tap into their talents’ ability to integrate opposing qualities, which provides a number of benefits.  In our logic/empathy example, this individual would be able to integrate consideration on facts, data and logic with consideration on how this affects relationships, people and morale.  It is a unique consideration that gives a different approach to the use of the strength.

3.       Explore underlying strengths.  People and their managers may have a clear picture of the strengths someone uses on a daily basis, but they should consider looking at that individual's underlying persona strengths. These hidden gems may be just what the team needs.  Once those gems are discovered by the individual or manager, there's an opportunity to tap into the individual's passion or motivation by giving them the opportunity to use a strength that lies dormant in their underlying persona.

4.       Map strengths to roles. Once you’ve identified strengths, each manager should determine which strengths employees are able to use in their current role. There may be hidden talent that you can leverage by making some tweaks or additions in responsibilities. Make this a collaborative process with employees. You will discover how excited your staff can become when they have an opportunity to use innate strengths that you haven’t noticed because they feel those strengths are not needed in the workplace now.

5.       Provide development opportunities. What strengths do your employees want to build on? What strengths have you discovered that will meet future business needs? What are your employees' underlying strengths, or hidden gems?  How might exploring those help ignite your team/workforce? Make the investment to discover, develop and deploy those strengths.

6.       Give feedback – frequently. The annual performance review just doesn’t cut it. Employees need to know how they’re doing on a regular basis. Provide frequent, effective – both positive and developmental – feedback to each employee and to your teams. Use this ongoing feedback as an opportunity to provide personal growth and development.  Help your employees find their hidden gems as well as their key strengths.

The Gallup report showed that “a strengths-based culture is one in which employees learn their roles more quickly, produce more and significantly better work, stay with their company longer, and are more engaged.

What are you waiting for?

If you’d like to learn more about Lumina Spark, please contact me at info-us@luminalearning.com or 888.827.8855.