getting started with strengths · clifton strengthsfinder® top 5 talent themes (a theme is a group...

www.talents2strengths.com�1

Strengths-based DevelopmentYour roadmap to becoming MORE of the BEST of YOU, MORE of the time.


Roadmap:


Strengths-based Organizations

Strengths-based LeadershipHistorical Context Defining

Talents & Strengths


THE BEGINNING OF STRENGTHS

The Gallup Organization

Don Clifton, former Gallup chairman

250,000 interviews of high achieving individuals


GALLUP’S RESEARCH ON HIGH ACHIEVERS

• Spend most of their time in areas of strength

• Have learned to delegate or partner with someone to tackle areas that are not strengths.

• Apply their strengths to overcome obstacles

• Invent ways to capitalize on their strengths in new situations

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CLIFTON STRENGTHSFINDER ®

34 main talent themes

• No theme is more valuable than the other

• There is no best theme for managers or leaders

• Based on 30 years of scientific research

• on more than 2 million individuals

ASSESSMENT


A TALENT THEME is group of similar talents

A tendency to push hard to complete tasks

Desire to achieve

Having internal motivation

Finding satisfaction in getting things done

Achiever

TALENT“Natural recurring patterns of thoughts feelings and behavior that can be productively applied.”

Enjoying hard work

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CLIFTON STRENGTHSFINDER ®

Top 5 Talent Themes(A theme is a group of similar talents) • 33,390,720 different permutations

with a unique order. There is a one in 33 million chance that you will meet someone with your same top five in the order you have them.

• 278,256 possible unique combinations There is a one in 278 000 chance that you will meet someone with your same top five regardless of order

• No significant cultural differences in talent among the countries researched.

• Gives incredible depth about your uniqueness

®

www.talents2strengths.com

CLIFTON STRENGTHSFINDER THEMES AND THEIR CORRESPONDING LEADERSHIP DOMAINS

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WHAT IT IS

• A tool for development

• An instrument to help identify how you are wired

• A way to identify “right” vs “wrong” or “good” vs “bad” talents

• A tool for hiring or promotion

• A way to understand the lens through which you view the world • About labeling people

• A common language to integrate into an organization or family

• A way to discover what energizes you vs what exhausts you

WHAT IT ISN’Tvs

• A method to help maximize personal and team productivity

• A one-size-fits-all approach

• An excuse to NOT do something “because it is not my strength”

• A complete explanation of who you are and what you do

IT IS…. IT ISN’T….



A Strengths-based

approach is about

perspective, not

the tool


WHAT IS A STRENGTHS-BASED PERSPECTIVE?

Individuals already have in themselves what they need to succeed.

“Individuals gain more when they build on their talents, than when they make comparable efforts to improve their areas of weakness.” Clifton & Harter, 2003, p. 112

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2

Two basic premises…

Roadmap:



Strengths-based Leadership

Defining Talents & StrengthsHistorical Context

“Most people, don’t know what their strengths are. When you ask them, they

just stare at you blankly - or they respond in terms of subject knowledge,

which is the wrong answer”

PETER DRUCKER


With education and training, anyone can possess basic knowledge or go through the fundamental steps to complete a task. But the very best have a significant edge: they build and apply strengths by doing what they naturally do best every day. - Gallup


GREATNESS COMES FROM BUILDING NATURAL TALENT

TALENT: A natural aptitude for something. “Naturally recurring patterns of thoughts, feelings and behavior that can be productively applied" - Gallup

What is a talent?

• KNOWLEDGE: What you know. What you learn through experience, reading and education

• STRENGTH: “The ability to consistently provide near perfect performance in a given activity” - Gallup

• SKILLS: What you do: Applying your knowledge. The stuff that you practice


GREATNESS COMES FROM BUILDING NATURAL TALENT

COMPETENCE & STRENGTHS

TALENTS PRACTICE STRENGTHX =A natural recurring way of thinking, feeling and behaving

Time spent gaining knowledge & applying that knowledge to gain skills

The ability to consistently provide near perfect performance in a given activity

A talent is a potential strength


PRACTICE = a MULTIPLIER of talent

Roadmap:



Strengths-based Leadership

Defining Talents & StrengthsHistorical Context


If this was YOUR

report card, what

would you focus

on most?

REPORT CARD

Strategy

Communication

Taking Action

Networking

Presenting A-

A+

A

B

D

Our current paradigm is deficit-focused

❖ Most managers spend the majority of their time working with the

weakest performers, zooming in on their mistakes - trying to fix it.

❖ Most teachers and parents focus on student’s lowest grades, in stead

of celebrating the highest grades and help them to achieve even

more.


We’ve made the wrong assumptions about fixing

weaknesses:

STRENGTHS DEVELOPMENT

THE RIGHT ASSUMPTIONS

2. The BEST people in a role deliver the same outcomes but use different behaviors to achieve it.

1. WEAKNESS fixing might prevent failure but will never lead to excellence. Developing STRENGTHS lead to excellence.


WEAKNESS FIXING VS

THE WRONG ASSUMPTIONS

2. The best people in a role all get there exactly the same way

1. Fixing weaknesses leads to success

WHAT IS “STRENGTHS-BASED LEADERSHIP”


Adopts practices to help you identify, cultivate and use your talents & strengths at work.

As a leader, you don’t need to be competent in all areas - but your team does.

Focusing on your talents & strengths and delegating tasks that you’re not that good at, to others who are more experienced or skilled.

Identify your team member’s strengths and encourage them to use it in a way that benefits everyone.

Hire people based on their individual talents & strengths, not because their skills and interests align with your own.

®

www.talents2strengths.com

CLIFTON STRENGTHSFINDER THEMES AND THEIR CORRESPONDING LEADERSHIP DOMAINS - a lexicon for teams

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WHY FOCUS ON TALENT

• Speed❖People operating from talent learn the role faster and adapt to

variance in the role more quickly

• Productivity and Precision❖People operating from talent produce significantly more at higher

quality.

• Higher Employee Engagement❖People operating from talent are more engaged, miss work less, and

build stronger customer relationships.



BUT WHAT ABOUT WEAKNESSES?

WEAKNESS: a shortage or misapplication of talent, skill, or knowledge that causes problems for you or others or hinders your progress. (e.g. “Control freak”)

Do we just

IGNORE it?

#1 STRENGTHS MYTH: BUSTED!!ADOPTING A STRENGTHS-BASED APPROACH DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN IGNORE YOUR WEAKNESSES

• Understanding & Recognition are key

- Understanding: I know myself and how I normally act. I understand that what I do has an impact on the world around me.

- Recognition: I recognize my behavior in the moment and make a intentional choice about how I am going to respond to influence outcomes in a positive way.

When you know your strengths and weaknesses, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of those around you, it allows you and your teams to take the most effective actions.

You DO need to learn how to “MANAGE” around weaknesses - for as far as they’re hindering your progress


Create open communication and transparency

Strategically and consciously develop and

apply your talents to improve all aspects of your life

Know and own your weaknesses and blindspots too.

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Build complimentary partnerships

Find or create support systems & structures

HOW TO MANAGE WEAKNESSES

Adjust or change roles

Get the right education about your talents & strengths

Roadmap:



Strengths-based LeadershipHistorical Context Defining

Talents & Strengths

WHAT IS A “STRENGTHS-BASED ORGANIZATION?”


• Positive

• Strengths-based

• Growth orientated

• Excellence focused

A STRENGTHS-BASED ORGANIZATION:

www.talents2strengths.com�30Source: Gallup - Building a strengths based organization by Tony Rutigliano

• People are the foundation of a strengths-

based organization

• It is achieved through unleashing individual

and organizational strengths

• Characterized by all-round

excellence across a balanced

scorecard


• Strengths-based policies and practices span the employee lifecycle.

Attract Select Onboard Maximize Performance

Develop Engage & Retain> > > > >

STRENGTHS

Leaders Managers Frontline Coaches/HR

Source: Gallup - Building a strengths based organization by Tony Rutigliano

• Strengths guide attraction, engagement and retention of talent at all levels


Our STRENGTHS are the lens through which we view the world

It affects the way we:

• Process information

• Experience others

• Accommodate change

• View time and structure

• Communicate

• How engaged we are at work


How is engagement measured?HOW IS ENGAGEMENT MEASURED?

Source: Gallup Engagement Hierarchy


EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT MATTERS:

ENGAGED: employees work with passion and feel a profound connection to their company. They drive innovation and move the organization forward.

NOT ENGAGED: employees are essentially “checked out”. They’re sleepwalking through their workday, putting time - but not energy or passion - into their work

ACTIVELY DISENGAGED employees aren’t just unhappy at work; they’re busy acting out their unhappiness. Every day, these workers undermine what their engaged coworkers accomplish.

Source: Gallup - Daily

THE POWER OF STRENGTHS TO GROW ENGAGEMENT

• An employee who truly knows how to apply their strengths is:

15.3 times more likely to strongly agree they have the opportunity to do what they do best every day.

• Of the employees who felt their manager focused on their weaknesses, 22% were actively disengaged as employees.

• Applying strengths is a way to eliminate disengagement in local teams.

Source: http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/193499/strengths-based-employee-development-business-results.aspx


8.2 times more likely to strongly agree they know what is expected of them at work

http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/193499/strengths-based-employee-development-business-results.aspx

• I’m good at what I do

• My work is energizing • My work is tiring

• Time drags on

• I look forward to my job • I dread my job

• Time goes quickly

• I’m enjoyable to be around

• I treat customers, colleagues, friends well

• I don’t excel at my work

• I have very few positive moments

Using Strengths… Not using strengths


Why Strengths?

Focusing on strengths dramatically improves everyday life at work…

Source: Stone, A. & Harter, J. K. (2009). e experience of work: A momentary perspective. A collaboration between Gallup, Stony Brook University, Princeton University, and Syracuse University

WHY DOES IT INCREASE ENGAGEMENT?

THE VALUE OF DEVELOPING STRENGTHS

Critical Metric Improvement

Employee engagement +15%

Increased productivity +21%

Increased profits +22%

Increased customer engagement +10%

Lower employee turnover (low turnover organizations) -16%

Lower employee turnover (high turnover organizations) -72%

Fewer safety incidents -59%

Source: http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/193499/strengths-based-employee-development-business-results.aspx


82 000 business/work units | 1,8 million employees | 73 countries | 49 industries

http://news.gallup.com/businessjournal/193499/strengths-based-employee-development-business-results.aspx

PRACTICAL NEXT STEPS:


• Take the StrengthsFinder assessment

• Create a team talent map for your organization

• Create a plan to develop ONE of your talents

• Get in touch so I can support you

• It’s been taken by more than 18 million people in 50 countries• It’s available in 20 languages

Curious how to implement a strengths-based

approach in your life, career or organization?


Contact me

Marja Botha van Doorn B.Proc | MCT | EMBA Cert

Executive Coach/consultant: Leadership & Team Development | Employee Engagement

https://talents2strengths.com/contact-marja/

getting started with strengths · clifton strengthsfinder® top 5 talent themes (a theme is a group...

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