～ Three Steps to Make the Most of Their Strengths ～
For a company and its employees to grow, it is highly effective to create a workplace where each individual can make the most of their strengths.
In this article, let’s explore how to identify and leverage the strengths of your employees.
There are three essential steps: identifying strengths, building a shared understanding between managers and employees, and putting those strengths to work.
Let’s look at what both managers and employees can do at each stage.
Step 1: Identify Strengths
From the Manager’s Perspective
- Employees do not always recognize their own strengths accurately. Managers, therefore, also need to understand what each employee does particularly well.
For example, you can identify visible strengths by observing the quality of an employee’s work and how quickly they complete it.
You should also pay attention to how employees approach tasks they are good at. They often show greater initiative and enthusiasm, even when faced with difficult challenges.
Make a habit of observing these behaviors in your day-to-day interactions.
- Employees may have strengths they have not yet discovered. It is important to give them opportunities to take on a variety of tasks and challenges.
Offering different kinds of advice on how to approach and carry out work—not just on the work itself—may also help reveal strengths they were previously unaware of.
From the Employee’s Perspective
Many people rarely take the time to think about their own strengths. It is helpful to set aside time regularly to reflect on your work and abilities.
One of the simplest ways to do this is to create a personal work-history document. Record the tasks you have handled and the results you have achieved.
The more you can express those results in measurable terms, the easier it will be to recognize your strengths.
Review this document at least once every six months. This will help you identify how your strengths are developing. Some strengths may change over time, while others may remain constant and become even stronger.
Regular reflection is essential for recognizing these changes.
Step 2: Build a Shared Understanding Between Managers and Employees
From Both the Manager’s and the Employee’s Perspectives
At this stage, managers and employees need to develop a shared understanding of the employees’ strengths. Here are three important points to consider.
1) Check for Differences in Perception
An employee may consider something a strength that their manager does not particularly recognize as such—and the reverse can also happen. It is important to identify and close these gaps in perception.
1-on-1 meetings and performance review feedback sessions are good opportunities to compare perspectives and discuss each employee’s strengths.
2) Recognize the Results Achieved Through Those Strengths
Work that draws on an employee’s strengths will often produce better results than work that does not.
Recognizing this can also influence the employee’s motivation going forward. Managers should therefore evaluate these achievements appropriately and communicate their recognition clearly to the employee.
3) Look for Additional Strengths
Even after a manager and employee have identified and agreed on certain strengths, there may be others that have yet to be discovered or developed.
It is also important to remember that strengths are not fixed. They may evolve, new strengths may emerge, and existing strengths may sometimes diminish. Keep an open mind and review them regularly.
Step 3: Put Strengths to Work
From the Manager’s Perspective
- Once you understand your employees’ strengths, it is important to assign work in ways that make the most of them.
Of course, it may not be possible to allocate every task according to each employee’s strengths. Nevertheless, managers can still distribute work in ways that allow employees to use their strengths wherever possible.
This can help work proceed more efficiently while giving employees a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment.
- Another important responsibility of a manager is to help employees further develop their strengths.
For example, you can encourage them to attend specialized training related to their strengths or share useful information and resources that may help them improve.
From the Employee’s Perspective
- Once you have identified your strengths, take the initiative to develop them further.
Because these are areas in which you already excel, you may be able to improve more quickly or achieve a level of performance above the average.
This can also give you a stronger sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It is important to invest actively in your own development in areas of strength.
- If developing a strength means deepening your expertise, do not overlook the importance of broadening your capabilities as well.
Strength is inherently relative to others. Take an interest in the different strengths that people around you possess.
Broadening your perspective will help you better understand the value of your own strengths and how they can complement those of others.
Why not sit down with your employees and put their strengths into words together?
