In my last post, I wrote about the importance of leaders discovering and utilizing all the resources available to them. This is especially critical when it comes to identifying the strengths of your team.
Discovering the gifts and abilities of your team can be as simple as asking the right questions, listening, observing, and reflecting.
Observing
You may be able to gain valuable insight by watching your team members in action. When do they seem most engaged with their work? In what situations do they shine?
Asking Questions
You can learn a lot by asking your team members about their strengths and abilities. What do they perceive as their greatest strengths? What job tasks do they enjoy most? What skills would they like to develop? What talent are they most proud of? What project have they completed recently that best showcases their ability?
Don’t stop there. Ask team members about each others’ abilities. What do they perceive as their team members’ greatest strengths? What do they think each of their team members does really well? Ask about projects they’ve completed as a team to discover your team’s ability to collaborate.
Listening
Look for patterns in the answers your team provides. Is there general agreement about each individual’s ability and contribution? Is each individual’s perception of their own strengths shared by their team?
Reflecting
Consider what you’ve heard. As a leader, what can you do to maximize your team members’ talent? What opportunities can you give to your team members to allow them to be their best at work? How can you restructure job responsibilities within your department to enable people to spend most of their time using their strengths?
Getting to know your people well will ensure that you are aware of their strengths. By using their strengths effectively, you will create a strong team.
This was originally posted at Mountain State University LeaderTalk and is reposted with permission.
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.