As a business leader, it can often be hard to maintain optimum levels of motivation with staff and especially when it comes to finding structured learning events that can add value to the business and individuals simultaneously and in equal measure.
We are all naturally hungry to find out what we are not good at and divert our effort to trying to be better and improve in these areas. We often do this to the detriment of recognising, and leveraging, our strengths. When you step back and think about this it’s probably not the most sensible use of time or the best decision we can make in terms of our focus.
Recognising what we are good at, identifying key strengths and allowing ourselves to play to these has got to be a good decision. From a personal perspective, it is a good decision because we typically enjoy and are more engaged in the things we are good at. If we can ensure these things are aligned to the needs of the organisation then they move from being a hobby to activities that add demonstrable valuable to the business. A win-win all round!
None of this is rocket science but if we are honest with ourselves, common sense doesn’t always equate to common practice. This is where the Zenger Folkman Extraordinary Leader and Extraordinary Performer programmes have been invaluable for us as a business. Through our relationship with Natural Direction, a specialist leadership development consultancy and partner of Zenger Folkman, we have embedded the importance of identifying and focusing on strengths across our business.
Over the last five years we have developed three structured programmes that take the Zenger Folkman methodology and use this to create a common language, a common understanding and a collective recognition that enabling people to play to their strengths benefits everyone. This is not to say that we have a blinkered approach to ‘fatal flaws’ as these are absolutely things that we must support people to address. We encourage our people to play to their strengths and surround themselves with people who are good at doing the things that they are not so good at.
I recently attended an event hosted by Natural Direction, which attracted talent leaders from across a range of global organisations as well as some new market disrupters. During the discussion it was evident that this approach is well placed in helping organisations respond to the shifting needs in managing, developing and retaining talent. This isn’t a generational thing or a response to the many challenges facing organisations at the moment but it does highlight an opportunity for us to harness common sense and translate this in to common practice.
Richard Goold
– Guest Blogger
moorhouseconsulting
